The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is inviting public comment by February 15, 2025 on its tentative determination to issue a research permit pursuant to the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
The EPA announced the availability of additional data and information regarding a proposed MPRSA research permit for the LOC-NESS Wilkinson Basin Study, formerly referred to as “LOC-NESS Phase 2.”
View a map of the LOC-NESS Wilkinson Basin Study in the Northeast Ocean Data Portal’s Data Explorer under Water Quality.
Screenshot of Data Explorer showing location of Tentative Permit for LOC-NESS Wilkinson Basin Study. The large purple circle represents the Potential 7-Day Monitoring Area. Centered in the Monitoring Area is the Dispersal Area, represented by the small purple circle.
Since submitting two permit applications to the EPA in May 2024, the applicant, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, has completed additional laboratory and modeling analyses to refine their proposed research plan. The applicant informed the EPA of their decision to withdraw their permit application for the LOC-NESS Martha’s Vineyard Study (formerly “LOC-NESS Phase 1”) and has proposed to decrease the amount of sodium hydroxide solution that would be released into ocean waters during the LOC-NESS Wilkinson Basin Study by 75 percent. The additional information and updates to the LOC-NESS Wilkinson Basin Study affirm the EPA’s assessment that the proposed research study would not result in severe or long-lasting adverse effects to the marine environment, and the changes to the proposed activities would decrease the geographic scale and duration of the temporary impacts resulting from the activities.
The EPA is specifically requesting comment on (1) the new information and updates provided by the applicant for the LOC-NESS Wilkinson Basin Study and (2) the specific changes that the EPA has made to the tentative permit conditions as a result of the additional information from the applicant.
Written comments may be submitted to the EPA by commenting on the public docket in the Federal Rulemaking Portal (Docket ID EPA-HQ-OW-2024-0189). Verbal comments may be provided during a public listening session to be held virtually on February 5, 2025, from 6 to 7 pm ET. Registration is required.
More Information:
- Federal Rulemaking Portal Docket ID EPA-HQ-OW-2024-0189
- EPA’s LOC-NESS Project Overview webpage
- Register for the virtual public listening session
- Visit the Portal’s mCDR Research Permits page
