The CMA aims to strengthen BOEM’s role as a driving force within the regulatory community by making key policy and management improvements, both internally and externally. We do this by: driving best practices, research, and scientific rigor; encouraging innovation while championing consistency, standardization, and efficiency where needed; and partnering strategically with external organizations, both domestic and international, to achieve what cannot be done alone.
Select topics include the following:
- Establishing performance targets for quieting of several sound types
- Bringing new approaches for setting acoustic thresholds
- Improved sound field verification
- Integrating the risk assessment framework into the decision-making process
- Addressing complex noise issues
- Determining adequate mitigation for High-Resolution Geophysical Sources
- BOEM recently co-authored a paper describing the physical qualities of HRG sources. We are working with partners at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), also known as NOAA Fisheries, to determine how these sources will be regulated moving forward. We expect the outcome of this work will help guide BOEM and NMFS staff in determining which sound sources will require an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) and which will not.