Dear All, **I'm writing to alert everyone to an important issue for comment.**
NMFS recently issued a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) on offshore oil and gas exploration - both seismic surveying and drilling - in the Alaskan Arctic. As written, the document contemplates high levels of activity. The Beaufort Sea could see as many as six 2D/3D seismic surveys, five site clearance/shallow hazard surveys, and two exploratory drilling programs each year; and the Chukchi Sea as many as five 2D/3D seismic surveys, five site clearance/shallow hazard surveys, and two exploratory drilling programs annually. NRDC and pretty much the entirety of the environmental community are deeply concerned about the poor analysis in the document. For example, NMFS assumes that marine mammals would not be disturbed by airgun noise at received levels below 160 dB. It makes no attempt to quantify how much disruption would occur each year, or to model masking effects, or to consider the cumulative impacts of all this anticipated activity on acoustic habitat. And it leaves uncertain whether it will adopt any measure, such as time/place restrictions, that can mitigate impacts beyond a short distance of the airgun array or drilling site. **NMFS is accepting comments through February 28.** Your input will be critical to convincing the agency that a scientifically defensible final product will require considerably more effort. You can download the impact statement at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/eis/arctic.htm. Comments should be submitted to: arcticeis.comme...@noaa.gov<mailto:arcticeis.comme...@noaa.gov>. I'd be grateful for a copy of any comments you send. Please feel free to email me with questions. Many thanks, Michael Michael Jasny Senior Policy Analyst Natural Resources Defense Council 4479 W. 5th Avenue Vancouver, BC V6R1S4 tel. 604-736-9386 mob. 310-560-5536 fax 310-434-2399 mja...@nrdc.org<mailto:mja...@nrdc.org>
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