Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Operation and Maintenance of the Neptune Liquefied Natural Gas Facility off Massachusetts
other · Published 2011-06-13 · Effective 2011-07-11 · 76 FR 34157
Document
Document number
2011-14614
Federal Register citation
76 FR 34157
Type
Rule
Action
Final rule.
Category
other
Publication date
2011-06-13
Effective date
2011-07-11
NOAA docket
Docket No. 0808041026-1295-02
Abstract
NMFS, upon application from Neptune LNG LLC (Neptune), is issuing regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to port commissioning and operations, including maintenance and repair activities, at the Neptune Deepwater Port (the Port) in Massachusetts Bay for the period of July 2011 through July 2016. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of Letters of Authorization (LOAs) for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and specified timeframes, 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, as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.