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NOAA finds that construction will impact ocean wildlife only temporarily.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the offshore wind project construction off Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket will only temporarily adversely affect nearby whales and will not jeopardize their existence.
The new opinion considers the effects of a proposed issuance of a new Marine Mammal Protection Act Incidental Harassment Authorization, which would allow a small number of marine mammals to be exposed to pile-driving noise while 15 remaining monopiles are installed.
The construction of the piles, NOAA found, will not affect any designated critical habitat, and the agency does not anticipate serious injuries or mortalities of endangered whales, including the North Atlantic right whale.
The Biological Opinion…
