80 FR 33484 - Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Construction of the Block Island Transmission System

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 113 (June 12, 2015)

In accordance with regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued a revised Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to The Narragansett Electric Company, doing business as National Grid (TNEC), to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to construction of the Block Island Transmission System (BITS).

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 113 (Friday, June 12, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33484-33485]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14310]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD131


Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; 
Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Construction of the Block Island 
Transmission System

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; issuance of revised incidental harassment 
authorization.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with regulations implementing the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act (MMPA), notification is hereby given that NMFS has 
issued a revised Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to The 
Narragansett Electric Company, doing business as National Grid (TNEC), 
to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to construction of 
the Block Island Transmission System (BITS).

DATES: Effective November 1, 2014, through October 31, 2015.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the revised IHA is available by writing to Jolie 
Harrison, Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    An electronic copy of the revised IHA may be obtained by visiting 
the internet at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/incidental/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Fiorentino, Office of Protected 
Resources, NMFS, (301) 427-8477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) 
direct the Secretary of Commerce 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 issued or, if the taking 
is limited to harassment, a notice of a proposed authorization is 
provided to the public for review.
    An authorization for incidental takings shall be granted if NMFS 
finds that the taking will have a negligible impact on the species or 
stock(s), will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the 
availability of the species or stock(s) for subsistence uses (where 
relevant), and if the permissible methods of taking and requirements 
pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring and reporting of such takings 
are set forth.

Summary of Request

    On August 22, 2014, NMFS issued an IHA to Deepwater Wind Block 
Island Transmission, LLC (DWBIT) to take marine mammals, by Level B 
harassment, incidental to construction of the BITS, effective from 
November 1, 2014 through October 31, 2015 (79 FR 51314). On January 30, 
2015, DWBIT sold the BITS, in its entirety, to TNEC. The BITS, a bi-
directional submarine transmission cable, will interconnect Block 
Island to TNEC's existing distribution system in Narragansett, Rhode 
Island. To date, no construction has occurred.
    DWBIT and TNEC subsequently submitted a written request to transfer 
the current IHA from DWBIT to TNEC. With the transfer of the BITS IHA, 
TNEC agrees to comply with the associated terms, conditions, 
stipulations, and restrictions of the original BITS IHA. No other 
changes were requested. The revised IHA remains effective from November 
1, 2014, through October 31, 2015.
    This Federal Register notice sets forth only a change in the BITS 
IHA holder's name. There are no other changes to the current IHA as 
described in the August 28, 2014, Federal Register notice of a final 
IHA (79 FR 51314): the specified activity; description of marine 
mammals in the area of the specified activity; potential effects on 
marine mammals and their habitat; mitigation and related monitoring 
used to implement mitigation; reporting; estimated take by incidental 
harassment; negligible impact and small numbers analyses and 
determinations; impact on availability of affected species or stocks 
for subsistence uses and the period of effectiveness remain unchanged 
and are herein incorporated by reference.

[[Page 33485]]

Revision to BITS IHA

    NMFS is changing the name of the holder of the BITS IHA from 
``Deepwater Wind Block Island Transmission, LLC, 56 Exchange Terrace, 
Suite 101, Providence, Rhode Island, 02903'' to ``The Narragansett 
Electric Company, d/b/a National Grid, 40 Sylvan Road, Waltham, 
Massachusetts, 02451.''

Comments and Responses

    NMFS published a notice of the proposed revised IHA and request for 
public comments in the Federal Register on April 13, 2015 (80 FR 
19639). In a letter dated April 30, 2015, the Marine Mammal Commission 
concurred with the proposed transfer of the BITS IHA. NMFS did not 
receive any other comments during the 30-day public comment period.

    Dated: June 8, 2015.
Donna S. Weiting,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-14310 Filed 6-11-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P