ESA and EFH Consultation Documents for Five Hawaii Ocean Disposal Sites
On March 5, 2021, EPA Region 9’s Ocean Dumping Management Program completed reinitiation of Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation, under Section 7 of the ESA, and Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) consultation, under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, for five Hawai‘i ocean disposal sites. The ocean disposal sites were designated through formal rule-making in 1981, and EPA worked closely with National Marine Fisheries Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service staff to address species and habitats listed since the site designations. The final consultation package includes EPA’s analyses for ESA and EFH and the responses from the services.