NOAA Fisheries has received a request for five-year Incidental Take Regulations and an associated Letter of Authorization from Ocean Wind, LLC, a subsidiary of Orsted Wind Power North America, LLC’s and a joint venture partner of the Public Service Enterprise Group Renewable Generation, LLC, for the incidental take of small numbers of marine mammals during the construction of the Ocean Wind 1 offshore wind energy facility in a designated lease area on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS-A-0498) offshore of New Jersey.
The requested regulations would govern the authorization of take, by both Level A and Level B harassment, of small numbers of marine mammals over a 5-year period incidental to construction-related pile driving activities (impact and vibratory), potential unexploded ordnances or munitions and explosives of concern (UXOs/MECs) detonation, and high-resolution geophysical (HRG) site characterization surveys conducted by Ocean Wind in Federal and State waters off of New Jersey. These regulations propose to authorize the take of individuals by Level B harassment and, for some species, by Level A harassment incidental to the construction activities previously described. No mortality or serious injury is expected or proposed to be authorized. NOAA Fisheries’ proposed regulations would require mitigation measures that are expected to reduce adverse impacts to marine mammals, including operational measures that reduce the likelihood of injury and time/area limitations that reduce the probability and severity of behavioral disturbance in areas where marine mammals conduct important behaviors or where sensitive species congregate. Required monitoring and reporting will increase our understanding of the impacts of the activity on marine mammals. The proposed rule can be accessed at the following link and will have a 30 day public comment period, starting on October 26, 2022 and ending November 25, 2022: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-23200. Please visit https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/incidental-take-authorizations-under-marine-mammal-protection-act for more information on NOAA Fisheries’ incidental take program under the MMPA. Thank you, Kelsey - - - - - *Kelsey Potlock, Marine Resources Management Specialist **(she/her/hers)* Permits and Conservation Division Office of Protected Resources NOAA Fisheries | U.S. Department of Commerce www.fisheries.noaa.gov Google Voice Phone Number: (301) 427-8410 Email: *kelsey.potl...@noaa.gov <kelsey.potl...@noaa.gov>*><((((º>·.¸. ·.¸.·´¯`·...¸.·´¯`·...¸.·><((((º> ·.¸.·´¯`·...¸.·´¯`·...¸.·><((((º>·.¸.·´¯`·...¸.·´¯`·...¸.·><((((º> [image: icon-facebook.png] <https://www.facebook.com/NOAAFisheries>[image: icon-twitter.png] <http://www.twitter.com/noaafisheries>[image: icon-youtube.png] <http://www.youtube.com/usnoaafisheriesgov>[image: icon-instagram.png] <http://www.instagram.com/noaafisheries>[image: icon-linkedin.png] <http://www.linkedin.com/company/noaa-fisheries>
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