NOAA seeks public comment on marine mammal harassment authorization for Kensington Dock repairs in Alaska
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
This notice proposes to let Coeur Alaska temporarily disturb marine mammals during repairs at the Kensington Dock in Berners Bay, Alaska. The work involves pile driving, pile removal, and underwater drilling, which could cause behavioral harassment but is not expected to cause serious injury or death. NOAA is asking for public comments before deciding whether to issue the authorization and whether to allow a one-time, one-year renewal. The proposal affects the mine dock operator and is mainly relevant to marine mammal protection compliance, with comments due by May 29, 2026.
AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.
Key Changes
- NOAA proposes an incidental harassment authorization for dock repair work at Kensington Dock in Alaska.
- The project would allow temporary behavioral disturbance of seven marine mammal species across 13 stocks from pile driving and underwater drilling.
- NOAA is seeking public comment on both the proposed authorization and a possible one-time, one-year renewal, with comments due May 29, 2026.
Obligations
What this law requires
Interested persons must submit comments and information to NMFS on the proposed incidental harassment authorization and possible one-time 1-year renewal.
NMFS must consider public comments before making any final decision on whether to issue the incidental harassment authorization for the Kensington Dock Repair Project.
Commenters must submit comments by email to [email protected]; NMFS states it is not responsible for comments sent by any other method, to any other address or individual, or received after the close of the comment period.
Members of the public must submit comments and information no later than May 29, 2026, for them to be considered in this proposed authorization proceeding.
Submitted comments, including attachments, must not exceed a 25-megabyte file size.