At a U.S. Senate
subcommittee hearing conducted yesterday, May 20, 2015, Senator Cory Booker of
New Jersey questioned NOAA Director Kathryn
Sullivan about the proposed seismic survey that would occur this Summer off the
coast of New Jersey and be performed by Rutgers University inconjunction with
the National Science Foundationand the Lamont Dougherty Earth
Observatory. The hearing was conducted by the Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard subcommittee of the
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, of which Senator Booker
is a member.
Demonstrating a commitment
and concern for our offshore fishing grounds, marine mammals and the processes
by which they are to be protected under federal law, Senator Booker expressed
“frustration” that, for the second year in a row, the State of New Jersey was
denied “its right to a proper consistency review” under federal law by NOAA’s
Office of Coastal Management. The Senator asked Dr. Sullivan to commit
staff to facilitating mediation between the New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) and the study proponents concerning mitigation
measures proposed by the State to reduce the harm threatened by the proposed
seismic study. Dr. Sullivan replied that she appreciated the Senator’s
concerns and committed to staying “closely engaged with both [ ] DEP and your
staff and, to the degree possible, with the National Science Foundation”.
Senator Booker expressed
further concern with the fact that the science and information concerning the
proposed seismic survey is changing, and that no opportunity was being provided
for the public to review and comment upon this new information. The
Senator explained that the public notice issued by NOAA’s National Marine
Fisheries Service advised that 1,323 marine mammals will be potentially harmed
by the proposed seismic study; however, last week, after the public comment
period closed, NMFS issued an authorization for the harassment of more than
18,000 marine mammals, including more than 12,000 bottle nosed dolphin.
The Senator called this “a massive increase” and cited the recommendation of
the Marine Mammal Commission (an independent federal agency tasked with
reviewing such authorizations) for a new public comment period based upon the
revised estimates of marine mammals that will be harrased. Senator Booker
asked Dr. Sullivan if she would “commit to exploring the renoticing of this
permit application with the correct numbers of the marine mammals to be
harassed so . . . that my constituents can adequately review and comment
upon this application.” Dr. Sullivan replied that she would “certainly
commit to look into that change. . . that is news to me, I have not seen those
numbers . . . .”
An archived video feed of
the hearing is available at:
The above-referenced questions from Senator Booker and responses from Dr.
Sullivan can be viewed between the time marks of 39:20 and 44:57.
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