26504 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 28, 1996 / Notices

(a) To measure the levels and other

characteristics of the horizontallypropagating seismic survey sounds as a

function of distance and aspect relative

to BPX’s seismic source vessel.

(b) To measure acoustic transmission

loss vs. frequency, distance, and

propagation direction in and near the

Northstar Unit, based on transmission

and reception of standardized acoustic

signals having a source level of about

165 dB re 1 μPa @ 1 m. Transmissions

will not be done if bowheads are seen

within 2,130 ft (650 m) of the seismic

array.

(c) To obtain additional site-specific

ambient noise data, which determine

signal-to-noise ratios for seismic and

other acoustic signals at various ranges

from their sources.

In addition, data on ambient noise

and on characteristics of seismic pulses

will be obtained from sonobuoys

dropped and monitored from the survey

aircraft after September 1, 1996.

For a more detailed description of

planned monitoring activities, please

refer to the application and supporting

document (LGL 1996).

Reporting

BPX will provide an initial report to

NMFS within 90 days of the completion

of the seismic program. This report will

provide dates and locations of seismic

operations, details of marine mammal

sightings, estimates of the amount and

nature of all takes by harassment, and

any apparent effects on accessibility of

marine mammals to subsistence users.

A final technical report will be

provided by BPX within 20 working

days of receipt of the document from the

contractor, but no later than April 30,

1996. The final technical report will

contain a description of the methods,

results, and interpretation of all

monitoring tasks.

Consultation

Under section 7 of the Endangered

Species Act, NMFS has begun

consultation on the proposed issuance

of this authorization. Consultation will

be concluded upon completion of the

comment period and consideration of

those comments in the final

determination on issuance of an

authorization.

National Environmental Policy Act

In conjunction with this notice,

NMFS has released an EA that addresses

the impacts on the human environment

from issuance of the authorization and

the alternatives to the proposed action.

A copy of the EA is available upon

request (see ADDRESSES).

Conclusions

NMFS has preliminarily determined

that the short-term impact of conducting

seismic surveys in the Northstar Unit of

the Beaufort Sea will result, at worst, in

a temporary modification in behavior by

certain species of cetaceans. While

behavioral modifications may be made

by these species of cetaceans to avoid

the resultant noise, this behavioral

change is expected to have a negligible

impact on the animals.

As the number of potential incidental

harassment takes will depend on the

distribution and abundance of marine

mammals (which vary annually due to

variable ice conditions and other

factors) in the area of seismic

operations, due to the distribution and

abundance of marine mammals during

the projected period of activity and the

location of the proposed seismic activity

in waters generally too shallow and

distant from the edge of the pack ice for

most marine mammals of concern, the

number of potential harassment takings

is estimated to be small. In addition, no

take by injury and/or death is

anticipated and the potential for

temporary or permanent hearing

impairment will be avoided through

incorporation of the mitigation

measures mentioned above.

Because bowhead whales are east of

the seismic area in the Canadian

Beaufort Sea until late August/early

September, seismic activities are not

expected to impact subsistence hunting

of bowhead whales prior to that date.

After September 1, 1996, BPX will

initiate aerial survey flights for bowhead

whale assessments. Appropriate

mitigation measures to avoid an

unmitigable adverse impact on the

availability of bowhead whales for

subsistence needs will be the subject of

consultation between BPX and

subsistence users.

Also, while summer seismic

exploration in the Northstar Unit has

some potential to influence seal hunting

activities by residents of Nuiqsut,

because (1) the peak sealing season is

during the winter months, (2) the main

summer sealing is off the Colville delta

(west and inshore of Northstar), and (3)

the zone of influence by seismic sources

on belukha and seals is fairly small,

NMFS believes the Northstar seismic

survey will not have an unmitigable

adverse impact on the availability of

these stocks for subsistence uses.

Proposed Authorization

NMFS proposes to issue an incidental

harassment authorization for the 1996

Beaufort Sea open water season for a

seismic survey within the Northstar

Unit provided the above mentioned

mitigation, monitoring and reporting

requirements are incorporated. NMFS

has preliminarily determined that the

proposed seismic activity would result

in the harassment of only small

numbers of bowhead whales, gray

whales, and possibly belukha whales,

bearded seals, and largha seals; will

have a negligible impact on these

marine mammal stocks; and will not

have an unmitigable adverse impact on

the availability of these stocks for

subsistence uses.

Information Solicited

NMFS requests interested persons to

submit comments, information, and

suggestions concerning this request (see

ADDRESSES).

Dated: May 17, 1996.

Patricia A. Montanio,

Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 96–13287 Filed 5–23–96; 10:02 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 051796D]

North Pacific Fishery Management

Council; Committee Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of meetings.

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery

Management Council (Council) and its

advisory bodies will meet the week of

June 10, 1996 in Portland, OR. Other

committee and workgroup meetings

may be held on short notice during the

week; notices will be posted at the

meeting site. All meetings are open to

the public with the exception of Council

executive sessions to discuss personnel,

international issues, and litigation. An

executive session is tentatively

scheduled for noon on June 13.

ADDRESSES: Red Lion Hotel Portland

Downtown, 310 S.W. Lincoln, Portland,

OR. Council address: North Pacific

Fishery Management Council, 605 W.

4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK

99501-2252.

DATES: The Advisory Panel (AP) and the

Scientific and Statistical Committee

(SSC) will begin meeting at 9:00 a.m. on

June 10. The SSC will conclude their

meeting by June 12, and the AP will

conclude their meeting on June 13. The

Council will begin their meeting on June

11, at 8:00 a.m. and conclude mid-day

on June 16. The Council will meet in

joint session with the International

Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) from

1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on June 11.
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 28, 1996 / Notices 26505

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Council staff, telephone: 907-271-2809.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

agenda for the meeting will include the

following subjects:

1. Reports from NMFS and the Alaska

Department of Fish and Game on the

current status of the fisheries off Alaska,

and enforcement reports from the U.S.

Coast Guard and NMFS.

2. Final review of a regulatory

amendment to raise ownership caps for

Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI)

halibut quota share holders.

3. Final decision on gear allocations

for BSAI Pacific cod fishery.

4. Final decisions on BSAI crab

bycatch management measures,

including proposed closures and

prohibited species limits.

5. Initial review of an amendment

package for measures to improve

retention and utilization of groundfish

species.

6. A report on a proposal to ban night

trawling for Pacific cod and discussion

of whether to proceed with an

amendment analysis.

7. Final decision on proposed

revisions to the Gulf of Alaska and BSAI

groundfish overfishing definitions.

8. Review and approval of a Request

for Proposals for analysis of

management measures for the halibut

charterboat industry off Alaska.

The agenda for the Council’s joint

meeting with the IPHC includes the

following discussion items:

1. IPHC Area 4 biomass distribution.

2. Gridsorting.

3. Bycatch compensation by area.

4. Bycatch limits.

Special Accommodations

These meetings are physically

accessible to people with disabilities.

Requests for sign language

interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to Helen Allen, 907-

271-2809, at least 5 working days prior

to the meeting date.

Dated: May 20, 1996.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director,Office of Fisheries

Conservation and Management,National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 96–13285 Filed 5–24–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 051796C]

Marine Mammals; Scientific Research

Permit (P466C)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

Mr. Scott D. Kraus, New England

Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, MA

02110–3399, has applied in due form for

a permit to take by harassment up to

4,000 harbor porpoises (Phocoena

phocoena) in the Gulf of Maine during

the course of acoustic playback

experiments for purposes of scientific

research.

DATES: Written comments must be

received on or before June 21, 1996.

ADDRESSES: The application and related

documents are available for review

upon written request or by appointment

in the following office(s):

Permits Division, Office of Protected

Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West

Highway, Room 13130, Silver Spring,

MD 20910 (301/713–2289); and

Director, Northeast Region, NMFS,

One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA

01930–2298 (508/281–9250).

Written data or views, or requests for

a public hearing on this request, should

be submitted to the Director, Office of

Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 EastWest Highway, Room 13130, Silver

Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals

requesting a hearing should set forth the

specific reasons why a hearing on this

particular request would be appropriate.

Concurrent with the publication of

this notice in the Federal Register,

NMFS is forwarding copies of this

application to the Marine Mammal

Commission and its Committee of

Scientific Advisors.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

subject permit is requested under the

authority of the Marine Mammal

Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16

U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the Regulations

Governing the Taking and Importing of

Marine Mammals (50 CFR part 216).

The applicant seeks authorization to

take by harassment up to 4,000 harbor

porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the

Gulf of Maine during the course of

underwater acoustic playback

experiments. The proposed research is a

continuation of work previously

authorized in 1992, and will provide

data on porpoise responses to various

acoustic stimuli used as acoustic

deterrent devices in commercial fishing

gear.

Dated: May 17, 1996.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation, Office of

Protected Resources, National Marine

Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 96–13286 Filed 5–22–96; 3:24 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

TIME AND DATE: 10:00 a.m., Thursday,

May 30, 1996.

LOCATION: Room 410, East West Towers,

4330 East West Highway, Bethesda,

Maryland.

STATUS: Closed to the Public.

MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED:

Compliance Status Report

The staff will brief the Commission on the

status of various compliance matters.

For a recorded message containing the

latest agenda information, call (301)

504–0709.

CONTACT PERSON FOR ADDITIONAL

INFORMATION: Sadye E. Dunn, Office of

the Secretary, 4330 East West Highway.,

Bethesda, MD 20207 (301) 504–0800.

Dated: May 22, 1996.

Sadye E. Dunn,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–13446 Filed 5–23–96; 2:51 pm]

BILLING CODE 6355–01–M

[CPSC Docket No. 96–C0006]

Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse

Corp., a Corporation; Provisional

Acceptance of a Settlement Agreement

and Order

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety

Commission.

ACTION: Provisional acceptance of a

settlement agreement under the

Consumer Product Safety Act.

SUMMARY: It is the policy of the

Commission to publish settlements

which it provisionally accepts under the

Consumer Product Safety Act in the

Federal Register in accordance with the

terms of 16 CFR Section 1605.13.

Published below is a provisionallyaccepted Settlement Agreement with

Burlington Coat Factory Corp., a

corporation.

DATES: Any interested person may ask

the Commission not to accept this

agreement or otherwise comment on its

contents by filing a written request with

the Office of the Secretary by June 12,

1996.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to

comment on this Settlement Agreement

should send written comments to the

Comment 96–C0006, Office of the

Secretary, Consumer Product Safety

Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William J. Moore, Jr., Trial Attorney,

Office of Compliance and Enforcement,