Incidental Take Authorization: Vineyard Wind 1 LLC Construction of the Vineyard Wind Offshore Wind Project off of Massachusetts

NOAA Fisheries has received a request from Vineyard Wind LLC for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the completion of the construction of a commercial wind energy project offshore Massachusetts in the northern portion of Lease Area OCS-A 0501. NOAA Fisheries is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities; which consists of a subset of activities for which take was authorized previously, but which Vineyard Wind did not complete within the effective dates of the previous IHA. NOAA Fisheries will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorization and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision. The IHA would be valid for 1 year from date of issuance.

NOAA Fisheries has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to Vineyard Wind 1, LLC to take, by Level A harassment and Level B harassment, marine mammals during construction of a commercial wind energy project offshore Massachusetts.