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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 33 / Monday, February 22, 2021 / Notices
Submit all PSO datasheets and/or raw sighting data in a separate file from the Final Report referenced immediately above.
If no comments are received from NMFS within 30 days, the draft report will constitute the final report. If comments are received, a final report addressing NMFS comments must be submitted within 30 days after receipt of comments.
For the SSV, AGDCs acoustic monitoring report must, at minimum, include the following:
Hydrophone equipment and methods: Recording device, sampling rate, distance m from the pile where recordings were made; depth of recording devices.
Type and size of pile being driven, substrate type, method of driving during recordings.
For impact pile driving: Pulse duration and mean, median, and maximum sound levels dB re: 1mPa:
Cumulative sound exposure level SELcum, peak sound pressure level SPLpeak, root-mean-square sound pressure level SPLrms, and single-strike sound exposure level SELs-s.
For vibratory driving/removal:
Mean, median, and maximum sound levels dB re: 1mPa: SPLrms, SELcum, and timeframe over which the sound is averaged.
Number of strikes impact or duration vibratory per pile measured, one-third octave band spectrum, power spectral density plot.
Estimated source levels referenced to 10 m, transmission loss coefficients, and estimated Level A and Level B
harassment zones.
For the PAM for marine mammals, AGDCs acoustic monitoring report must, at minimum, include the following:
Number of marine mammal detections including species, date and time of detections, and type of pile driving underway during each detection, if applicable.
Detection rates summarized into daily or weekly periods for the before, during, and after construction periods.
Received sound levels from pile driving activity.
The following hydrophone equipment and method information:
Recording devices, sampling rate, sensitivity of the PAM equipment, locations of the hydrophones, duty cycle, distance m from the pile where recordings were made, depth of recording devices, depth of water in area of recording devices.
In the event that personnel involved in the construction activities discover an injured or dead marine mammal, the
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IHA-holder shall report the incident to the Office of Protected Resources OPR
3014278401, NMFS and to the Alaska regional stranding coordinator 9075867209 as soon as feasible. If the death or injury was clearly caused by the specified activity, the IHA-holder must immediately cease the specified activities until NMFS is able to review the circumstances of the incident and determine what, if any, additional measures are appropriate to ensure compliance with the terms of the IHA.
The IHA-holder must not resume their activities until notified by NMFS.
The report must include the following information:
Time, date, and location latitude/
longitude of the first discovery and updated location information if known and applicable;
Species identification if known or description of the animals involved;
Condition of the animals including carcass condition if the animal is dead;
Observed behaviors of the animals, if alive;
If available, photographs or video footage of the animals; and General circumstances under which the animal was discovered.
Monitoring Plan Peer Review The MMPA requires that monitoring plans be independently peer reviewed where the proposed activity may affect the availability of a species or stock for taking for subsistence uses 16 U.S.C.
1371a5DiiIII. Regarding this requirement, NMFS implementing regulations state that upon receipt of a complete monitoring plan, and at its discretion, NMFS will either submit the plan to members of a PRP for review or within 60 days of receipt of the proposed monitoring plan, schedule a workshop to review the plan 50 CFR
216.108d.
NMFS established an independent PRP to review AGDCs Monitoring Plan for the planned project in Prudhoe Bay.
NMFS provided AGDCs monitoring plan to the PRP and asked them to answer the following questions:
1. Will the applicants stated objectives effectively further the understanding of the impacts of their activities on marine mammals and otherwise accomplish the goals stated below? If not, how should the objectives be modified to better accomplish the goals below?
2. Can the applicant achieve the stated objectives based on the methods described in the plan?
3. Are there technical modifications to the proposed monitoring techniques and methodologies proposed by the
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applicant that should be considered to better accomplish the objectives?
4. Are there techniques not proposed by the applicant i.e., additional monitoring techniques or methodologies that should be considered for inclusion in the applicants monitoring program to better accomplish the objectives?
5. What is the best way for an applicant to present their data and results formatting, metrics, graphics, etc. in the required reports that are to be submitted to NMFS i.e., 90-day report?
The PRP met in March 2020 and subsequently provided a final report to NMFS containing recommendations that the panel members felt were applicable to AGDCs monitoring plan. The panel concluded that the objectives are appropriate; however, they provided some recommendations to improve AGDCs ability to achieve their stated objectives. The PRPs primary recommendations and comments are summarized and addressed below. The PRPs full report is available on our website at https
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/
incidental-take-authorizations-undermarine-mammal-protection-act.
The PRP recommended that AGDC
station PSOs on elevated platforms to increase sighting distance. NMFS
agrees, and the final IHA requires AGDC
to provide elevated monitoring locations for PSOs. The structures would vary depending on the construction location.
The PRP recommended that PSOs focus on scanning the shoreline and water, alternately with visual scans and using binoculars, to detect as many animals as possible rather than following individual animals for any length of time to collect detailed behavioral information. NMFS requires PSOs to document and report the behavior of marine mammals observed within the Level A and Level B
harassment zones. While NMFS agrees that PSOs should not document behavior at the expense of detecting other marine mammals, particularly within the shutdown zone, we are asking PSOs to record an estimate of the amount of time that an animal spends in the harassment zone, which is important to help understand the likelihood of incurring PTS given the duration component of the thresholds and the severity of behavioral disturbance.
The PRP recommended that the PSOs record visibility conditions at regular intervals e.g., every five minutes and as they change throughout the day. The panel recommended using either laser range finders or a series of landmarks
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