Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 22, 2024 / Notices 84333 

13. John Deere India Pvt. Ltd. 

14. K.R.M. Tyres. 

15. Mahansaria Tyres Private Limited. 

16. MRF Limited. 

17. MRL Tyres Limited (Malhotra Rubbers 

Ltd.). 

18. Neosym Industry Limited. 

19. OTR Laminated Tyres (I) Pvt. Ltd. 

20. Royal Tyres Private Limited. 

21. Rubberman Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. 

22. Speedways Rubber Company. 

23. Sun Tyre And Wheel Systems. 

24. Sundaram Industries Private Limited. 

25. Superking Manufacturers (Tyre) Pvt., Ltd. 

26. TVS Srichakra Limited. 

27. Ultra Mile. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24430 Filed 10–21–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RTID 0648–XE362 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; Taking Marine 

Mammals Incidental to the Skagway 

Ore Terminal Redevelopment Project 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comments on 

proposed renewal incidental harassment 

authorization. 

SUMMARY: NMFS received a request from 

Municipality of Skagway (MOS) for the 

renewal of their currently active 

incidental harassment authorization 

(IHA) to take marine mammals 

incidental to the terminal 

redevelopment project in Skagway, 

Alaska. MOS’s activities consist of 

activities that are covered by the current 

authorization but will not be completed 

prior to its expiration. Pursuant to the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA), prior to issuing the currently 

active IHA, NMFS requested comments 

on both the proposed IHA and the 

potential for renewing the initial 

authorization if certain requirements 

were satisfied. The renewal 

requirements have been satisfied, and 

NMFS is now providing an additional 

15-day comment period to allow for any 

additional comments on the proposed 

renewal not previously provided during 

the initial 30-day comment period. 

DATES: Comments and information must 

be received no later than November 6, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: Comments should be 

addressed to Jolie Harrison, Chief, 

Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service, and should be 

submitted via email to ITP.harlacher@

noaa.gov. 

Instructions: NMFS is not responsible 

for comments sent by any other method, 

to any other address or individual, or 

received after the end of the comment 

period. Comments, including all 

attachments, must not exceed a 25- 

megabyte file size. Attachments to 

comments will be accepted in Microsoft 

Word, Excel or Adobe PDF file formats 

only. All comments received are a part 

of the public record and will generally 

be posted online at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/ 

incidental-take-authorizations-undermarine-mammal-protection-act without 

change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address) 

voluntarily submitted by the commenter 

may be publicly accessible. Do not 

submit confidential business 

information or otherwise sensitive or 

protected information. 

Electronic copies of the original 

application, renewal request, and 

supporting documents (including NMFS 

Federal Register notices of the original 

proposed and final authorizations, and 

the previous IHA), as well as a list of the 

references cited in this document, may 

be obtained 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 above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jenna Harlacher, Office of Protected 

Resources (OPR), 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 

promulgated or, if the taking is limited 

to harassment, an incidental harassment 

authorization is issued. 

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 such species or stocks for 

taking for certain subsistence uses 

(referred to here as ‘‘mitigation 

measures’’). NMFS must also prescribe 

requirements pertaining to monitoring 

and reporting of such takings. The 

definition of key terms such as ‘‘take,’’ 

‘‘harassment,’’ and ‘‘negligible impact’’ 

can be found in the MMPA and the 

NMFS’s implementing regulations (see 

16 U.S.C. 1362; 50 CFR 216.103). 

NMFS’ regulations implementing the 

MMPA at 50 CFR 216.107(e) indicate 

that IHAs may be renewed for 

additional periods of time not to exceed 

1 year for each reauthorization. In the 

notice of proposed IHA for the initial 

IHA, NMFS described the circumstances 

under which we would consider issuing 

a renewal for this activity, and 

requested public comment on a 

potential renewal under those 

circumstances. Specifically, on a caseby-case basis, NMFS may issue a onetime 1-year renewal of an IHA following 

notice to the public providing an 

additional 15 days for public comments 

when: (1) up to another year of 

identical, or nearly identical, activities 

as described in the Detailed Description 

of Specified Activities section of the 

initial IHA issuance notice is planned; 

or (2) the activities as described in the 

Description of the Specified Activities 

and Anticipated Impacts section of the 

initial IHA issuance notice would not be 

completed by the time the initial IHA 

expires and a renewal would allow for 

completion of the activities beyond that 

described in the DATES section of the 

notice of issuance of the initial IHA, 

provided all of the following conditions 

are met: 

1. A request for renewal is received no 

later than 60 days prior to the needed 

renewal IHA effective date (recognizing 

that the renewal IHA expiration date 

cannot extend beyond 1 year from 

expiration of the initial IHA); 

2. The request for renewal must 

include the following: 

• An explanation that the activities to 

be conducted under the requested 

renewal IHA are identical to the 

activities analyzed under the initial 

IHA, are a subset of the activities, or 

include changes so minor (e.g., 

reduction in pile size) that the changes 

do not affect the previous analyses, 

mitigation and monitoring 

requirements, or take estimates (with 


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84334 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 22, 2024 / Notices 

the exception of reducing the type or 

amount of take); and 

• A preliminary monitoring report 

showing the results of the required 

monitoring to date and an explanation 

showing that the monitoring results do 

not indicate impacts of a scale or nature 

not previously analyzed or authorized; 

and 

3. Upon review of the request for 

renewal, the status of the affected 

species or stocks, and any other 

pertinent information, NMFS 

determines that there are no more than 

minor changes in the activities, the 

mitigation and monitoring measures 

will remain the same and appropriate, 

and the findings in the initial IHA 

remain valid. 

An additional public comment period 

of 15 days (for a total of 45 days), with 

direct notice by email, phone, or postal 

service to commenters on the initial 

IHA, is provided to allow for any 

additional comments on the proposed 

renewal. A description of the renewal 

process may be found on our website at: 

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

national/marine-mammal-protection/ 

incidental-harassment-authorizationrenewals. Any comments received on 

the potential renewal, along with 

relevant comments on the initial IHA, 

have been considered in the 

development of this proposed IHA 

renewal, and a summary of agency 

responses to applicable comments is 

included in this notice. NMFS will 

consider any additional public 

comments prior to making any final 

decision on the issuance of the 

requested renewal, and agency 

responses will be summarized in the 

final notice of our decision. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

To comply with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and 

NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 

216–6A, NMFS must review our 

proposed action (i.e., the issuance of an 

IHA renewal) with respect to potential 

impacts on the human environment. 

This action is consistent with 

categories of activities identified in 

Categorical Exclusion B4 (incidental 

take authorizations with no anticipated 

serious injury or mortality) of the 

Companion Manual for NOAA 

Administrative Order 216–6A, which do 

not individually or cumulatively have 

the potential for significant impacts on 

the quality of the human environment 

and for which we have not identified 

any extraordinary circumstances that 

would preclude this categorical 

exclusion. Accordingly, NMFS 

determined that the issuance of the 

initial IHA qualified to be categorically 

excluded from further NEPA review. 

NMFS has preliminarily determined 

that the application of this categorical 

exclusion remains appropriate for this 

renewal IHA. 

History of Request 

On August 29, 2023, NMFS issued an 

IHA to MOS to take marine mammals 

incidental to the terminal 

redevelopment project in Skagway, 

Alaska (88 FR 60652, September 5, 

2023), effective from October 1, 2023, 

through September 30, 2024. On 

February 5, 2024, NMFS received a 

request from MOS to modify the 2023 

IHA; adding 2 takes by Level A 

harassment and 45 takes by Level B 

harassment for northern fur seal, and to 

adjust take requests based on average 

species densities throughout the year 

due to work occurring in all seasons 

and, consequently, increasing 

authorized take by Level B harassment 

to 270 for Steller sea lion. On May 3, 

2024, NMFS issued Skagway a 

modification of the initial 2023 IHA (89 

FR 36765). 

On July 22, 2024, NMFS received an 

application for the renewal of the initial 

IHA (as modified). After discussions 

with MOS about the proposed work to 

be conducted under the renewal IHA, 

we received a revised renewal request 

on September 30, 2024. As described in 

the application for renewal IHA, the 

activities for which incidental take is 

requested consist of a subset of the 

activities that were covered by the 

initial authorization but which were not 

completed prior to its expiration. As 

required, the applicant also provided a 

final monitoring report, available online 

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

action/incidental-take-authorizationmunicipality-skagways-skagway-oreterminal-redevelopment. The report 

confirms that the applicant has 

implemented the required mitigation 

and monitoring, and which also shows 

that no impacts of a scale or nature not 

previously analyzed or authorized have 

occurred as a result of the activities 

conducted. 

Description of the Specified Activities 

and Anticipated Impacts 

MOS planned to redevelop the 

Skagway Ore Terminal in Skagway, 

Alaska, with 196 days of pile 

installation and removal. This project 

involved installation and removal of 36 

temporary steel pile guides, removal of 

692 piles, and installation of 244 

permanent steel piles. Two different 

installation methods were used: 

vibratory pile driving and impact pile 

driving. Due to unexpected delays, MOS 

did not complete the construction 

during the initial 1-year period, 

completing removal of 385 piles and 

installation of 101 piles. 

This renewal request is to cover a 

subset of the activities covered in the 

initial IHA that was not completed 

during the effective IHA period and 

which is planned to occur during the 

effective period of the proposed renewal 

IHA. Specifically, MOS plans to install 

two 24-in piles and remove ten timber 

piles, which are necessary to stabilize a 

single existing fender. The remainder of 

the initially planned work would not be 

conducted under this proposed renewal 

IHA. 

The likely or possible impacts of the 

MOS’s proposed activity on marine 

mammals is unchanged from the 

impacts described in the initial IHA. 

Potential non-acoustic stressors could 

result from the physical presence of the 

equipment, vessels, and personnel; 

however, any impacts to marine 

mammals are expected to primarily be 

acoustic in nature. Sounds resulting 

from pile installation, removal, and 

drilling may result in the incidental take 

of marine mammals by Level A and 

Level B harassment in the form of 

auditory injury or behavioral 

harassment. 

Detailed Description of the Activity 

A detailed description of the 

construction activities for which take is 

proposed here may be found in the 

notices of the proposed and final IHAs 

for the initial authorization (88 FR 

23627, April 18, 2023; 88 FR 60652, 

September 5, 2023). As previously 

mentioned, this request is for a subset 

of the activities considered for the 

initial IHA that were not completed 

prior to its expiration and which are 

planned to occur under this proposed 

renewal IHA. The location, timing, and 

nature of the activities, including the 

types of equipment planned for use, are 

identical to those described in the 

previous notice for the initial IHA. The 

proposed renewal IHA would be 

effective from the date of issuance 

through September 30, 2025. 

The subset of activities to be 

completed under this proposed renewal 

IHA includes installation of two 24-in 

steel piles by vibratory and impact pile 

driving and vibratory removal of ten 

timber piles. MOS proposes that this 

subset of activities would take 

approximately 4 days, including 2 days 

for the pile installation and 2 days for 

the pile removal. 

Description of Marine Mammals 

A description of the marine mammals 

in the area of the activities for which 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 22, 2024 / Notices 84335 

authorization of take is proposed here, 

including information on abundance, 

status, distribution, and hearing, may be 

found in the notice of the proposed IHA 

for the initial authorization and the 

notice of issuance of a modified 

incidental harassment authorization (88 

FR 23627, April 18, 2023; 89 FR 36765, 

May 3, 2024). 

NMFS has reviewed the preliminary 

monitoring data from the initial IHA, 

recent draft Stock Assessment Reports, 

and determined that neither this nor any 

other new information affects which 

species have the potential to be affected 

or the pertinent information in the 

Description of the Marine Mammals in 

the Area of Specified Activities 

contained in the supporting documents 

for the initial IHA and modified IHA (88 

FR 23627, April 18, 2023; 89 FR 36765, 

May 3, 2024). 

Potential Effects on Marine Mammals 

and Their Habitat 

A description of the potential effects 

of the specified activity on marine 

mammals and their habitat for the 

limited subset of activities for which the 

authorization of take is proposed here 

may be found in the notice of the 

proposed IHA for the initial 

authorization (88 FR 23627, April 18, 

2023). NMFS has reviewed the 

monitoring data from the initial IHA, 

recent draft Stock Assessment Reports, 

information on relevant Unusual 

Mortality Events, and other scientific 

literature, and determined that neither 

this nor any other new information 

affects our initial analysis of impacts on 

marine mammals and their habitat. 

Estimated Take 

A detailed description of the methods 

and inputs used to estimate take for the 

specified activity are found in the 

notices of the proposed and final IHAs 

for the initial authorization and the 

notice of issuance of the modified IHA 

(88 FR 23627, April 18, 2023; 88 FR 

60652, September 5, 2023; 89 FR 36765, 

May 3, 2024). Specifically, the action 

area and marine mammal density and 

occurrence data applicable to this 

authorization remain unchanged from 

the initial and modified IHA. Similarly, 

source levels, type of activity, methods 

of take, and types of take remain 

unchanged from the initial and 

modified IHA. However, there are 

changes to the estimated Level A 

harassment zones based on the revised 

amount of piles driven per day and the 

2024 draft Technical Guidance, further 

discussed below. The estimated number 

of takes proposed for authorization is 

based on the subset of activities to be 

completed under this renewal IHA, and 

therefore represents a proportion of the 

initial authorized takes. These takes 

reflect the estimated remaining number 

of days of work and number of piles to 

be driven. Estimated take by Level A 

and Level B harassment was calculated 

using the same methodology as in the 

initial and modified IHA. 

On May 3, 2024, NMFS published (89 

FR 36762) and solicited public comment 

on its draft Updated Technical 

Guidance, which includes updated 

thresholds and weighting functions to 

inform auditory injury estimates, and is 

intended to replace the 2018 Technical 

Guidance referenced above, once 

finalized. The public comment period 

ended on June 17, 2024, and although 

the Updated Technical Guidance is not 

final, we expect the Updated Technical 

Guidance to represent the best available 

science once it is. To best ensure we 

have considered an appropriate 

evaluation of potential effects, in 

consideration of the best available 

science, we have conducted basic 

comparative calculations using the draft 

Updated Technical Guidance for the 

purposes of understanding the number 

of takes by Level A harassment 

(auditory injury) that would be 

predicted if the draft Updated Technical 

Guidance were finalized with no 

changes. The relevant draft updated 

thresholds and weighting functions may 

be found in the executive summary of 

the draft Updated Technical Guidance, 

on pages 3 and 4. We have also 

considered whether modifications to 

mitigation zones would be appropriate 

in light of the draft Updated Technical 

Guidance. Based on the outcome of 

these comparisons/analyses using the 

draft Updated Technical Guidance and 

the number of piles and days of work to 

be conducted in this renewal, the 

modeled estimates of take by Level A 

harassment did not present substantial 

differences for any species. 

In this proposed renewal, use of the 

draft Updated Technical Guidance 

results in changes to the estimated Level 

A harassment zones, but there are no 

changes to the estimated Level B 

harassment zones (table 1). The updated 

Level A harassment zones are used to 

revise estimations of potential take by 

Level A harassment. In table 2, we have 

presented values based on the 

methodology that was included in the 

previous authorizations, incorporating 

the previously described changes 

(number of piles per day and the 

Updated Technical Guidance). Takes are 

a proportion of the initial authorized 

takes and based on the days of work 

included in this renewal IHA. Proposed 

mitigation zones, in consideration of the 

updated isopleths, are discussed in the 

Proposed Mitigation section. 

TABLE 1—LEVEL A AND LEVEL B HARASSMENT ISOPLETHS (m) FOR IMPACT AND VIBRATORY PILE DRIVING

Activity 

Level A harassment zone (m) 1 Level A harassment zone (m) 2 Level B 

harassment 

zone 

(m) LF MF HF Phocids Otariids LF HF VHF Phocids Otariids 

24-in steel pile, Impact Installation ... 1,977.6 70.3 2,355.6 1,058.3 77.1 1,970.4 251.4 3,049.2 1,750.4 652.5 857.7 

24-in steel pile,* Vibratory Installation 

and Removal ................................. 4.1 0.4 6.1 2.5 0.2 5.6 2.2 4.6 7.2 2.4 3,981 

14-in timber pile, Vibratory Removal 2.7 0.2 4 1.7 0.1 3.7 1.4 3 4.7 1.6 3,415 

1Zones are based on the 2018 Revised Technical Guidance. This is what was used in the initial and modified IHA to calculate Level A harassment zones. 

2Zones are based on the Draft 2024 Updated Technical Guidance, further described above. This is new information that was not available at the time of the initial 

and modified IHA. Species groups have also changed in the Updated Technical Guidance. 

* Based on the up to 30-in piles included in the initial IHA that also included pile sizes: 10.75-in, 14-in, 16-in, 20-in, 24-in, 28-in, and 30-in. 

TABLE 2—PROPOSED AMOUNT OF TAKING, BY LEVEL A AND LEVEL B HARASSMENT, BY SPECIES AND STOCK AND

PERCENT OF TAKE BY STOCK

Species Stock 

Initial IHA 

authorized 

Level A 

take 

Initial IHA 

authorized 

Level B 

take 

Proposed 

Level A 

take 

Proposed 

Level B 

take 

Percent 

of stock 

Humpback Whale ..... Hawaii ............................................................................................

Mexico-North Pacific ......................................................................

2 

0 

13 

1 

0 

0 

* 2 

0 

<1 

0 


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84336 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 22, 2024 / Notices 

TABLE 2—PROPOSED AMOUNT OF TAKING, BY LEVEL A AND LEVEL B HARASSMENT, BY SPECIES AND STOCK AND

PERCENT OF TAKE BY STOCK—Continued 

Species Stock 

Initial IHA 

authorized 

Level A 

take 

Initial IHA 

authorized 

Level B 

take 

Proposed 

Level A 

take 

Proposed 

Level B 

take 

Percent 

of stock 

Minke Whale ............. Alaska ............................................................................................ 2 6 0 * 1 <1 

Killer Whale 1 ............ Eastern North Pacific, Northern Residents, Southeast Alaska + 

Eastern North Pacific, Alaska Residents + West Coast Transients + Gulf, Aleutian, Bering Transients.

2 90 0 * 25 <1 

Dall’s Porpoise .......... Alaska ............................................................................................ 43 193 0 4 <1 

Harbor Porpoise ....... Southeast Alaska ........................................................................... 17 75 0 * 2 <1 

Harbor Seal .............. Alaska—Lynn Canal/Stephens Passage ....................................... 193 2,760 11 54 <1 

Steller Sea Lion ........ Eastern U.S. + Western U.S ......................................................... 2 270 0 10 <1 

Northern Fur Seal ..... Pribilof Islands/Eastern Pacific stock ............................................. 2 45 0 3 <1 

* Rounded up to assumed average group size based on Dahlheim et al., 2009. 1 Dahlheim et al. (2009) observed mean group sizes of 25 (resident ecotype) and 5 (transient ecotype) for killer whales in Southeast Alaska. While MOS observed 

only two killer whales during the initial IHA, it is possible that a larger group could enter the area during the renewal activities. 

Description of Proposed Mitigation, 

Monitoring and Reporting Measures 

The proposed mitigation, monitoring, 

and reporting measures included as 

requirements in this authorization are 

substantially similar to those included 

in the FR notice announcing the 

issuance of the initial IHA, and the 

discussion of the least practicable 

adverse impact included in that 

document remains accurate (88 FR 

60652, September 5, 2023). The only 

changes from the initial IHA are to the 

required shutdown zones (table 3), due 

to the changes in Level A harassment 

zone distances (table 1). As the initial 

IHA required shutdown zones equal to 

the Level A harassment zones, we retain 

that approach to mitigation in reflection 

of the new zones updated on the basis 

of the best scientific information 

available. Additionally, acoustic 

monitoring (as was required through the 

initial IHA) is not proposed here, due to 

the minimal pile driving planned under 

this proposed renewal IHA. 

TABLE 3—SHUTDOWN AND MONITORING ZONES

Activity 

Minimum shutdown zone (m) Harassment 

zone 

(m) LF 

cetacean 

HF 

cetacean 

VHF 

cetacean Phocids Otariids 

24-in steel pile, Impact Installation ........................................................................... 1,975 255 3,050 1,755 655 860 

24-in steel pile, Vibratory Installation and Removal ................................................. 10 10 10 10 10 3,985 

14-in timber pile, Vibratory Removal ........................................................................ 10 10 10 10 10 3,415 

The following mitigation, monitoring, 

and reporting measures are proposed for 

this renewal: 

• The MOS must avoid direct 

physical interaction with marine 

mammals during construction activity. 

If a marine mammal comes within 10- 

m of such activity, operations must 

cease and vessels must reduce speed to 

the minimum level required to maintain 

steerage and safe working conditions, as 

necessary to avoid direct physical 

interaction; 

• Conduct training between 

construction supervisors and crews and 

the marine mammal monitoring team 

and relevant MOS staff prior to the start 

of all pile driving activity and when 

new personnel join the work, so that 

responsibilities, communication 

procedures, monitoring protocols, and 

operational procedures are clearly 

understood; 

• Pile driving activity must be halted 

upon observation of either a species for 

which incidental take is not authorized 

or a species for which incidental take 

has been authorized but the authorized 

number of takes has been met, entering 

or within the harassment zone; 

• MOS will establish and implement 

the shutdown zones. The purpose of a 

shutdown zone is generally to define an 

area within which shutdown of the 

activity would occur upon sighting of a 

marine mammal (or in anticipation of an 

animal entering the defined area). 

Shutdown zones typically vary based on 

the activity type and marine mammal 

hearing group; 

• Monitoring must take place from 30 

minutes prior to initiation of 

construction activity (i.e., pre-start 

clearance monitoring) through 30 

minutes post-completion of 

construction activity; 

• Pre-start clearance monitoring must 

be conducted during periods of 

visibility sufficient for the lead 

Protected Species Observer (PSO) to 

determine the shutdown zones clear of 

marine mammals. Construction may 

commence when the determination is 

made; 

• If construction is delayed or halted 

due to the presence of a marine 

mammal, the activity may not 

commence or resume until either the 

animal has voluntarily exited and been 

visually confirmed beyond the 

shutdown zone or 15 minutes have 

passed without re-detection of the 

animal; 

• MOS must use soft start techniques 

when impact pile driving. Soft start 

requires contractors and equipment to 

slowly approach the work site creating 

a visual disturbance allowing animals in 

close proximity to construction 

activities a chance to leave the area 

prior to stone resetting or new stone 

placement. A soft start must be 

implemented at the start of each day’s 

construction activity and at any time 

following cessation of activity for a 

period of 30 minutes or longer; 

• The MOS must employ up to four 

PSOs to monitor the shutdown and 

Level B harassment zones during pile 

driving activities; 

• Monitoring will be conducted 30 

minutes before, during, and 30 minutes 

after construction activities. 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 construction 

activity; 


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• The MOS must submit a draft report 

detailing all monitoring within 90 

calendar days of the completion of 

marine mammal monitoring or 60 days 

prior to the issuance of any subsequent 

IHA for this project, whichever comes 

first; 

• The MOS must prepare and submit 

final report within 30 days following 

resolution of comments on the draft 

report from NMFS; 

• The MOS must submit all PSO 

datasheets and/or raw sighting data (in 

a separate file from the Final Report 

referenced immediately above); and 

• The MOS must report injured or 

dead marine mammals. 

Comments and Responses 

As noted previously, NMFS published 

a notice of a proposed IHA and 

proposed modified IHA (88 FR 23627, 

April 18, 2023; 89 FR 22684, April 2, 

2024) and solicited public comments on 

both our proposal to issue the initial 

IHA for Skagway Ore Terminal 

Redevelopment project and on the 

potential for a renewal IHA, should 

certain requirements be met. During the 

30-day public comment period, NMFS 

received no substantive comments on 

either the proposal to issue the initial 

IHA for MOS’s construction activities or 

on the potential for a renewal IHA. 

Preliminary Determinations 

The proposed renewal request 

consists of a subset of activities 

analyzed through the initial 

authorization described above. In 

analyzing the effects of the activities for 

the initial IHA, NMFS determined that 

MOS’s activities would have a 

negligible impact on the affected species 

or stocks and that authorized take 

numbers of each species or stock were 

small relative to the relevant stocks (e.g., 

less than one-third the abundance of all 

stocks). The mitigation measures and 

monitoring and reporting requirements 

as described above are substantially 

similar to those required through initial 

IHA; hydroacoustic monitoring is 

excluded because it was completed 

under the initial IHA, and the shutdown 

zones have been revised to reflect the 

piles to be driven in the proposed subset 

of work.the minor changes described 

above do not affect the least practicable 

adverse impact determinations. 

NMFS has preliminarily concluded 

that there is no new information 

suggesting that our analysis or findings 

should change from those reached for 

the initial IHA. Based on the 

information and analysis contained here 

and in the referenced documents, NMFS 

has preliminarily determined the 

following: (1) the required mitigation 

measures will effect the least practicable 

impact on marine mammal species or 

stocks and their habitat; (2) the 

authorized takes will have a negligible 

impact on the affected marine mammal 

species or stocks; (3) the authorized 

takes represent small numbers of marine 

mammals relative to the affected stock 

abundances; (4) MOS’s activities will 

not have an unmitigable adverse impact 

on taking for subsistence purposes as no 

relevant subsistence uses of marine 

mammals are implicated by this action; 

and (5) appropriate monitoring and 

reporting requirements are included. 

Endangered Species Act 

The NMFS Alaska Regional Office 

issued a Biological Opinion under 

section 7 of the Endangered Species Act 

(ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) on the 

issuance of an IHA and potential 

renewal IHA to MOS under section 

101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA by the NMFS 

OPR. The Biological Opinion concluded 

that the action is not likely to jeopardize 

the continued existence of ESA-listed 

humpback whales or Steller sea lions. 

Proposed Renewal IHA and Request for 

Public Comment 

As a result of these preliminary 

determinations, NMFS proposes to issue 

a renewal IHA to MOS for conducting 

the terminal redevelopment 

construction in Skagway, Alaska, from 

the date of issuance through September 

30, 2025, provided the previously 

described mitigation, monitoring, and 

reporting requirements are incorporated. 

A draft of the proposed and final initial 

IHA and modified IHA can be found at 

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

incidental-take-authorizationmunicipality-skagways-skagway-oreterminal-redevelopment. We request 

comment on our analyses, the proposed 

renewal IHA, and any other aspect of 

this notice. Please include with your 

comments any supporting data or 

literature citations to help inform our 

final decision on the request for MMPA 

authorization. 

Dated: October 17, 2024. 

Kimberly Damon-Randall, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24437 Filed 10–21–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Technical Information Service 

Request for Nominations for Members 

To Serve on the National Technical 

Information Service (NTIS) Advisory 

Board 

AGENCY: National Technical Information 

Service, Department of Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: NTIS invites nomination of 

individuals for appointment to the 

National Technical Information Service 

Advisory Board (Board or Committee). 

NTIS will consider nominations 

received in response to this notice for 

appointment to the Committee, in 

addition to nominations already 

received. 

DATES: NTIS will accept nominations on 

a rolling basis. Members to fill the 

existing vacancies will be selected from 

nominations submitted by 5:00 p.m. on 

March 25th, 2025. Any nominations 

received after that date will be kept on 

file and may be used to fill vacancies on 

the Board should they occur. 

ADDRESSES: Please submit nominations 

to Designated Federal Officer (DFO), 

NTIS at FACA@ntis.gov, Subject: NTIS 

Advisory Board Membership. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Bobby Khondker, (703) 605–6185, 

BKhondker@ntis.gov or Simone Gills, 

(703) 605–6586, sgills@ntis.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Committee Information 

The Secretary of Commerce, pursuant 

to Section 212(c) of the National 

Technical Information Act of 1988 (15 

U.S.C. 3704b(c)), established the 

Advisory Board, in accordance with the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as 

amended (FACA), 5 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. 

Objectives and Duties 

1. The NTIS Advisory Board shall 

review and make recommendations to 

improve NTIS programs, operations, 

and general policies in support of 

NTIS’s mission to advance Federal data 

priorities, promote economic growth, 

and enable operational excellence by 

providing innovative data services to 

Federal agencies through joint venture 

partnerships with the private sector. 

2. The Board shall report to the 

Secretary of Commerce and to the Under 

Secretary of Commerce for Standards 

and Technology through the Director of 

NTIS. 

3. The Board shall act in the public 

interest to: 

a. Provide advice on the optimal data 

services business and operating model 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1