Federal Register/Vol. 86, No. 157/Wednesday, August 18, 2021
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 157 / Wednesday, August 18, 2021 / Notices 46199 2021, provided the previously (Authority: Pub. L. 116–224, 112, Dec. 18, period. Comments, including all mentioned mitigation, monitoring, and 2020, 134 Stat. 1072) attachments, must not exceed a 25- reporting requirements are incorporated. Scott Lundgren, megabyte file size. All comments Dated: August 11, 2021. Director, Office of Response and Restoration, received are a part of the public record Catherine Marzin, National Ocean Service. and will generally be posted online at www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/ Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, [FR Doc. 2021–17738 Filed 8–17–21; 8:45 am] incidental-take-authorizations-under- National Marine Fisheries Service. BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P marine-mammal-protection-act without [FR Doc. 2021–17683 Filed 8–17–21; 8:45 am] change. All personal identifying BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE information (e.g., name, address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric may be publicly accessible. Do not Administration submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or National Oceanic and Atmospheric [RTID 0648–XB163] Administration protected information. Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reopening of Solicitation of Specified Activities; Taking Marine Robert Pauline, Office of Protected Nominations for the Marine Debris Mammals Incidental to the Palmer Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401. Foundation Board of Directors Station Pier Replacement Project, Electronic copies of the application and supporting documents, as well as a list AGENCY: National Ocean Service (NOS), Antarctica National Oceanic and Atmospheric of the references cited in this document, AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries may be obtained online at: https:// Administration (NOAA), Department of Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Commerce (DOC). www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/ Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), incidental-take-authorizations-under- ACTION: Reopening of solicitation of Commerce. marine-mammal-protection-act. In case nominations. ACTION: Notice; proposed incidental of problems accessing these documents, SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and harassment authorization; request for please call the contact listed above. Atmospheric Administration published comments on proposed authorization SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: and possible renewal. a notice in the Federal Register on May Background 19, 2021 seeking nominations of SUMMARY: NMFS has received a request The MMPA prohibits the ‘‘take’’ of qualified candidates to be considered from the National Science Foundation for appointment as a member of the marine mammals, with certain (NSF) for authorization to take marine exceptions. sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) Marine Debris Foundation Board of mammals incidental to the Palmer Directors (Board). This solicitation of of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) Station Pier Replacement Project in direct the Secretary of Commerce (as nominations of qualified persons to the Anvers Island, Antarctica. Pursuant to Board is hereby reopened. delegated to NMFS) to allow, upon the Marine Mammal Protection Act request, the incidental, but not DATES: Nominations to the Board of (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments Directors for the Marine Debris intentional, taking of small numbers of on its proposal to issue an incidental marine mammals by U.S. citizens who Foundation must be received in entirety harassment authorization (IHA) to no later than 11:59 p.m. EDT on August engage in a specified activity (other than incidentally take marine mammals commercial fishing) within a specified 27, 2021. Nomination packages received during the specified activities. NMFS is after this time will not be considered. geographical region if certain findings also requesting comments on a possible are made and either regulations are ADDRESSES: All nominations should be one-time, one-year renewal that could issued or, if the taking is limited to emailed (recommended) to be issued under certain circumstances harassment, a notice of a proposed [email protected] and if all requirements are met, as incidental take authorization may be with the subject line ‘‘Marine Debris described in Request for Public provided to the public for review. Foundation Nomination,’’ or mailed to Comments at the end of this notice. Authorization for incidental takings Caitlin Wessel, Marine Debris NMFS will consider public comments shall be granted if NMFS finds that the Foundation Nomination, c/o NOAA prior to making any final decision on taking will have a negligible impact on Disaster Response Center, 7344 Ziegler the issuance of the requested MMPA the species or stock(s) and will not have Blvd., Mobile, AL 36608. authorizations and agency responses an unmitigable adverse impact on the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: will be summarized in the final notice availability of the species or stock(s) for Caitlin Wessel, Ph.D., Phone 251–222– of our decision. taking for subsistence uses (where 0276; Email [email protected] or DATES: Comments and information must relevant). Further, NMFS must prescribe visit the NOAA Marine Debris Program be received no later than September 17, the permissible methods of taking and website at https:// 2021. other ‘‘means of effecting the least marinedebris.noaa.gov/who-we-are/ ADDRESSES: Comments should be practicable adverse impact’’ on the marine-debris-foundation. addressed to Jolie Harrison, Chief, affected species or stocks and their SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Refer to Permits and Conservation Division, habitat, paying particular attention to the Federal Register Notice of May 19, Office of Protected Resources, National rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of 2021 (86 FR 27070) and the NOAA Marine Fisheries Service. Written similar significance, and on the Marine Debris Program website at comments should be submitted via availability of the species or stocks for https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/who-we- email to [email protected]. taking for certain subsistence uses are/marine-debris-foundation for the Instructions: NMFS is not responsible (referred to in shorthand as items that are required parts of the for comments sent by any other method, ‘‘mitigation’’); and requirements nomination package and additional to any other address or individual, or pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring information. received after the end of the comment and reporting of the takings are set forth. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:34 Aug 17, 2021 Jkt 253001 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\18AUN1.SGM 18AUN1 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES 46200 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 157 / Wednesday, August 18, 2021 / Notices The definitions of all applicable Level A harassment. Neither NSF nor season is limited due to ice and MMPA statutory terms cited above are NMFS expects serious injury or weather. Construction work cannot included in the relevant sections below. mortality to result from this activity begin until the sea ice has vacated Hero and, therefore, an IHA is appropriate. Inlet and work must be completed prior National Environmental Policy Act to the return of sea ice so that personnel Description of Proposed Activity To comply with the National and equipment can be safely Environmental Policy Act of 1969 Overview demobilized. The proposed IHA would (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and be effective for a period of one year from NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) The purpose of the project is to construct a replacement pier at Palmer October 1, 2021 through September 30, 216–6A, NMFS must review our 2022. In-water activities will occur proposed action (i.e., the issuance of an Station on Anvers Island, Antarctica for the United States Antarctic Program. It during daylight hours only. Work would IHA) with respect to potential impacts be conducted 7 days per week for 12 on the human environment. is severely deteriorated, and needs to be replaced as soon as possible. hours (hr) per day and up to 89 days of Accordingly, NMFS plans to adopt in-water construction is anticipated. NSF’s Initial Environmental Evaluation Construction of the replacement pier (IEE), which is generally the equivalent and removal of the existing pier will Specific Geographic Region of an environmental assessment (EA) require down-the-hole (DTH) pile under the Antarctic Conservation Act installation, and vibratory pile removal. The activities would occur at Palmer (16 U.S.C. 2401 et seq.), provided our Limited impact driving will occur only Station on Hero Inlet, between Gamage independent evaluation of the to proof piles after they have been Point and Bonaparte Point on the document finds that it includes installed. The proposed project is southwestern coast of Anvers Island in adequate information analyzing the expected to take up to 89 days of in- the Antarctica Peninsula (Figure 1). The water work and will include the coordinates for the station are: 64°46′ S, effects on the human environment of ° ′ issuing the IHA. installation of 52 piles and removal of 64 03 W. Substrate at the project We will review all comments 36 piles. Construction is expected to location consists of solid rock. In submitted in response to this notice and begin no later than November 2021, addition to the pier, there are several the draft IEE prior to concluding our depending on local sea ice conditions, buildings, plus two large fuel tanks, and NEPA process or making a final and would be completed