[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 212 (Tuesday, November 3, 2015)] [Notices] [Pages 67782-67784] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2015-27978] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R7-ES-2015-N152; FF07CAMM00- FX-FR133707REG00] Marine Mammals; Letters of Authorization To Take Pacific Walrus and Polar Bears, Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, Alaska AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of issuance. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has issued letters of authorization for the nonlethal take of polar bears and Pacific walrus incidental to oil and gas industry exploration, development, and production activities in the Beaufort Sea and the adjacent northern coast of Alaska and incidental to oil and gas [[Page 67783]] industry exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea and the adjacent western coast of Alaska. These letters of authorization stipulate conditions and methods that minimize impacts to polar bears and Pacific walrus from these activities. These letters of authorization are available electronically at the following location: http://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/mmm/itr.htm. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Hendrick at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management Office, 1011 East Tudor Road, MS 341, Anchorage, AK 99503; (800) 362-5148 or (907) 786-3479. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 3, 2011, the Service published in the Federal Register a final rule (76 FR 47010) establishing regulations that allow us to authorize the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar bears and Pacific walrus during year-round oil and gas industry exploration, development, and production activities in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent northern coast of Alaska. The rule established subpart J in part 18 of title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and is effective through August 3, 2016. The rule prescribed a process under which we issue Letters of Authorization (LOAs) to applicants conducting activities as described under the provisions of the regulations. Each LOA stipulates conditions or methods that are specific to the activity and location. Holders of LOAs must use methods and conduct activities in a manner that minimizes to the greatest extent practicable adverse impacts on Pacific walrus and polar bears and their habitat, and on the availability of these marine mammals for subsistence purposes. Intentional take and lethal incidental take are prohibited. In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and our regulations at 50 CFR 18, subpart J, we issued LOAs to each of the following companies in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent northern coast of Alaska: Beaufort Sea Letters of Authorization ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Company Activity Project Date issued ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alaska Development and Export Development........................ North Slope February 10, 2014. Authority. Liquefied Natural Gas Facility. Alaska Development and Export Development........................ North Slope May 27, 2014. Authority. Liquefied Natural Gas Facility (amended). Alaska Gasline Development Exploration........................ North Slope April 8, 2014. Corporation. Geotechnical drilling. BP Exploration, Inc........... Exploration........................ North Prudhoe June 11, 2014. Seismic Survey. BP Exploration Alaska Inc..... Exploration........................ Winter Vibroseis January 29, 2015. Seismic Survey. Brooks Range Petroleum Development........................ Mustang January 15, 2015. Corporation. Development Program. Caelus Natural Resources Development........................ Nuna Development April 20, 2015. Alaska, LLC. Activities. ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.... Exploration........................ Environmental January 16, 2014. Sampling and Well Plug Abandonment. ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.... Exploration & Development.......... North Slope December 12, 2014. activities. ExxonMobil Development Company Exploration........................ Preliminary May 16, 2014. studies for development of Prudhoe Bay Gas Plant. ExxonMobil Alaska LNG LLC..... Exploration........................ Prudhoe Bay Unit August 6, 2014. Hydrology Studies. ExxonMobil Development Company Exploration........................ Prudhoe Bay Unit December 23, 2014. Field Studies. ExxonMobil Development Company Exploration........................ Exploration January 29, 2015. activities at Point Thomson. Geokinetics................... Exploration........................ Caelus and Great January 14, 2015. Bear 3D Winter Seismic Surveys. Global Geophysical Services, Exploration........................ Kad River 3D January 14, 2015. Inc. Winter Seismic Surveys. Global Geophysical Services, Exploration........................ Schrader Bluff January 15, 2014. Inc. 3D Seismic Survey. Hilcorp Alaska, LLC........... Production......................... Operations at November 14, 2014. the Milne Point, Endicott, and Northstar Facilities. Hilcorp Alaska, LLC........... Exploration........................ Geotechnical January 29, 2015. Investigation, Sonar and Scour Survey. NordAq Energy, Inc............ Exploration........................ Tulimaniq November 14, 2014. Exploration Drilling Project. North Slope Borough........... Development........................ Pipeline July 28, 2015. upgrades near Barrow. Olgoonik Specialty Development........................ Point Lonely, March 25, 2014. Contractors, LLC. Oliktok Point, and Bullen Point DEW Line Cleanup. Olgoonik Fairweather, LLC..... Exploration........................ Environmental June 11, 2014. Baseline Studies. Olgoonik Specialty Development........................ Demolition and May 29, 2015. Contractors, LLC. Remediation Projects. Pioneer Natural Resources Development........................ Nuna Development February 13, 2014. Alaska, Inc. Project. Repsol E&P USA Inc............ Exploration........................ Drilling Program January 29, 2015. in the Colville River area. SAExploration, Inc............ Exploration........................ North Slope Big February 11, 2014. Bend 3D Seismic Survey. SAExploration, Inc............ Exploration........................ Colville River August 14, 2014. Delta Seismic Survey. SAExploration, Inc............ Exploration........................ Umingmak 2015 December 23, 2014. Program Horseshoe Winter Seismic Survey. Shell Exploration and Production......................... Ice Overflight January 14, 2015. Production Company. Surveys. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On June 12, 2013, we published in the Federal Register a final rule (78 FR 35364) establishing regulations that allow us to authorize the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar bears and Pacific walrus during year-round oil and gas industry exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea and adjacent western coast of Alaska. The rule established subpart I of 50 CFR part 18 and is effective until June 11, 2018. The process under which we issue LOAs to applicants and the requirements that the holders of LOAs must follow is the same as described above for LOAs issued under 50 CFR 18, subpart J. In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA and our regulations at 50 CFR 18, subpart I, we [[Page 67784]] issued LOAs to the following companies in the Chukchi Sea: Chukchi Sea Letters of Authorization ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Company Activity Project Date issued ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Olgoonik Fairweather, LLC....... Exploration.................. Environmental July 23, 2014. Studies. Shell Exploration and Production Exploration.................. Ice observation January 14, 2015. Company. overflights. Shell Exploration and Production Exploration.................. Ice observation January 29, 2015. Company. overflights (amended). Shell Exploration and Production Exploration.................. Exploration June 30, 2015. Company. Drilling Program in the Chukchi Sea. Shell Exploration and Production Exploration.................. Exploration July 24, 2015. Company. Drilling Program in the Chukchi Sea (amended). TGS............................. Exploration.................. Seismic Operations June 28, 2013. TGS............................. Exploration.................. Seismic Operations September 11, 2013. (amended). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dated: October 26, 2015. Peter J. Probasco, Acting Regional Director, Alaska Region. [FR Doc. 2015-27978 Filed 11-2-15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-55-P