NOAA extends comment for noise study

Following a request from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has extended the deadline for public comments on the results of a new study into the impacts of acoustic noise on marine mammals, according to a Jan. 23 release from Murkowski’s office. When, between Christmas and New Year, NOAA opened a one-month public comment period on the results of its study, Murkowski protested at the timing, characterizing the announcement as an “unwelcome holiday surprise.”

NOAA has now extended the deadline for comments to March 13.

The study results propose new criteria for assessing the impact of noise on marine mammals — NOAA wants to rejig the way in which acoustic impacts are assessed when permitting the accidental disturbance of animals during noise-generating activities such as seismic surveys and offshore drilling. The idea is to model the impact of sound on marine mammals more realistically than is done at present using simple sound-level criteria. The ultimate objective is to avoid the injury of animals by industrial noise.

The sound criteria used for permitting are critical in determining the mitigation measures that companies must take to comply with authorizations for accidental wildlife disturbance.

“I want to thank NOAA for reconsidering the amount of time they were providing the public to comment on this critical issue,” Murkowski said. “When you think about Alaska, this guidance will impact our coastal communities, the maritime sector, the transit of goods, the fishing industry, oil and gas — basically anyone who is out on the water. If you are going to have good process and get meaningful feedback on such a complex issue, you have to allow for time to weigh in.”

—Alan Bailey