[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 116 (Friday, June 15, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 36012]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-14661]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Record of Decision

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of Record of Decision.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding the 
ROD contact: Holly Smith, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Blvd., Suite 725, Arlington, VA 22230; telephone: (703) 292-8583; 
email: nepacomments@nsf.gov.
SUMMARY: On June 12, 2012, the National Science Foundation (NSF) signed 
a Record of Decision (ROD) regarding the Final Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement 
(PEIS/OEIS) (hereafter Final PEIS) for Marine Seismic Research Funded 
by NSF or Conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The Final 
PEIS assesses the potential impacts on the human and natural 
environment as a result of marine seismic surveys conducted during 
marine geophysical research funded by NSF or conducted by the USGS. The 
Proposed Action is for academic and U.S. government scientists in the 
U.S., and possible international collaborators, to conduct marine 
seismic research using a variety of acoustic sources from research 
vessels operated by U.S. academic institutions and government agencies. 
The purpose of the Proposed Action is to fund the investigation of the 
geology and geophysics of the seafloor by collecting seismic reflection 
and refraction data that reveal the structure and stratigraphy of the 
crust and/or overlying sediment below the world's oceans. NSF has a 
continuing need to fund seismic surveys that enable scientists to 
collect data essential to understanding complex Earth processes beneath 
the ocean floor.
    Prior to issuance of the ROD, NSF prepared the Final PEIS as the 
lead federal agency with support from the cooperating agencies, USGS 
and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Final PEIS was 
prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and made available to the public in 
June 2011. Two action alternatives (Alternative A and Alternative B) 
and the No-Action Alternative were assessed. Alternative B, the 
preferred alternative, was selected in the ROD. The USGS will prepare 
and publish a separate ROD for the Final PEIS.
    The NSF ROD is available on the Internet at: http://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/envcomp/ in Adobe[supreg] portable document format (pdf).

    Dated: June 12, 2012.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2012-14661 Filed 6-14-12; 8:45 am]
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