Stellwagen Bank Final EIS and Management Plan 



Page 129 



incineration site would not be designated within the 

 Sanctuary; or 2) in the absence of a designated 

 ocean incineration site, that a "research" or "interim" 

 permit for ocean incineration would not be granted 

 for areas within the Sanctuary. 



Thus, the status quo alternative would offer no 

 particular protection for Sanctuary resources and 

 quahties from the effects of ocean incineration 

 activities. The environmental consequences of 

 possible incineration activities on Sanctuary 

 resoiu-ces are presently not fully known. At a 

 minimum, it may reasonably be anticipated that 

 ocean incineration activities within the Sanctuary 

 would adversely affect the site's aesthetic qualities. 

 Therefore, adoption of the status quo alternative 

 may be expected to leave open the potential for 

 adverse impacts on Sanctuary qualities and/or 

 resources. 



c. Offshore Industrial Materials 

 Development 



Pursuant to §2202(d) of P.L. 102-587, 

 exploration for, and mining of sand and gravel and 

 other minerals is prohibited within the Sanctuary. 

 Thus, the status quo alternative of no programmatic 

 implementation of the Congressional designation of 

 the Sanctuary would result in no environmental 

 consequences to the productivity of the Bank and 

 thus to the living resources dependent upon the 

 Bank beyond those resulting from the Congressional 

 prohibition. 



d. Alteration of or Construction on the 

 Seabed 



The status quo alternative would result in 

 rehance on existing Federal authorities to protect 

 the seabed from the effects of various human 

 activities, e.g., the construction of fixed artificial 

 platforms. However, during the permit evaluation 

 process, no particular emphasis or attention would 

 be afforded to the importance of the Stellwagen 

 Bank feature and the area surrounding it. The 

 environmental consequences of the status quo 

 alternative are somewhat uncertain, depending upon 

 the emphasis given to the Bank feature itself when 

 considering permit requests. 



e. Mariculture Activities 



Under the status quo alternative, the siting, 

 establishment, and operation of any mariculture 

 facility would remain subject to existing authorities. 

 These authorities include specific requirements 

 under § 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, §§ 402 

 and 404 of the Clean Water Act, and various permit 

 conditions related to the protection of endangered 

 species and marine mammals. In addition, the 

 issuance of permits for the construction of 

 mariculture facilities generally are also subject to 

 existing COE giiidance prohibiting the siting of such 

 facilities in sensitive areas designated by Act of 

 Congress, Presidential Proclamation, or federal 

 agencies (although this guidance does not 

 specifically identify National Marine Sanctuaries as 

 such "sensitive areas"). 



Assuming successful compliance with these 

 requirements, a mariculture operation could be 

 established within the Sanctuary's boundary, or in 

 close proximity to the Sanctuary, under the status 

 quo alternative. This type of operation is largely 

 imtested in ocean areas such as that around the 

 Stellwagen Bank feature. There may be potential 

 for fish pen structure damage during storm events. 

 There edso may be some potential for marine 

 mammal, marine reptile, seabird, or other fish 

 entanglement, notwithstanding permit conditions 

 designed to prevent such occurrences. Additionally, 

 issues related to permanent private commercial uses 

 of Federal waters would not be addressed. 



In general, the environmental consequences of 

 the status quo alternative are somewhat 

 unpredictable, but are, at a minimum, potentially 

 negative. 



f. Removing. Taking or Injuring Historical 

 or Cultural Resources 



There are some data existing on the presence 

 of shipwrecks within the Sanctuary which may be of 

 historical significance. However, a complete and 

 detailed inventory is lacking. Currently, there are 

 no such resources listed on the National Register 

 (under the Historic Preservation Act), administered 

 by the Department of the Interior. Although such 

 listing would make available possible fimding from 



