[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5753-5754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-532]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of the Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft Environmental Assessment for 
proposed activities in the Indian Ocean.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) gives notice of the 
availability of a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for proposed 
activities in the Indian Ocean.
    The Division of Ocean Sciences in the Directorate for Geosciences 
(GEO/OCE) has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment for a low-
energy marine seismic survey by the Research Vessel Roger Revelle in 
the northeastern Indian Ocean, in international waters (1600-5100 
meters depth) roughly between 5[deg] N and 25[deg] S, along ~90[deg] E 
during May-August 2007. The draft Environmental Assessment is available 
for public review for a 30-day period.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 9, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft Environmental Assessment are available

[[Page 5754]]

upon request from; Dr. William Lang, National Science Foundation, 
Division of Ocean Sciences, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 725, Arlington, VA 
22230. Telephone: (703) 292-7857. The draft is also available on the 
agency's Web site at http://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/pubs/Scripps_NE_Indian_Ocean_EA.pdf.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Scripps Institution of Oceanography 
(SIO), with research funding from the NSF, plans to conduct scientific 
research at nine sites in international waters on the Ninety East Ridge 
in the northeastern Indian Ocean for ~55 days during May-August 2007. 
Research activities will include rock-dredging and magnetic, 
bathymetric, and seismic surveys. The seismic survey will use a towed 
array of two generator/injector (GI) airguns, totaling an air discharge 
volume of 90 in<SUP>3</SUP>. The GI guns will be used for ~49 h at each 
of 5 sites on the Ninety East Ridge in water depths of 1600 to 5100 
meters. The results will be used to study the morphology, structure, 
and tectonics of ridge volcanoes, to infer the magmatic evolution of 
the ridge, and to survey broad characteristics of subseafloor in order 
to refine the planning of an Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) 
drilling proposal.
    SIO has applied for the issuance of an Incidental Harassment 
Authorization (IHA) from the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) 
to authorize the incidental harassment of small numbers of marine 
mammals during the seismic survey. The information in this 
Environmental Assessment supports the IHA permit application process, 
provides information on marine species not covered by the IHA, and 
addresses the requirements of Executive Order 12114, ``Environmental 
Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions''. Alternatives addressed in 
this EA consist of a corresponding seismic survey at a different time, 
along with issuance of an associated IHA; and the no action 
alternative, with no IHA and no seismic survey.
    Numerous species of cetaceans and sea turtles occur in the 
northeastern Indian Ocean. Several of the species are listed as 
Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), including 
humpback, sei, fin, blue, and sperm whales. Other species of special 
concern that could occur in the area include the endangered (under the 
ESA) leatherback and hawksbill turtles, and the threatened (under the 
ESA) loggerhead, olive ridley, and green turtles.
    The potential impacts of the seismic survey would be primarily a 
result of the operation of small airguns, although a multi-beam sonar 
and a sub-bottom profiler will also be operated. Impacts may include 
increased marine noise and resultant avoidance behavior by marine 
mammals, sea turtles, and fish; and other forms of disturbance. The 
operations of the project vessel during the study would also cause a 
minor increase in the amount of vessel traffic. An integral part of the 
planned survey is a monitoring and mitigation program designed to 
minimize the impacts of the proposed activities on marine mammals and 
sea turtles that may be present during the proposed research, and to 
document the nature and extent of any effects. Injurious impacts to 
marine mammals and sea turtles have not been proven to occur near 
airgun arrays; however, the planned monitoring and mitigation measures 
would minimize the possibility of such effects should they otherwise 
occur.
    Protection measures designed to mitigate the potential 
environmental impacts will include the following: A minimum of one 
dedicated marine mammal observer maintaining a visual watch during all 
daytime airgun operations, and two observers for 30 min. before start 
up. The small size of the airguns, restricting their use to deep (1600-
5100 m) water, and ramp-up and shut-down procedures are also inherent 
mitigation measures. SIO and its contractors are committed to apply 
those measures in order to minimize disturbance of marine mammals and 
sea turtles, and also to minimize the risk of injuries or of other 
environmental impacts.
    With the planned monitoring and mitigation measures, unavoidable 
impacts to each of the species of marine mammal that might be 
encountered are expected to be limited to short-term localized changes 
in behavior and distribution near the seismic vessel. At most, such 
effects may be interpreted as falling within the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act (MMPA) definition of ``Level B Harassment'' for those 
species managed by NMFS. No long-term or significant effects are 
expected on individual marine mammals, or the populations to which they 
belong, or their habitats. The agency is currently consulting with the 
NMFS regarding species within their jurisdiction potentially affected 
by this proposed activity.
    Copies of the draft EA, titled ``Environmental Assessment of 
Planned Low-Energy Marine Seismic Survey by the Scripps Institution of 
Oceanography in the Northeast Indian Ocean, May-August 2007,'' are 
available upon request from: Dr. William Lang, National Science 
Foundation, Division of Ocean Sciences, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 725, 
Arlington, VA 22230. Telephone: (703) 292-7857 or at the agency's Web 
site at: http://www.nsf.gov/oce/pubs/Scripps NE--Indian--Ocean--EA.pdf. 
The NSF invites interested members of the public to provide written 
comments on this draft EA.

Alexander Shor,
Program Director, Environmental Operations, Division of Ocean Sciences, 
National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 07-532 Filed 2-6-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M