Feds Let Gas Firm Disturb Whales for Another Year
Published Date: 6/22/2026
Notice
Summary
HEX Operating, LLC got the green light to continue their natural gas work in Cook Inlet, Alaska, from September 2026 to September 2027. This means some marine mammals might get a little disturbed, but the government says it won’t hurt their populations. The renewal keeps things moving smoothly while protecting these ocean neighbors and supporting local activities.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Renewal Allows HEX Rig Work
NMFS issued a renewal Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) allowing HEX Operating, LLC to conduct rig towing and positioning in Cook Inlet, Alaska from September 13, 2026 through September 12, 2027. The renewal authorizes the same number of Level B harassment takes as the initial Year 2 IHA for listed species but does not authorize any Level A harassment, and HEX is not planning to conduct pile driving during this renewal period.
New On‑Site Mitigation and Monitoring Rules
HEX must follow specified mitigation and monitoring measures while towing/positioning the rig, including employing a minimum of two NMFS-approved protected species observers (PSOs), conducting 30-minute pre-clearance monitoring before starting activities, establishing 1.5 kilometer clearance zones for all marine mammals except Cook Inlet beluga (for which the clearance zone extends as far as PSOs can feasibly observe), maintaining about 4 knots tug speed, keeping 2.4 km from the mean lower-low water line of the Sustina River Delta between April 15 and November 15, and using 1,500-foot minimum helicopter transit altitudes where practicable.
Tribal Coordination and Subsistence Protections
HEX must coordinate with local Tribes, notify communities of any operational changes, and take actions to avoid or mitigate impacts to subsistence harvests. NMFS determined that the authorized takes will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of species for subsistence uses.
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