Review of the Biological Assessment Document for the US NAVY (NAVFAC) with respect to Underwater Noise from Pile-Driving Grant uri icon

abstract

  • The Navy is preparing to conduct a comprehensive assessment on the environmental effects of in-water pile driving/extraction activities for Navy installations in the Hampton Roads region. Environmental planning documents will include an Environmental Assessment (EA); Biological Assessments (BAs); and an Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Assessment. Due to the very nature of Navy installations, significant pile-driving and pile-extraction activities occur on an ongoing basis as part of the necessary repair/maintenance activities as well as new construction of piers, wharfs, mooring dolphins, bulkheads, cofferdams, and other structures dependent upon the use of piles driven or extracted from the waterways adjacent to and surrounding the installations. Per the recent NAVFAC Interim Environmental Policy (IEP) Number 10-001 of February 2011, projects which involve in-water pile-driving are required to be assessed for impacts to marine mammals resulting from the propagation of underwater sound produced from such activities. Based upon the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA) requirements related to in-water noise associated with pile-driving and extraction, such activities will require permits. The following work for ECU Professors Luczkovich and Sprague is anticipated: I) Provide a technical review of the Draft BA prepared by HDR. The work will include a review of environmental baseline and impacts analyses concerning underwater noise and fish. The noise write-up will focus on sound pressure levels (SPLs) that are the currently accepted thresholds for physiological and behavioral effects to fish, with a focus on 1) all listed and candidate fish species local to Hampton Roads, such as the Atlantic sturgeon, alewife, and blueback herring; 2) resources under the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA); and 3) commercial/recreational fishery resources, including fish, finfish, and shellfish. (II) Participate in teleconference(s)/web conference(s) in own office for meetings to discuss the efforts associated with this task. (III) Assist the Navy with additional information requests from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and/or National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). (IV) Provide input to comments and reviews of responses to comments on underwater noise impacts section and appendix for Draft EA and Draft Final EA.

date/time interval

  • March 2014 - May 2016