The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service seeks comment on a proposed incidental harassment authorization and NMFS’ receipt of an application for five-year regulations from Excelerate Energy, L.P. (Excelerate) and Tetra Tech, Inc. (Tetra Tech), on behalf of the Northeast Gateway® Energy BridgeTM, L.P. (Northeast Gateway or NEG) and Algonquin Gas Transmission, L.L.C. (Algonquin). This IHA and these regulations would authorize the applicant to take small numbers of 14 species of marine mammals, by Level B harassment, incidental to operating, maintaining, and repairing a liquefied natural gas port and the Algonquin Pipeline Lateral (Pipeline Lateral) facilities by NEG and Algonquin, in Massachusetts Bay. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, NMFS requests comments on its proposal to issue an authorization to NEG and Algonquin to incidentally take, by Level B harassment, small numbers of marine mammals during the specified activity for a period of 1 year. NMFS also requests comments, information, and suggestions concerning NEG’s application and the structure and content of future regulations.
Comments and information must be received no later than December 21, 2015.
Click here to read NMFS’ Federal Register notice of these actions.
