NMFS Biological Opinion on U.S. Navy training ... - Govsupport.us
NMFS Biological Opinion on U.S. Navy training ... - Govsupport.us
NMFS Biological Opinion on U.S. Navy training ... - Govsupport.us
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FINAL PROGRAMMATIC BIOLOGICAL OPINION ON U.S. NAVY ACTIVITIES IN THE HAWAII RANGE COMPLEX 2008-2013<br />
Tactics for neutralizing ground or bottom mines involve the diver placing a specific amount of explosives which,<br />
when det<strong>on</strong>ated underwater at a specific distance from a mine, results in neutralizati<strong>on</strong> of the mine. Floating, or<br />
moored, mines involve the diver placing a specific amount of explosives directly <strong>on</strong> the mine. Floating mines<br />
encountered by fleet ships in open ocean areas are det<strong>on</strong>ated at the surface. In support of a military expediti<strong>on</strong>ary<br />
assault, the U.S. <strong>Navy</strong> deploys in very shallow water depths (10 to 40 feet) to locate mines and obstructi<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
Divers are transported to the mines by boat or helicopter. Inert dummy mines are <strong>us</strong>ed in exercises. The total net<br />
explosive weight <strong>us</strong>ed against each mine ranges from less than less than 1 pound to 20 pounds.<br />
Occasi<strong>on</strong>ally, marine mammals are <strong>us</strong>ed in mine detecti<strong>on</strong> <strong>training</strong> operati<strong>on</strong>s. The U.S. <strong>Navy</strong>'s Very Shallow Water<br />
Mine Countermeasures Detachment of Commander Mine Warfare Command deploys trained Atlantic bottlenose<br />
dolphins of their marine mammal mine-hunting systems in several missi<strong>on</strong>s. Each missi<strong>on</strong> includes up to four<br />
motorized small craft, several crew members and a trained dolphin. Exercises <strong>us</strong>ing dolphins are coordinated with<br />
other U.S. <strong>Navy</strong> units to avoid c<strong>on</strong>flicts with other U.S. <strong>Navy</strong> activities, underwater aco<strong>us</strong>tic emissi<strong>on</strong>s associated<br />
with those activities, or civilian craft. Any unplanned situati<strong>on</strong> that has the potential for exposing a dolphin to<br />
dangero<strong>us</strong> or c<strong>on</strong>flicting underwater aco<strong>us</strong>tic emissi<strong>on</strong>s or other interference is mitigated by recalling it into a small<br />
craft and moving the dolphin out of the area. As such, these marine mammals are c<strong>on</strong>tinuo<strong>us</strong>ly protected. These<br />
animals are transported to and ho<strong>us</strong>ed in the State of Hawai’i in accordance with applicable regulati<strong>on</strong>s of the<br />
Hawai’i State Department of Agriculture.<br />
Mine neutralizati<strong>on</strong> operati<strong>on</strong>s take place offshore in the Puuloa Underwater Range (called Keahi Point in earlier<br />
documents), Pearl Harbor; Lima Landing; Barbers Point Underwater Range off-shore of Coast Guard Air Stati<strong>on</strong><br />
Barbers Point/Kalaeloa Airport (formerly Naval Air Stati<strong>on</strong> [NAS] Barbers Point); Pacific Missile Range Facility,<br />
Kauai (Majors Bay area); Pacific Missile Range Facility and Oahu Training Areas; and in open-ocean areas.<br />
All underwater demoliti<strong>on</strong> activities are c<strong>on</strong>ducted in accordance with Commander Naval Surface Forces Pacific<br />
Instructi<strong>on</strong> 3120.8F, Procedures for Disposal of Explosives at Sea/Firing of Depth Charges and Other Underwater<br />
Ordnance (Department of the <strong>Navy</strong> 2003) or other appropriate authority. Before any explosive is det<strong>on</strong>ated, divers<br />
are transported a safe distance away from the explosive. Standard practices for tethered mines is to tie off the<br />
explosive counter charge as closely as possible to the mine case. For mines <strong>on</strong> the shallow water floor (less than 40<br />
feet of water), <strong>on</strong>ly sandy areas that avoid or minimize potential impacts to coral are <strong>us</strong>ed for explosive charges.<br />
The U.S. <strong>Navy</strong> plans to c<strong>on</strong>duct about 68 mine neutralizati<strong>on</strong> exercises each year in the Hawai'i Range Complex,<br />
which is an increase from the 62 exercises c<strong>on</strong>ducted under current schedules.<br />
Mine Laying. Mine laying operati<strong>on</strong>s are designed to train forces to c<strong>on</strong>duct offensive (deploy mines to tactical<br />
advantage of friendly forces) and defensive (deploy mines for protecti<strong>on</strong> of friendly forces and facilities) mining<br />
operati<strong>on</strong>s. Mines can be laid from the air (FA-18/P-3) or by submarine.<br />
Airborne mine laying involves <strong>on</strong>e or more aircraft and either computer-simulated or inert exercise mines. Mine<br />
warfare operati<strong>on</strong>s are limited to either simulati<strong>on</strong>s of mines deployed from aircraft, where no actual mine ordnance<br />
is dropped, or the <strong>us</strong>e of inert exercise mines or inert exercise submarine-deployed mines. The <strong>us</strong>e of inert exercise<br />
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