NOAA Weighs Letting Construction Harass Marine Mammals
Published Date: 6/29/2026
Notice
Summary
Turnagain Marine Construction wants permission to accidentally disturb marine mammals while building a new cruise ship terminal near Juneau, Alaska. The government is asking for public feedback before deciding on two one-year permits and possible renewals. Comments are open until July 29, 2026, so speak up if you care about sea life and construction plans!
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Two One-Year Permits Proposed
NMFS is proposing to issue two consecutive incidental harassment authorizations (IHAs) to Turnagain Marine Construction to allow pile driving near Juneau, Alaska. Each IHA would be valid for up to one year, the overall project is planned over two years (Phase I about 122 non-consecutive days; Phase II about 217 non-consecutive days), and NMFS is accepting comments through July 29, 2026.
New Cruise Terminal Helps Tourism
The project would build two cruise ship berths and associated facilities, plus a multi-use harbor, seaplane base, and a fuel dock to serve commercial tour boats and planes. It is explicitly intended to provide safe harbor for cruise ships and accommodate passengers during the Southeast Alaska visitor season (late April to mid-October) and to reduce congestion in downtown Juneau.
Pile Driving May Harass Marine Mammals
The proposed construction would use impact, vibratory, and down-the-hole (DTH) pile driving that NMFS says could result in Level B harassment of 10 species (15 stocks) of marine mammals and Level A harassment for a subset (9 species, 11 stocks). NMFS and the applicant do not expect serious injury or mortality, and the IHAs would include required mitigation, monitoring, and reporting.
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