Federal Register #RTID 0648-XF594

NOAA Proposes Incidental Harassment Authorizations for Marine Mammal Takes During Sparrows Point Container Terminal Construction

NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is seeking public comment on its proposal to issue two consecutive Incidental Harassment Authorizations (IHAs) for construction at the Sparrows Point Container Terminal (SPCT) in Baltimore County, Maryland. - Government Buyer: - Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Protected Resources - Project Scope: - Construction activities at Sparrows Point Container Terminal, including pile driving (approximately 760 piles per year over two years) and dredging - Activities may result in Level B harassment (behavioral disturbance) of Tamanends bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops erebennus), with an estimated 49 dolphins affected per year - Services Requested: - Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) for marine mammals (2 authorizations) - Protected Species Observation Services: Provision of qualified Protected Species Observers (PSOs) and Designated Visual Observers (DVOs) to monitor for marine mammals during construction - Hydroacoustic Monitoring Services: Conducting sound field verification and acoustic monitoring to assess construction noise impacts - Notable Requirements: - Implementation of mitigation measures such as shutdown zones, soft start techniques for pile driving, and continuous monitoring - Reporting protocols and compliance with environmental protection standards - Possibility of a one-time, 1-year renewal of the authorizations under certain conditions - No specific OEMs, part numbers, or commercial products are mentioned; focus is on regulatory compliance and environmental protection during construction - Place of Performance: - Sparrows Point Container Terminal, Baltimore County, Maryland - Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay near the Port of Baltimore

Description

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has received a request from Tradepoint TiL Terminal, LLC (TTT) for authorization to incidentally take marine mammals during construction activities related to the Sparrows Point Container Terminal Project in Baltimore County, Maryland. NMFS proposes to issue two consecutive incidental harassment authorizations (IHAs) for these activities and is requesting public comments on the proposed authorizations and possible one-time, 1-year renewals under certain conditions. The project involves pile driving and other construction activities that may disturb marine mammals temporarily. NMFS will consider public comments before making a final decision on the issuance of the requested authorizations.

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