The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has received a request from the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBRP) to authorize the incidental taking of small numbers of marine mammals due to construction activities for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project connecting Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. This project will involve building replacement bridges and may impact marine mammals with increased underwater noise. The authorization, requested for a period of five years starting September 2027, includes activities such as pile driving and rotary drilling, which can lead to marine mammal harassment. NMFS is inviting the public to provide comments and information on this application until April 14, 2025.
Simple Explanation
The government is looking at how to build a new bridge between two cities without bothering sea animals too much, but they want people to tell them what they think about the plan.