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tkelley on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with NOTICES2

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 33 / Monday, February 22, 2021 / Notices DH4, two PSOs must monitor from each PSO location four PSOs; and ii. Barge BridgeDuring work at the barge bridge, two PSOs must be stationed at the north end of the bridge.
PSOs will be stationed on elevated platforms at DH4, and on the elevated bridge during work at the barge bridge.
They will possess the equipment described in the 4MP, including NVDs during nighttime monitoring. However, during the primary construction season, nighttime on the North Slope will be brief. Given the elevated PSO sites and equipment, AGDC expects that they will be able to effectively observe phocids at distances up to 500 m, large cetaceans at 24km, and belugas at 23km, however, PSOs will not be able to effectively observe the entire area of the Level A seals only or Level B
harassment zones during all pile driving activities.
PSOs will begin monitoring three days prior to the onset of pile driving and removal activities and continue through three days after completion of the pile driving and removal activities.
PSOs will monitor 24 hours per day, even during periods when construction is not occurring. In addition, observers shall record all incidents of marine mammal occurrence, regardless of distance from activity, and shall document any behavioral reactions in concert with distance from piles being driven or removed. Pile driving activities include the time to install or remove a single pile or series of piles, as long as the time elapsed between uses of the pile driving equipment is no more than 30 minutes.

2020 and the Acoustic Monitoring Plan referenced above. This PAM is intended to inform the estimate of marine mammals in the Level B harassment zone, given that PSOs are not able to observe the entire zone for all species and activities.
AGDC will deploy the hydrophones in the locations recommended by the PRP, as shown in Figure 4 of its Marine Mammal Monitoring and Mitigation Plan dated December 21, 2020, and will adjust the locations as appropriate if the Level B harassment zones are adjusted following SSV results. AGDC
will deploy the PAM recorders three days prior to the start of pile driving, and will retrieve them three days after completion of pile driving during the open-water season.
Should construction be required during the contingency period when there will be ice-cover, AGDC will deploy one hydrophone at the end of the open-water season, located in between the 2,200 m and 4,700 m zones, perpendicular to the pile driving site.
The location must be reviewed by NMFS, the NSB, and the AEWC, and approved by NMFS prior to deployment. Additional hydrophones during the contingency period are not warranted, as, as we do not expect cetaceans to be present in the area during this time Quakenbush et al., 2018, Citta et al., 2016 and while ringed seals likely will be present, few, if any, spotted or bearded seals are likely to be present during that time Bengston et al., 2005; Lowry et al., 1998; Simpkins et al., 2003.

Acoustic Monitoring Acoustic monitoring, to be conducted for purposes of measuring sound source levels and sound propagation, must be conducted in accordance with accepted methodology as described in an Acoustic Monitoring Plan, which AGDC
must develop after its contractor is selected. The plan must be reviewed by NMFS, the NSB, and the AEWC, and approved by NMFS. AGDC must conduct acoustic monitoring for the number of each pile type and size indicated in the approved plan. NMFS
may adjust the shutdown zones and revise the Level A and Level B
harassment zones, as appropriate, pending review and approval of the results of acoustic monitoring.
AGDC will also conduct PAM for marine mammals. AGDC will deploy three hydrophones during the openwater season to monitor for marine mammals, in accordance with the Marine Mammal Monitoring and Mitigation Plan, dated December 21,
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A draft marine mammal monitoring report will be submitted to NMFS
within 90 days after the completion of marine mammal and acoustic monitoring or 60 days prior to the issuance of any subsequent IHA for this project, whichever comes first. The report will include an overall description of work completed, a narrative regarding marine mammal sightings, and associated PSO data sheets. Specifically, the report must include:
Dates and times begin and end of all marine mammal monitoring;
Construction activities occurring during each daily observation period, including precise start and stop time of each type of construction operation mode, how many and what type of piles were driven or removed and by what method i.e., impact or vibratory;
Total number of hours during which each construction activity type occurred;

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Total number of hours that PSOs were on duty during each construction activity, and total number of hours that PSOs were on duty during periods of no construction activity;
Weather parameters and water conditions during each monitoring period e.g., wind speed, percent cover, visibility, sea state, and number of hours of observation that occurred during various visibility and sea state conditions;
The number of marine mammals observed, by species and operation mode, relative to the pile location, and if pile driving or removal was occurring at time of sighting;
The number of marine mammals observed including periods with no construction;
Age and sex class, if possible, of all marine mammals observed;
PSO locations during marine mammal monitoring, including elevation above sea level;
Distances and bearings of each marine mammal observed to the pile being driven or removed for each sighting if pile driving or removal was occurring at time of sighting;
Description of any marine mammal behavior patterns during observation, including direction of travel and estimated time spent within the Level A
and Level B harassment zones while the source was active;
Number of individuals of each species differentiated by month as appropriate detected within the Level A and Level B harassment zones;
Histograms of perpendicular distances to PSO sightings, by species or species group if sample sizes are small;
Sighting rates summarized into daily or weekly periods for the before, during, and after construction periods;
Maps showing visual detections by species and construction activity type.
Detailed information about any implementation of any mitigation triggered e.g., shutdowns and delays, a description of specific actions that ensued, and resulting behavior of the animal, if any;
Description of attempts to distinguish between the number of individual animals taken and the number of incidences of take, such as ability to track groups or individuals;
An estimation of potential takes, by species, by Level A and Level B
harassment based on the number of observed exposures within the Level A
and Level B harassment zones and the percentages of the Level A and Level B
harassment zones that were not visible;
and
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