The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued an incidental harassment authorization to the Maine Department of Transportation for the Lubec Harbor construction project in Maine. This authorization, effective from April 10, 2025, to April 9, 2026, allows the incidental harassment of marine mammals, mainly through construction noises, while ensuring no serious harm comes to the animals. The authorization includes measures to minimize impacts on six marine mammal species, like shutting down construction if marine mammals are detected nearby and using bubble curtains to reduce the sound underwater. NMFS determined that these activities would have a negligible impact on the affected marine species.
Simple Explanation
The government has given permission for a construction project in Maine to be a little noisy and might bother some sea animals like whales and seals, but they've set rules to make sure the animals aren't hurt, like stopping construction if any animals come close and using special curtains to make the noise quieter.