Composite Training Unit Exercises and Joint Task ... - Govsupport.us

Page 2In addition, the staff has received over 16,000 email communications in support of thestaff’s recommendation. One copy indicating the nature of these communications isattached.II. Modifications to Staff RecommendationFor the reasons discussed in the staff recommendation, the staff does not agree with theNavy that the mitigation measures proposed are adequate to protect marine resources orthat the exercises are consistent with Section 30230 of the Coastal Act. However, thestaff is proposing several modifications to the staff report, as follows:Conditions.Condition 1. Make the following change to the last sentence of condition 1, page 10:If the 154 dB level cannot be feasibly achieved, the Navy shall either cease sonartransmissions should a marine mammal be detected within 2 km of the sonar dome, as theNavy has currently agreed to for its SURTASS LFA sonar operations, or the Navy shallprovide the Commission with sufficient information about the sonar intensities andattenuation rates, and the maximum capabilities of its monitoring, to enable the Commissionto determine that the Navy will protect a safety zone as close as is feasible possible to the 154dB zone.Add an additional sentence to the end of condition 1, page 10:The Navy shall provide this information to the Commission staff for review and approvalby the Executive Director prior to the first exercise involving mid-frequency sonar.Condition 2. Add “marine mammal” to “trained observers,” as follows:2. Surveillance. Surveillance shall include two dedicated NOAA-trained marinemammal observers at all times during use of mid-frequency sonarCondition 4. Since the Navy has agreed to passive acoustic monitoring, delete “To themaximum extent feasible” from the beginning of the condition.Condition 8. Add a footnote, at the end of Condition 8, stating:In fact, the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission has specifically recommended that, “given the limitations ofnight vision devices (based on [NMFS’] assessment in its previous Federal Register notices) and passiveacoustic monitoring,” the Navy observe a mandatory power-down in low-visibility conditions, assuming itcannot simply avoid them (MMC 2006). (Comments from Tim Ragen, Acting Executive Director, MarineMammal Commission, to P. Michael Payne, Chief of the Permits Division, NMFS, on the Navy’s 2006Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise.)