Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the Atlantic Shores South Project Offshore of New Jersey

Zusammenfassung

NMFS has received a request from Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind LLC (Atlantic Shores), a joint venture between EDF-RE Offshore Development LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of EDF Renewables, Inc.) and Shell New Energies US LLC, for Incidental Take Regulations (ITR) and associated Letters of Authorization (LOAs) pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The requested regulations would govern the authorization of take, by Level A harassment and Level B harassment, of small numbers of marine mammals over the course of 5 years (2025-2029) incidental to the construction of Atlantic Shores South located offshore of New Jersey within 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 0499 (Lease Area) and associated ECCs (ECR Area). Atlantic Shores South would be divided into two projects: Project 1 and Project 2 (the combined hereafter referred to as the "Project Area") and Atlantic Shores has requested a 5-year LOA for each Project, both issued under these proposed regulations. Atlantic Shores' activities likely to result in incidental take include impact and vib