0648-BB38 202004 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions 0648 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA 0600 Department of Commerce DOC Taking and Importing Marine Mammals: Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico

The National Marine Fisheries Service is taking this action in response to an October 17, 2016, petition from the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), to promulgate regulations governing the authorization of take of marine mammals incidental to oil and gas industry geophysical surveys conducted in support of hydrocarbon exploration and development on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico from approximately 2019 through 2024.

]]> Economically Significant Previously Published in The Unified Agenda Final Rule Stage Yes No Other 50 CFR 217 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq. Judicial Final 05/05/2020 Court settlement agreement and litigation stay expires May 5, 2020. Yes NPRM 06/22/2018 83 FR 29212 NPRM Comment Period End 08/21/2018 Final Action 06/00/2020 Yes Businesses Federal No Yes Yes No Donna Wieting Director, Office of Protected Resources 0648 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA 301 427-8400 National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring MD 20910