5864 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 20 / Tuesday, January 30, 2024 / Notices 

unusual mortality events through two 

projects, the Marine Mammal Health 

and Stranding Response Program 

(MMHSRP) and the Alaska Marine 

Mammal Tissue Archival Project 

(AMMTAP). 

The purposes of this collection of 

information are: (1) to enable NOAA to 

allow the scientific community the 

opportunity to request tissue specimen 

samples from the NMMTB and, (2) to 

enable the Marine Mammal Health and 

Stranding Response Program 

(MMHSRP) of NOAA to assemble 

information on all specimens submitted 

to the National Institute of Standards 

and Technology’s Biorepository (NIST 

Biorepository), which includes the 

NMMTB. This request is for extension 

of a current information collection, with 

minor revisions. Most changes to the 

Access Policy were grammatical and 

minor. No changes have been made to 

the National Marine Mammal Tissue 

Bank Tissue Request Form or the 

NMMTB Field Data Sheet. Revisions 

were also made to The Examiner’s 

Guide to the National Marine Mammal 

Tissue Bank which included minor 

grammatical corrections as well as an 

update to the species list and inventory 

of animals and tissues. 

II. Method of Collection 

Respondents must complete a 

specimen banking information sheet for 

every sample submitted to the Bank. 

Methods of submitting reports include 

internet, mail and facsimile 

transmission of paper forms. Those 

requesting samples send the 

information, and their research findings, 

mainly via email. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0468. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Review: Regular submission 

(extension of a current information 

collection) 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

households; Business or other for-profit 

organizations; Not-for-profit 

institutions; State, Local, or Tribal 

government; Federal government. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 100 

specimen submission forms (from ∼20 

different organizations); 5 requests for 

tissue samples. 

Estimated Time per Response: 

Request for tissue sample, 2 hours. 

Specimen submission form, 45 minutes. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 85. 

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: $152.00. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. 

Legal Authority: Under 16 U.S.C. 

1421f section 407(d)(1) of the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act, the NMFS 

must establish criteria for access to 

marine mammal tissues in the NMMTB 

and make those available for public 

comment and review. 

IV. Request for Comments 

We are soliciting public comments to 

permit the Department/Bureau to: (a) 

Evaluate whether the proposed 

information collection is necessary for 

the proper functions of the Department, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the 

accuracy of our estimate of the time and 

cost burden for this proposed collection, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information to 

be collected; and (d) Minimize the 

reporting burden on those who are to 

respond, including the use of automated 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology. 

Comments that you submit in 

response to this notice are a matter of 

public record. We will include or 

summarize each comment in our request 

to OMB to approve this ICR. Before 

including your address, phone number, 

email address, or other personal 

identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you may ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Sheleen Dumas, 

Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of 

the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, 

Commerce Department. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01827 Filed 1–29–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD629] 

Taking and Importing Marine 

Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals 

Incidental to Geophysical Surveys 

Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the 

Gulf of Mexico 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of revised 

Letter of Authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA), as amended, its implementing 

regulations, and NMFS’ MMPA 

Regulations for Taking Marine 

Mammals Incidental to Geophysical 

Surveys Related to Oil and Gas 

Activities in the Gulf of Mexico, 

notification is hereby given that NMFS 

has issued a revised Letter of 

Authorization (LOA) to WesternGeco, in 

place of TGS, for the take of marine 

mammals incidental to geophysical 

survey activity in the Gulf of Mexico. 

DATES: The LOA is effective through 

September 28, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: The LOA, original LOA 

request, request for transferal, and 

supporting documentation are available 

online at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.

gov/action/incidental-takeauthorization-oil-and-gas-industrygeophysical-survey-activity-gulf-mexico. 

In case of problems accessing these 

documents, please call the contact listed 

below (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Rachel Wachtendonk, Office of 

Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 427– 

8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the 

MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct 

the Secretary of Commerce to allow, 

upon request, the incidental, but not 

intentional, taking of small numbers of 

marine mammals by U.S. citizens who 

engage in a specified activity (other than 

commercial fishing) within a specified 

geographical region if certain findings 

are made and either regulations are 

issued or, if the taking is limited to 

harassment, a notice of a proposed 

authorization is provided to the public 

for review. 

An authorization for incidental 

takings shall be granted if NMFS finds 

that the taking will have a negligible 

impact on the species or stock(s), will 

not have an unmitigable adverse impact 

on the availability of the species or 

stock(s) for subsistence uses (where 

relevant), and if the permissible 

methods of taking and requirements 

pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring 

and reporting of such takings are set 

forth. NMFS has defined ‘‘negligible 

impact’’ in 50 CFR 216.103 as an impact 

resulting from the specified activity that 

cannot be reasonably expected to, and is 

not reasonably likely to, adversely affect 

the species or stock through effects on 

annual rates of recruitment or survival. 

Except with respect to certain 

activities not pertinent here, the MMPA 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 20 / Tuesday, January 30, 2024 / Notices 5865 

defines ‘‘harassment’’ as: any act of 

pursuit, torment, or annoyance which (i) 

has the potential to injure a marine 

mammal or marine mammal stock in the 

wild (Level A harassment); or (ii) has 

the potential to disturb a marine 

mammal or marine mammal stock in the 

wild by causing disruption of behavioral 

patterns, including, but not limited to, 

migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, 

feeding, or sheltering (Level B 

harassment). 

On January 19, 2021, we issued a final 

rule with regulations to govern the 

unintentional taking of marine 

mammals incidental to geophysical 

survey activities conducted by oil and 

gas industry operators, and those 

persons authorized to conduct activities 

on their behalf (collectively ‘‘industry 

operators’’), in U.S. waters of the Gulf of 

Mexico (GOM) over the course of 5 

years (86 FR 5322; January 19, 2021). 

The rule was based on our findings that 

the total taking from the specified 

activities over the 5-year period will 

have a negligible impact on the affected 

species or stock(s) of marine mammals 

and will not have an unmitigable 

adverse impact on the availability of 

those species or stocks for subsistence 

uses. The rule became effective on April 

19, 2021. 

Our regulations at 50 CFR 217.180 et 

seq. allow for the issuance of LOAs to 

industry operators for the incidental 

take of marine mammals during 

geophysical survey activities and 

prescribe the permissible methods of 

taking and other means of effecting the 

least practicable adverse impact on 

marine mammal species or stocks and 

their habitat (often referred to as 

mitigation), as well as requirements 

pertaining to the monitoring and 

reporting of such taking. Under 50 CFR 

217.186(e), issuance of an LOA shall be 

based on a determination that the level 

of taking will be consistent with the 

findings made for the total taking 

allowable under these regulations and a 

determination that the amount of take 

authorized under the LOA is of no more 

than small numbers. 

Summary of Request 

On September 27, 2023, NMFS issued 

an LOA to TGS (88 FR 68106, October 

3, 2023) to take marine mammals 

incidental to a three-dimensional (3D) 

ocean bottom node (OBN) survey in the 

Green Canyon, Ewing Bank, and 

Atwater Valley protraction areas, 

including approximately 380 lease 

blocks. Approximate water depths of the 

survey area range from 150 to 2,000 

meters (m). See section F of the LOA 

application for a map of the area. 

Additional description of the planned 

survey, as well as analysis related to the 

issuance of that LOA, is available in 

TGS’ LOA application and the 

aforementioned Federal Register notice 

of issuance. 

On December 20, 2023, TGS requested 

the transfer of the LOA to its partner in 

the planned survey effort 

(WesternGeco). WesternGeco confirmed 

to NMFS that it similarly requested 

transfer of the LOA. With the transfer of 

the LOA, WesternGeco agrees to comply 

with the associated terms, conditions, 

stipulations, and restrictions of the 

original LOA. No other changes were 

requested. The revised LOA remains 

effective through September 28, 2024. 

The revised LOA sets forth only a 

change in the LOA holder’s name. There 

are no other changes to the LOA as 

described in the October 3, 2023, 

Federal Register notice of issuance (88 

FR 68106): the specified activity; 

estimated take by incidental 

harassment; and small numbers analysis 

and determination; and the period of 

effectiveness remain unchanged and are 

herein incorporated by reference. 

Authorization 

NMFS is changing the name of the 

holder of the LOA from ‘‘TGS’’ to 

‘‘WesternGeco’’. 

Dated: January 24, 2024. 

Catherine Marzin, 

Deputy Director, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01743 Filed 1–29–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD639] 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; Taking Marine 

Mammals Incidental to Pacific Gas & 

Electric Sediment Remediation Project, 

San Francisco Bay 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of an incidental 

harassment authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

regulations implementing the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as 

amended, notification is hereby given 

that NMFS has issued an incidental 

harassment authorization (IHA) to 

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to 

incidentally harass marine mammals 

during construction activities associated 

with a sediment remediation project in 

San Francisco Bay. 

DATES: The authorization is effective 

from May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the 

application and supporting documents, 

as well as a list of the references cited 

in this document, may be obtained 

online at: https://www.fisheries.

noaa.gov/action/incidental-takeauthorization-pacific-gas-electricsediment-remediation-project-san. In 

case of problems accessing these 

documents, please call the contact listed 

below. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kristy Jacobus, Office of Protected 

Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The MMPA prohibits the ‘‘take’’ of 

marine mammals, with certain 

exceptions. Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and 

(D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et 

seq.) direct the Secretary of Commerce 

(as delegated to NMFS) to allow, upon 

request, the incidental, but not 

intentional, taking of small numbers of 

marine mammals by U.S. citizens who 

engage in a specified activity (other than 

commercial fishing) within a specified 

geographical region if certain findings 

are made and either regulations are 

proposed or, if the taking is limited to 

harassment, a notice of a proposed IHA 

is provided to the public for review. 

Authorization for incidental takings 

shall be granted if NMFS finds that the 

taking will have a negligible impact on 

the species or stock(s) and will not have 

an unmitigable adverse impact on the 

availability of the species or stock(s) for 

taking for subsistence uses (where 

relevant). Further, NMFS must prescribe 

the permissible methods of taking and 

other ‘‘means of effecting the least 

practicable adverse impact’’ on the 

affected species or stocks and their 

habitat, paying particular attention to 

rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of 

similar significance, and on the 

availability of the species or stocks for 

taking for certain subsistence uses 

(referred to in shorthand as 

‘‘mitigation’’); and requirements 

pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring 

and reporting of the takings are set forth. 

The definitions of all applicable MMPA 

statutory terms cited above are included 

in the relevant sections below. 

Summary of Request 

On May 4, 2023, NMFS received a 

request from PG&E for an IHA to take 

marine mammals incidental to a 

Sediment Remediation Project in 

Remedial Response Areas A and B, Piers 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES