Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 28 / Friday, February 9, 2024 / Notices 9127 

activities should be directed to Matt 

Dunlap, Fishery Policy Analyst, West 

Coast Regional Office, 7600 Sand Point 

Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, (206) 526– 

6119, or matthew.dunlap@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

This submission is a renewal of an 

existing package. The program was 

developed through Amendment 20 to 

the Groundfish Fishery Management 

Plan (FMP), under the authority of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act (16 

U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and consists of an 

individual fishing quota (IFQ) program 

for the shore based trawl fleet (including 

whiting and non-whiting fisheries); and 

cooperative (coop) programs for the atsea mothership (MS) and catcher/ 

processor (C/P) trawl fleets (whiting 

only). As part of its fishery management 

responsibilities, the National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS) collects 

information to determine the amount 

and type of catch taken by fishing 

vessels. This collection supports 

monitoring requirements including 

scale test requirements for first receivers 

in the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery’s 

shore based individual fishery quota 

(IFQ) program; and mothership and 

catcher/processors in the at-sea whiting 

fisheries. The collection also supports 

permits for businesses that provide 

certified observer and certified catch 

monitor services. The respondents are 

principally shore-based first receivers, 

catch monitor and observer service 

providers, mothership processors, and 

catcher/processors which are 

companies/partnerships. 

II. Method of Collection 

This collection utilizes both 

electronic and paper forms, depending 

on the specific item. Methods of 

submittal include email of electronic 

forms, and mail and facsimile 

transmission of paper forms. 

Additionally, this collection utilizes 

interviews for some information 

collection and phone calls for 

transmission of other information. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0619. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Review: Regular submission 

(extension of a current information 

collection). 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

150. 

Estimated Time Per Response: For 2 

existing observer providers: 2 hours for 

preparation and submission of the 

annual observer provider permit 

renewal application. For 1 new observer 

provider: 10 hours for observer provider 

permit application preparation and 

submission. For 1 observer provider: 4 

hours for a written response and 

submission of an appeal if an observer 

provider permit is denied. For 45 catch 

monitors: 1 hour for submission of 

qualifications to work as a catch 

monitor. For 5 catch monitors: 4 hours 

for a written response and submission of 

an appeal if a catch monitor permit is 

denied. For 16 vessels in the 

Mothership or Catcher/Processor fleet, 

30 minutes or less for satisfying 

requirements for use of at-sea scales, 

including daily testing reports (30 

minutes), daily catch and cumulative 

weight reports (10 minutes), audit trail 

(1 minute), calibration log (2 minutes), 

and fault log (3 minutes). 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 441 hours (83 hours for observer 

and catch monitor providers and 358 

hours for Motherships or Catcher/ 

Processors). 

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: $3,678. Annualized capital costs 

for computer hardware are $3,510. 

Annualized reporting/recordkeeping 

costs are $168. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. 

Legal Authority: The regulations at 

§§ 660.140(h), 660.150(j), and 

660.160(g), specify observer coverage 

requirements for trawl vessels and 

define the responsibilities for observer 

providers, including reporting 

requirements. Regulations at 

§ 660.140(i) specify requirements for 

catch monitor coverage for first 

receivers. Regulations at § 660.15 

specify equipment, performance and 

technical requirements for scales used 

to weigh catch at sea. 

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. 2024–02673 Filed 2–8–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD633] 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; Taking Marine 

Mammals Incidental to the Coastal 

Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial 

Project Offshore of Virginia 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of Letter of 

Authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA) as amended, and implementing 

regulations, notification is hereby given 

that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has 

been issued to the Virginia Electric and 

Power Company, doing business as 

Dominion Energy Virginia (Dominion 

Energy), for the taking of marine 

mammals incidental to the construction 

of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind 

Commercial (CVOW–C) Project 

(hereafter known as the ‘‘CVOW–C 

Project’’ or the ‘‘Project’’). 

DATES: The LOA is effective from 

February 5, 2024 through February 4, 

2029. 

ADDRESSES: The LOA and supporting 

documentation are available online at: 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/ 

incidental-take-authorizations-undermarine-mammal-protection-act. In case 

of problems accessing these documents, 

please call the contact listed below (see 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
9128 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 28 / Friday, February 9, 2024 / Notices 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kelsey Potlock, 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, regulations are promulgated 

(when applicable), and public notice 

and an opportunity for public comment 

are provided. 

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) and 

will not have an unmitigable adverse 

impact on the availability of the species 

or stock(s) for taking for subsistence 

uses (where relevant). If such findings 

are made, NMFS must prescribe the 

permissible methods of taking; ‘‘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 as 

‘‘mitigation’’); and requirements 

pertaining to the monitoring and 

reporting of such takings. The MMPA 

defines ‘‘take’’ to mean harass, hunt, 

capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, 

hunt, capture, or kill any marine 

mammal (16 U.S.C. 1362(13); 50 CFR 

216.103). Level A harassment is defined 

as any act of pursuit, torment, or 

annoyance which has the potential to 

injure a marine mammal or marine 

mammal stock in the wild (16 U.S.C. 

1362(18); 50 CFR 216.3). Level B 

harassment is defined as any act of 

pursuit, torment, or annoyance which 

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 (16 U.S.C. 

1362(18); 50 CFR 216.3). Section 

101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA and the 

implementing regulations at 50 CFR part 

216, subpart I authorize NMFS to 

propose and, if appropriate, promulgate 

regulations and issue associated LOA(s). 

NMFS promulgated regulations on 

January 23, 2024 (89 FR 4370) for the 

taking of marine mammals incidental to 

the construction of the CVOW–C Project 

offshore of Virginia. The LOA 

authorizes Dominion Energy and those 

persons it authorizes or funds to 

conduct activities on its behalf to take 

marine mammals incidental to specified 

activities during the construction of the 

Project and requires them to implement 

mitigation, monitoring, and reporting 

requirements. 

Summary of Request 

On January 23, 2024, NMFS 

promulgated a final rule (89 FR 4370) 

responding to a request from Dominion 

Energy for authorization to take marine 

mammals (21 species comprising 22 

stocks) by Level B harassment (all 22 

stocks) and by Level A harassment (7 

stocks) incidental to construction 

activities occurring in Federal and State 

waters off of Virginia, specifically 

within and around the Bureau of Ocean 

Energy Management (BOEM) 

Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands 

for Renewable Energy Development on 

the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease 

Area OCS–A 0483 (Lease Area) and 

along an export cable route to sea-toshore transition points (collectively 

referred to as the ‘‘Project Area’’), over 

the course of 5 years (February 5, 2024 

through February 4, 2029). The final 

rule included the following specified 

activities: the installation of 176 wind 

turbine generators (WTGs) on monopile 

foundations (through a maximum of 183 

separate piling events) and 3 offshore 

substations (OSSs) on jacket 

foundations using pin piles by vibratory 

and impact pile driving; nearshore cable 

landfall work comprising of the 

installation and subsequent removal of 

nearshore temporary cofferdams by 

vibratory pile driving and the 

installation and subsequent removal of 

temporary goal posts by impact pile 

driving at the sea-to-shore transition 

point located at the State Military 

Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia; 

high-resolution geophysical (HRG) 

marine site characterization surveys 

using active acoustic sources; fishery 

and ecological monitoring surveys; the 

placement of scour protection; the 

installation of the export cable route 

from OSSs to shore-based converter 

stations and inter-array cables between 

turbines by trenching, laying, and burial 

activities; vessel transit within the 

specified geographical region to 

transport crew, supplies, and materials; 

and WTG operation. 

Marine mammals exposed to elevated 

noise levels during foundation impact 

pile driving may be taken by Level A 

harassment, and marine mammals 

exposed to elevated noise levels during 

impact and vibratory pile driving and 

HRG site characterization surveys may 

be taken by Level B harassment. No 

mortality or serious injury of any marine 

mammal is anticipated or authorized. 

The number of takes, by species, 

authorized may be found in table 1 in 

the LOA, which is available at https:// 

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/ 

incidental-take-authorizations-undermarine-mammal-protection-act. 

Authorization 

In accordance with the final rule (89 

FR 4370, January 23, 2024; see 50 CFR 

217.296), NMFS has issued a LOA to 

Dominion Energy authorizing the take, 

by harassment, of marine mammals 

incidental to specified activities within 

the specified geographical region. As 

previously stated, no mortality or 

serious injury of any marine mammal 

species is anticipated or authorized. The 

incidental takes authorized herein are 

the same as those analyzed and 

authorized in the final rule (89 FR 4370, 

January 23, 2024). Takes of marine 

mammals will be minimized through 

the following planned mitigation and 

monitoring measures, as applicable for 

each specified activity: (1) 

implementation of spatio-temporal 

seasonal/time of day work restrictions; 

(2) use of multiple NMFS-approved 

Protected Species Observers (PSOs) to 

visually observe for marine mammals 

(with any detection within specifically 

designated zones triggering a delay or 

shutdown, as applicable); (3) use of 

NMFS-approved passive acoustic 

monitoring (PAM) operators to 

acoustically detect marine mammals, 

with a focus on detecting baleen whales 

(with any detection within designated 

zones triggering a delay or shutdown, as 

applicable); (4) implementation of 

clearance and shutdown zones; (5) use 

of soft-start upon commencement of 

impact pile driving and ramp-up of 

acoustic sources during HRG surveys; 

(6) use of noise attenuation technology 

during foundation pile driving; (7) use 

of situational awareness monitoring for 

marine mammal presence; (8) use of 

sound field verification monitoring; (9) 

use of PAM within the vessel transit 

corridor for Project vessels to travel over 

10 knots (11.5 miles per hour); and (10) 

implementation of several vessel strike 

avoidance measures to avoid vessel 

strikes, including but not limited to, 

vessel separation zones between marine 

mammals and project vessels. 

Additionally, NMFS may modify the 

LOA’s mitigation, monitoring, or 

reporting measures, based on new 

information. Dominion Energy is also 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 28 / Friday, February 9, 2024 / Notices 9129 

required to submit reports, as specified 

in the final rule. 

Based on the findings discussed in the 

preamble of the final rule, NMFS has 

determined that the take authorized in 

the LOA is of small numbers, will have 

a negligible impact on marine mammal 

stocks, will not have an unmitigable 

adverse impact on the availability of the 

affected marine mammal stock for 

subsistence uses, and the mitigation 

measures provide a means of affecting 

the least practicable adverse impact on 

the affected stocks and their habitat. 

Dated: February 6, 2024. 

Shannon Bettridge, 

Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–02689 Filed 2–8–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

Review and Approval; Comment 

Request; Tornado Watch/Warning 

Post-Event Evaluation 

AGENCY: National Oceanic & 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection, 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Commerce, in accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(PRA), invites the general public and 

other Federal agencies to comment on 

proposed, and continuing information 

collections, which helps us assess the 

impact of our information collection 

requirements and minimize the public’s 

reporting burden. The purpose of this 

notice is to allow for 60 days of public 

comment preceding submission of the 

collection to OMB. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, 

comments regarding this proposed 

information collection must be received 

on or before April 9, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments to 

Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, 

at NOAA.PRA@noaa.gov. Please 

reference OMB Control Number 0648– 

0797 in the subject line of your 

comments. Do not submit Confidential 

Business Information or otherwise 

sensitive or protected information. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

specific questions related to collection 

activities should be directed to Dr. 

Makenzie Krocak, Research Scientist, 

NOAA NSSL, 120 David L. Boren Blvd., 

Norman, OK 73071, 405–325–0805, 

makenzie.krocak@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

Each year over 1,000 tornadoes affect

communities across the United States, 

yet little is known about how 

individuals receive, interpret, and 

respond to information from NOAA 

relating to this hazard. In fact, only a 

small sample of tornadoes ever receive 

study, and most often those are only the 

most violent tornadoes. No 

generalizable, or even relatively largescale information on tornado forecast 

and warning response after real-world 

events exists. The NOAA National 

Weather Service (NWS) and National 

Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) 

designed the data collection instrument 

to allow for more routine collection of 

this information. Respondents include 

members of the United States public 

who have been in or near a tornado, 

received a tornado warning, or were in 

or near a strong storm that made them 

concerned about tornadoes. They 

answer questions about the ways they 

received, understood, and responded to 

information about the event, including 

NWS watch and warning information. 

This survey is delivered through a web 

application hosted by NSSL called 

Tornado Tales, available online at 

https://inside.nssl.noaa.gov/tornadotales/. 

After approval of our initial data 

collection instrument (that shown on 

the website), the OU Cooperative 

Institute for Severe and High-Impact 

Weather Research and Operations 

(CIWRO) and NOAA NSSL Behavioral 

Insights Unit carried out post-event data 

collections for multiple tornado events, 

validating the questions and identifying 

issues for improvement. This fieldwork 

led to several needed improvements, 

including the addition of questions 

about the event more broadly, changing 

some response types, rephrasing some 

questions that were interpreted too 

broadly, and including questions about 

efficacy and the availability of forecast 

information to individuals. While the 

revisions have added questions to the 

survey, their improved clarity should 

allow for faster response times per 

question. We estimate the time to 

complete the survey is five to ten 

minutes on average. Subject recruitment 

will primarily be done by NOAA NSSL 

and its partners advertising the survey 

via websites and social media outlets. In 

addition to these efforts, there is also the 

possibility that during post-storm 

damage assessment activities NWS 

forecasters may direct impacted 

individuals to the Tornado Tales 

website. 

In addition to the changes to the 

survey instrument, researchers at NOAA 

NSSL and at the OU CIWRO Behavioral 

Insights Unit would like to conduct 

interviews with emergency managers, 

broadcast meteorologists, and members 

of the public after certain tornado 

events. These more in-depth interviews 

will collect similar information to the 

survey instrument from members of the 

public, broadcast meteorologists, and 

Emergency Management personnel who 

recently experienced a tornado event. 

The interviews will walk respondents 

through a timeline of events leading up 

to the tornado event. Researchers will 

use a skip-logic approach, meaning 

participants will only answer questions 

about the time periods relevant to their 

personal experience. The purpose of 

these interviews will be to more 

thoroughly explore how residents, 

broadcast meteorologists, and 

Emergency Managers received, 

understood, and responded to tornado 

forecasts and warnings. Given the inperson nature of these interviews, we 

expect them to take between 15 and 30 

minutes on average. 

II. Method of Collection

The method of data collection

currently gathers tornado survivor 

stories through a web-based interface 

(https://inside.nssl.noaa.gov/tornadotales). Specific questions in the webbased application are aimed at 

discovering whether and how 

information about potential tornado 

threats was received across time, 

including tornado watches and 

warnings, and what action citizens did 

or did not take as the event unfolded. 

We use a ‘skip-logic’ method in the 

survey so that individuals only answer 

questions that are relevant to their 

experiences. 

The interviews will be conducted inperson or via video call with 

individuals who recently experienced a 

tornado event. Researchers will also use 

a skip-logic approach during the 

interviews such that respondents will 

not be asked questions that are not 

relevant to their experience (i.e., 

questions about time periods before 

respondents received any forecast or 

warning information). Consent will be 

obtained to take notes and record the 

interviews. 

III. Data

OMB Control Number: 0648–0797.

Form Number(s): None.


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1