SURTASS LFA

Research into potential environmental impact played a major role in the development and testing of the SURTASS LFA system. The Navy spent more than $16 million conducting scientific research (click HERE to learn about the Scientific Research) into the effects of low frequency underwater sound on humans and animals and developing an environmental impact statement (EIS).

Five principles guided the development of the Navy’s SURTASS LFA Sonar Environmental Impact Statement

Conduct a study on the potential effects of low frequency sound on marine life and human divers
Maintain scientific rigor throughout the study
Use an independent scientific team to review and edit the statement
Preserve an open process with public engagement
Ensure funding is available for scientific research to address critical data gaps and to furnish a meaningful and understandable document to the public

Analytical Process

Literature review and determination of data gaps
Scientific screening of marine animal species for potential sensitivity to low frequency sound
Scientific research on the effects of low frequency sound on humans in water
Scientific research on the effects of low frequency sound on marine mammals
Development of a method for quantifying risk to marine mammals
Analytical acoustic modeling of representative cases for the deployment of SURTASS LFA sonar
Estimation of marine mammal stocks potentially affected
Estimation of potential effects on fish and sea turtles stocks
Establishment of mitigation and monitoring to reduce potential effects to a negligible level

The SURTASS LFA Sonar Environmental Impact Statement was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Presidential Executive Order 12114.

Highlights of the process included:

July 1996 Notice of Intent to prepare the SURTASS LFA Sonar Environmental Impact Statement published in Federal Register August 1996 - Public scoping meetings (Los Angeles, CA; Norfolk, VA; Honolulu, HI)
	January 1997 - Public Information Meeting, Washington, DC
February 1997 - SURTASS LFA Scientific Working Group Established February 1997 - Scientific Working Group Meeting #1 held to determine critical data gaps that need to be addressed to evaluate the potential effects of low frequency sound on the marine environment
	May 1997 - Public Meeting, Boston, MA

Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory (NSMRL) logo.

July 1997 to November 1998 - Diver’s Studies conducted by Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory (NSMRL) to study the bioeffects of low frequency underwater sound on divers

September 1997 - March 1998 - Low Frequency Sound Scientific Research Program (LFS SRP) experiments conducted to study the potential effects of low frequency sound on free-ranging marine mammals

October 1997 - Scientific Research Program public review, Monterey, CA

November 1997 - Scientific Working Group Meeting #2
February 1998 - Scientific Research Program public review, Hawaii

SURTASS LFA EIS Outreach Meeting, brief cover page.

June 1998 - SURTASS LFA EIS Outreach Meeting, Washington, DC

June 1999 - NSMRL issued interim guidance for operation of low frequency underwater sound sources in the presence of divers

	July 1999 - Draft OEIS/EIS completed with inputs from Low Frequency Sound Scientific Research Program, modeling, and Diver studies
August 1999 - SURTASS LFA EIS Outreach Meeting, Washington, DC
August 1999 - SURTASS LFA EIS Open House, Los Angeles, CA
August 1999 - SURTASS LFA EIS Open House, Miami, FL
September 1999 - SURTASS LFA EIS Open House, Honolulu, HI

	September 1999 - SURTASS LFA EIS Open House, Boston, MA
September 1999 - SURTASS LFA EIS Public Hearing, Norfolk, VA
October 1999 - SURTASS LFA EIS Open House, Seattle, WA
	October 1999 - SURTASS LFA EIS Public Hearing, San Diego, CA
October 1999 - SURTASS LFA EIS Public Hearing, Honolulu, HI
October 1999 - 90-day comment period on Draft OEIS/EIS ended
August 2000 - Completed successful testing of the High Frequency Marine Mammal Monitoring (HF/M3) Sonar

	January 2001 - Final OEIS/EIS published
Final Record of Decision (ROD) signed by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Environment) on July 16, 2002, with notice in the Federal Register on July 23, 2002.
DASN(E) announced intent to prepare a Supplemental EiS on DATE??.
Draft SEIS published on November 10, 2005.
December 2005 - SURTASS LFA SEIS Public Hearing, Washington, DC
December 2005 - SURTASS LFA SEIS Public Hearing, San Diego, CA
December 2005 - SURTASS LFA SEIS Public Hearing, Honolulu, HI
May 2007 - Final SEIS published