Environmental Policy – All Federal Government

National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA)
- applies within US territorial waters
Executive Order 12114
- applies within global commons or in other nations territorial waters
Endangered Species Act
Marine Mammal Protection Act
Coastal Zone Management Act

ONR At Sea Mitigation Procedures
Site experimentation outside regions of marine mammal habitats or apart from migrations
Provide trained lookouts
-  avoid collisions
-  visual surveys
Mainain ZOI’s
Ramp up acoustic sources (30 min)
Suspend operations until out of ZOI of and sited animal

Methodology
1. Source level and transmission loss establish receive level at range
2. Receive level ranges and threshold shift level for animals define zone of influence (ZOI)
3. Density of animals in operations area
4. All above lead to number of animals (or probability) affected within ZOI.

Underwater Sound Considerations
           Source character (frequency, exposure level, duration)
           Environment (propagation loss)
           Frequency sensitivities of species
           Hearing threshold shifts
            -  190 dB rel (1 sq microPa-sec) at 1 m
           Animal Zones of Influence

NEPA / EO 12114 Documentation
Categorical Exclusions
Environmental Assessments (EA) or overseas
Environmental Assessments (OEA)
Finding No Significant Impacts (FONSI)
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS,DEIS,FEIS)
- name changes during public comment phase
Environmental Review (for overseas)

Coastal Zone Management Act
Covers federal actions “reasonably likely to affect…”
Effects:  direct, indirect, and cumulative
Applicable within 3 nmi, except Gulf states (10nmi)
Consistency determination by state requires 90 days before final agency action

MMPA vs. ESA

          MMPA                                                                    ESA
  All marine mammals                                                   Limited species
Worldwide application                                            worldwide application
      “Takes”                                                            “Likely to be affected”

Marine Mammal Protection Act
Defines “TAKE”
  “…harass, hunt, capture or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill…”
Level A – potential to injure
Level  B – potential to disturb
Navy determines if action has potential to disturb, then works with NMFS if incidental takes are likely

Endangered Species Act
Ensures actions
“…not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any endangered species or threatened species or result in destruction of or adverse modification of habitat…”
Navy consults (informally or formally) with NMFS if Navy determines proposed action may affect species or habitats

Navy Specific Policy
SECNAVINST  5000.1, 5000.2
OPNAVINST  5090.1B
ONR Interm Policy  01 Oct 1999
For ONR, policy follows the funding
   -  must get certification that delegated project management has complied with all above laws and instructions