2024-02689. Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project Offshore of Virginia

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice; issuance of Letter of Authorization.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to the Virginia Electric and Power Company, doing business as Dominion Energy Virginia (Dominion Energy), for the taking of marine mammals incidental to the construction of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial (CVOW–C) Project (hereafter known as the “CVOW–C Project” or the “Project”).

DATES:

The LOA is effective from February 5, 2024 through February 4, 2029.

ADDRESSES:

The LOA and supporting documentation are available online at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/​permit/​incidental-take-authorizations-under-marine-mammal-protection-act. In case of problems accessing these documents, please call the contact listed below (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT ).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kelsey Potlock, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The MMPA prohibits the “take” of marine mammals, with certain exceptions. Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct the Secretary of Commerce (as delegated to NMFS) 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, regulations are promulgated (when applicable), and public notice and an opportunity for public comment are provided.

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) and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of the species or stock(s) for taking for subsistence uses (where relevant). If such findings are made, NMFS must prescribe the permissible methods of taking; “other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact” on the affected species or stocks and their habitat, paying particular attention to rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of similar significance, and on the availability of the species or stocks for taking for certain subsistence uses (referred to as “mitigation”); and requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such takings. The MMPA defines “take” to mean harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal (16 U.S.C. 1362(13); 50 CFR 216.103). Level A harassment is defined as any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance which has the potential to injure a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild (16 U.S.C. 1362(18); 50 CFR 216.3). Level B harassment is defined as any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance which has the potential to disturb a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild by causing disruption of behavioral patterns, including, but not limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering (16 U.S.C. 1362(18); 50 CFR 216.3). Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA and the implementing regulations at 50 CFR part 216, subpart I authorize NMFS to propose and, if appropriate, promulgate regulations and issue associated LOA(s). NMFS promulgated regulations on January 23, 2024 (89 FR 4370) for the taking of marine mammals incidental to the construction of the CVOW–C Project offshore of Virginia. The LOA authorizes Dominion Energy and those persons it authorizes or funds to conduct activities on its behalf to take marine mammals incidental to specified activities during the construction of the Project and requires them to implement mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements.

Summary of Request

On January 23, 2024, NMFS promulgated a final rule (89 FR 4370) responding to a request from Dominion Energy for authorization to take marine mammals (21 species comprising 22 stocks) by Level B harassment (all 22 stocks) and by Level A harassment (7 stocks) incidental to construction activities occurring in Federal and State waters off of Virginia, specifically within and around the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Area OCS–A 0483 (Lease Area) and along an export cable route to sea-to-shore transition points (collectively referred to as the “Project Area”), over the course of 5 years (February 5, 2024 through February 4, 2029). The final rule included the following specified activities: the installation of 176 wind turbine generators (WTGs) on monopile foundations (through a maximum of 183 separate piling events) and 3 offshore substations (OSSs) on jacket foundations using pin piles by vibratory and impact pile driving; nearshore cable landfall work comprising of the installation and subsequent removal of nearshore temporary cofferdams by vibratory pile driving and the installation and subsequent removal of temporary goal posts by impact pile driving at the sea-to-shore transition point located at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia; high-resolution geophysical (HRG) marine site characterization surveys using active acoustic sources; fishery and ecological monitoring surveys; the placement of scour protection; the installation of the export cable route from OSSs to shore-based converter stations and inter-array cables between turbines by trenching, laying, and burial activities; vessel transit within the specified geographical region to transport crew, supplies, and materials; and WTG operation.

Marine mammals exposed to elevated noise levels during foundation impact pile driving may be taken by Level A harassment, and marine mammals exposed to elevated noise levels during impact and vibratory pile driving and HRG site characterization surveys may be taken by Level B harassment. No mortality or serious injury of any marine mammal is anticipated or authorized. The number of takes, by species, authorized may be found in table 1 in the LOA, which is available at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/​permit/​incidental-take-authorizations-under-marine-mammal-protection-act.

Authorization

In accordance with the final rule (89 FR 4370, January 23, 2024; see 50 CFR 217.296), NMFS has issued a LOA to Dominion Energy authorizing the take, by harassment, of marine mammals incidental to specified activities within the specified geographical region. As previously stated, no mortality or serious injury of any marine mammal species is anticipated or authorized. The incidental takes authorized herein are the same as those analyzed and authorized in the final rule (89 FR 4370, January 23, 2024). Takes of marine mammals will be minimized through the following planned mitigation and monitoring measures, as applicable for each specified activity: (1) implementation of spatio-temporal seasonal/time of day work restrictions; (2) use of multiple NMFS-approved Protected Species Observers (PSOs) to visually observe for marine mammals (with any detection within specifically designated zones triggering a delay or shutdown, as applicable); (3) use of NMFS-approved passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) operators to acoustically detect marine mammals, with a focus on detecting baleen whales (with any detection within designated zones triggering a delay or shutdown, as applicable); (4) implementation of clearance and shutdown zones; (5) use of soft-start upon commencement of impact pile driving and ramp-up of acoustic sources during HRG surveys; (6) use of noise attenuation technology during foundation pile driving; (7) use of situational awareness monitoring for marine mammal presence; (8) use of sound field verification monitoring; (9) use of PAM within the vessel transit corridor for Project vessels to travel over 10 knots (11.5 miles per hour); and (10) implementation of several vessel strike avoidance measures to avoid vessel strikes, including but not limited to, vessel separation zones between marine mammals and project vessels. Additionally, NMFS may modify the LOA's mitigation, monitoring, or reporting measures, based on new information. Dominion Energy is also required to submit reports, as specified in the final rule.

Based on the findings discussed in the preamble of the final rule, NMFS has determined that the take authorized in the LOA is of small numbers, will have a negligible impact on marine mammal stocks, will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of the affected marine mammal stock for subsistence uses, and the mitigation measures provide a means of affecting the least practicable adverse impact on the affected stocks and their habitat.

Dated: February 6, 2024.

Shannon Bettridge,

Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.