Stellwagen Bank Final EIS and Management Plan 



Page 81 



prohibited if the substance or material discharged 

 enters the Sanctuary and injures any Sanctuary 

 resource or quality. Excluded from these 

 prohibitions are discharge or deposit of fish wastes 

 and bait; marine sanitation device effluents; water 

 generated by routine vessel operations (such as 

 deckwashings); and engine exhaust. 



b. Alteration of the Seabed 



Dredging, excavation, or any other alteration of, or 

 construction on, the seabed within the Sanctuary is 

 prohibited. Excluded from this prohibition are 

 temporary alterations to the seabed which may 

 result from traditional fishing operations. 



c. Development of Industrial 

 Materials 



All phases of developmental activities 

 connected with the extraction of industrial materials 

 (e.g., sand and gravel resources) are prohibited 

 throughout the Sanctuary. 



d. Submerged Pipelines and Cables 



The installation or placement of pipeHnes and 

 cables within the Sanctuary is prohibited to ensure 

 protection against possible adverse environment 

 effects on resources, quahties, or habitat areas of 

 the Sanctuary. 



e. Incineration of Trash 



g. Historical and Cultural Resources 



It is necessary and desirable to protect and 

 manage, for the long-term, any historical or cultural 

 resources located in the Sanctuary. It is the 

 responsibiUty of NOAA, as a Federal agency, under 

 Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation 

 Act, to "locate, inventory and nominate to the 

 Secretary (of the Interior) all properties under the 

 agency's ownership or control..." The intentional 

 removal, taking, or injuring, or the attempt to 

 remove, take or injure any historical or cultural 

 resource in the Sanctuary is prohibited. Any 

 activities resulting in the discovery or fmding of such 

 resources will be carefully investigated to determine 

 their historical or cultural significance. This 

 prohibition will be appUed to any such resource 

 determined to be historically or culturally 

 significant. 



h. Taking of Marine Mammals. Marine 

 Reptiles, and Seabirds 



The taking of any marine mammal, marine 

 reptile (sea turtle), or seabird in or above the 

 Sanctuary is prohibited. Exempted from this 

 prohibition are takings of marine mammals which 

 occur incidentally to commercial fishing operations, 

 covered by §114 of the Marine Mammal Protection 

 Act (MMPA), as amended in 1988 (P.L. 100-711). 

 Also exempted from this prohibition are takings 

 permitted under the MMPA, Endangered Species 

 Act (ESA), or Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). 



The incineration of trash and waste from 

 onboard vessels is prohibited throughout the 

 Sanctuary to ensure prevention of any adverse 

 environmental effect to resources or quahties of the 

 Sanctuary. 



f. Lightering Activities 



The transfer of petroleum-based products from 

 one vessel to another is prohibited anywhere within 

 the Sanctuary, to prevent the possibihty of 

 accidental spillage and thus better protect Sanctuary 

 resources and qualities. 



3. Contingencv Plans for Major 

 Emergencies 



Resources of the Simctuary are susceptible to 

 both natural and human-related changes. Because 

 many of these changes are gradual in nature, they 

 may only be detected or forecasted through long- 

 term monitoring of environmental indicators. 

 Certain changes in conditions, however, may result 

 from specific, dramatic events (e.g., oil or other 

 toxins introduced into the environment through an 

 accidental vessel collision), and pose serious threats 

 to resources and pubhc health and safety. 



Under the National Contingency Plan, removal 

 of oil and other hazardous substances from the 



