Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Eareckson Air Station Fuel Pier Repair in Alcan Harbor on Shemya Island, Alaska

The National Marine Fisheries Service issued a one-year renewal Incidental Harassment Authorization to the U.S. Air Force for repairing the fuel pier at Eareckson Air Station on Shemya Island, Alaska. The project involves driving and removing temporary 30-inch steel pipe piles and installing permanent 42-inch interlocking steel pipe piles using vibratory hammers, impact hammers, and down-the-hole drilling. This renewal covers the remaining work: installation of 49 temporary and 176 permanent piles, plus removal of 54 temporary piles, expected to take 173 construction days. Minor changes include increasing daily vibratory driving time for 30-inch piles from 60 to 120 minutes and for 42-inch piles from 120 to 210 minutes, plus allowing nighttime work with enhanced monitoring equipment. The authorization permits Level A and Level B harassment of 12 marine mammal species but maintains the same take numbers as the original IHA (with a reduction for Steller sea lions based on prior reports).

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