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Notice of the Availability of an Environmental Assessment
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: April 11, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 68)]
[Notices]
[Page 18431-18432]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11ap05-135]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of the Availability of an Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft Environmental Assessment for
proposed activities in the Arctic Ocean.
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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation gives notice of the
availability of a draft Environmental Assessment for proposed
activities in the Arctic Ocean.
The Office of Polar Programs (OPP) has prepared an Environmental
Assessment of a marine geophysical survey by the Coast Guard cutter
Healy across the Arctic Ocean, August-September 2005. Given the United
States Arctic Program's mission to support polar research, the proposed
action is expected to result in substantial benefits to science. The
draft Environmental Assessment is available for public review for a 30-
day period.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 11, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft Environmental Assessment are available
upon request from: Dr. Polly A. Penhale, National Science Foundation,
Office of
[[Page 18432]]
Polar Programs, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 755, Arlington, VA 22230.
Telephone: (703) 292-8033.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF),
with research funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and
the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), plans to conduct a multi-
institution marine seismic survey across the Arctic Ocean from northern
Alaska to Svalbard during the period 5 August to 30 September 2005
(approximately). This project will be operated in conjunction with a
sediment coring project intended to collect paleoenvironmental and
paleoceanographic evidence that will reveal information about the
recent history of the Arctic Ocean and its climate during the last ten
thousand years. The purpose of the seismic survey is to study the
history of the ridges and basins of the Arctic Ocean.
Several species of cetaceans and pinnipeds inhabit the Arctic
Ocean. The increased underwater noise from the research may result in
avoidance behavior by some marine mammals and fish, and other forms of
disturbance. An integral part of the planned survey is a monitoring and
mitigation program to minimize impacts of the proposed activities on
marine species present, and on fishing and subsistence activities, and
to document the nature and extent of any effects. Injurious impacts to
marine mammals have not been proven to occur near equipment proposed to
be used in this research; however, the planned monitoring and
mitigation measures would minimize the possibility of such effects
should they otherwise occur.
With the planned monitoring and mitigation measures, unavoidable
impacts to each of the species of marine mammal that might be
encountered are expected to be limited to short-term localized changes
in behavior and distribution near the seismic vessel. At most, such
effects may be interpreted as falling within the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA) definition of ``Level B Harassment'' for those
species managed by NMFS. No long-term or significant effects are
expected on individual marine mammals, or the populations to which they
belong, or their habitats. The agency is currently consulting with both
the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Fish & Wildlife Service
regarding species within their respective jurisdictions potentially
affected by this proposed activity.
Copies of the draft Environmental Assessment titled, An
Environmental Assessment of a Marine Geophysical Survey by the Coast
Guard Cutter Healy Across the Arctic Ocean, August-September 2005, are
available upon request from: Dr. Polly A. Penhale, National Science
Foundation, Office of Polar Programs, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 755,
Arlington, VA 22230. Telephone: (703) 292-8033 or at the agency's Web
site at: http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/arctic/arc_envir/healy_ea.pdf. 
The National Science Foundation invites interested members of the public
to provide written comments on this draft Environmental Assessment.
Dr. Polly A. Penhale,
Environmental Officer, Office of Polar Programs, National Science
Foundation.
[FR Doc. 05-7183 Filed 4-8-05; 8:45 am]
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