NOAA Fisheries is considering a five-year permit to allow an oil and gas driller to disturb marine mammals like the critically endangered beluga whale in Alaska’s Cook Inlet.
Hilcorp, an oil and gas company, is seeking federal permission for any accidental killings or injuries to a dozen species of marine mammals as a result of its activities in the inlet, according to the proposed rule published Thursday.
Under NOAA’s proposed rule, nine species of marine mammals, including dolphins, sea lions, seals, whales and porpoises would be subject to “Level A harassment,” which the agency defines as “any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance” that could injure an animal in the wild.
Those species, along with beluga whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins and California sea lions, would also be subject to milder “Level B” harassment, which the agency defines as an act that could disrupt a species’ behavioral patterns, like breeding, hunting or migrating.
