Notice2025-17443
Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 11, 2025
Issuing agencies
National Science Foundation
Abstract
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish notice of permit applications received to conduct activities consistent with the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 in the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of permit applications received.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 174 (Thursday, September 11, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 174 (Thursday, September 11, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44110-44111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-17443]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic
Conservation Act of 1978
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice of permit applications received.
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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish
notice of permit applications received to conduct activities consistent
with the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published
regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 in the Code of
Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of permit applications
received.
DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments,
or views with respect to this permit application by October 14, 2025.
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit
Office, address below.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Office of
Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue,
Alexandria, Virginia 22314 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0b4a484a7b6e7966627f784b65786d256c647d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6d2c2e2c1d081f0004191e2d031e0b430a021b">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Titmus, ACA Permit Officer, at
the above address, 703-292-4479.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541, 16 U.S.C.
2401 et seq.), as amended by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and
Conservation Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-227), has developed regulations
(45 CFR parts 670 to 674) for the establishment of a permit system for
various activities in Antarctica related to the designation of certain
animals and certain geographic areas as requiring special protection,
among other purposes.
Application Details
Permit Application: 2026-001
1. Applicant: Lynne Talley, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD,
La Jolla, CA 92093-0230.
Activity for Which Permit Is Requested: Waste Management (45 CFR
671). The applicant is seeking a waste management permit for waste
management activities associated with the deployment of floating
oceanographic profiling instruments (Argo floats) in Southern Ocean
waters. The Argo floats would autonomously collect temperature,
salinity, oxygen, pH, nitrate, fluorescence, backscatter, and
irradiance from 0 to 2,000 m, every 10 days. The floats would freely
drift and would likely leave and enter the region over the course of
their operational lifetimes. The applicant proposes to release a
maximum of 150 Argo floats south of 60[deg] S during the permit period.
Float dimensions are 75 inches tall by 9 inches diameter, weighing
approximately 65 lbs. Each float includes 19DD lithium cells, with
approximately 0.198 gm of lithium per float. The floats would drift at
1,000 m depth and come to the surface every 10 days. Their lifetime is
approximately 5 years, after which the batteries would be depleted and
the floats would no longer surface, but would remain in the ocean and
sink to the ocean floor. The Argo floats deployed in the Southern Ocean
would be part of a global array. The Argo array provides operational
and research data that inform nowcast and forecast services,
contributing to saving lives, avoiding property damage, and informing
the public and government responses to environmental variability and
change.
Location: Southern Ocean.
Dates of Permitted Activities: November 1, 2025-June 30, 2030.
Permit Application: 2026-002
2. Applicant: Randall Reeves, 4343 Sequoyah Rd., Oakland, CA 94605.
Activity for Which Permit Is Requested: Waste Management (45 CFR
671). The applicant proposes to operate a sailing yacht, conduct shore
excursions, and operate a remotely piloted aircraft system in the
Antarctic Peninsula region. The yacht would carry up to 250 gallons of
diesel fuel in a combination of internal and external storage tanks, up
to 10 gallons of gasoline. A spill kit and absorbent pads would be
available during all fueling and fuel transfers. Solid waste will be
contained and stored on the vessel, and disposed of outside of the
Antarctic Treaty area. The applicant would operate small, battery-
operated remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) consisting, in part,
of a quadcopter equipped with cameras to aid in navigation and to
collect footage of the Antarctic. The quadcopter would not be flown
over wildlife, or over Antarctic Specially Protected Areas or Historic
Sites and Monuments. The RPAS would only be operated by a pilot with
extensive experience and flights would not occur if the aircraft cannot
be flown in GPS mode. Several measures would be taken to prevent
against loss of the quadcopters including terminating flights with at
least 40% battery life remaining; having an observer on the lookout for
wildlife, people, and other hazards; maintaining flights below 400 ft
above ground level, and ensuring that the separation between the
operator and quadcopter does not exceed visual line of sight. The
applicant is seeking a Waste Permit to cover any accidental releases
that may result from operating the vessel, conducting shore excursions,
or operating the RPAS.
Location: Antarctic Peninsula region.
Dates of Permitted Activities: December 1, 2025-January 2, 2030.
Permit Application: 2026-003
3. Applicant John Kennedy, 665 Spruce St., Box 322, Del Norte, CO
81132.
Activity for Which Permit Is Requested: Waste Management (45 CFR
671). The applicant proposes to operate a sailing yacht, conduct shore
excursions, and operate a remotely piloted aircraft system in the
Antarctic Peninsula region. The yacht would carry up to 1,600 L of
diesel fuel in a combination of internal and external storage tanks, up
to 38 L of gasoline. A spill kit and absorbent pads would be available
during all fueling and fuel transfers. Solid waste will be contained
and stored on the vessel, and disposed of outside of the Antarctic
Treaty area. The applicant would operate small, battery-operated
remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) consisting, in part, of a
quadcopter equipped with cameras to aid in navigation and to collect
footage of the Antarctic. The quadcopter would not be flown over
wildlife, or over Antarctic Specially Protected Areas or Historic Sites
and Monuments. The RPAS would only be operated by a pilot with
extensive experience and flights would not occur if the aircraft cannot
be flown in GPS mode. Several measures would be taken to prevent
against loss of the quadcopters including restricting flights occurring
in winds over 20 knots; terminating flights with at least 40%
[[Page 44111]]
battery life remaining; having an observer on the lookout for wildlife,
people, and other hazards; maintaining flights below 400 ft above
ground level; and ensuring that the separation between the operator and
quadcopter does not exceed visual line of sight. The applicant is
seeking a Waste Permit to cover any accidental releases that may result
from operating the vessel, conducting shore excursions, or operating
the RPAS.
Location: Antarctic Peninsula region.
Dates of Permitted Activities: January 2, 2026-April 1, 2030.
Jean C. Allen,
Office Director, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2025-17443 Filed 9-10-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 11, 2025.
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