(a) A Letter of Authorization issued under Sec. 216.106 of this chapter and Sec. 217.76 for the activity identified in Sec. 217.70(a) will be renewed annually upon:
(1) Notification to NMFS that the activity described in the application for a Letter of Authorization submitted under Sec. 217.76 will be undertaken and that there will not be a substantial modification to the described activity, mitigation, or monitoring undertaken during the upcoming season;
(2) Timely receipt of and acceptance by NMFS of the monitoring reports required under Sec. 217.75;
(3) A determination by NMFS that the mitigation, monitoring, and reporting measures required under Sec. Sec. 217.74 and 217.75 and the Letter of Authorization were undertaken and will be undertaken during the upcoming period of validity of a renewed Letter of Authorization; and
(4) A determination that the number of marine mammals taken by the activity will have no more than a negligible impact on the affected species or stocks of marine mammal(s), and that the level of taking will be consistent with the findings made for the total taking allowable under these regulations.
(b) If a request for a renewal of a Letter of Authorization issued under Sec. Sec. 216.106 and 216.128 of this chapter indicates that a substantial modification to the described work, mitigation, or monitoring undertaken during the upcoming season will occur, NMFS will provide the public a period of 30 days to review and comment on the request. Review and comment on renewals of Letters of Authorization are restricted to:
(1) New cited information and data indicating that the determinations made in this document are in need of reconsideration; and
(2) Proposed changes to the mitigation and monitoring requirements contained in these regulations or in the current Letter of Authorization.
(c) A notice of issuance or denial of a renewal of a Letter of Authorization will be published in the Federal Register within 30 days of a determination.
(d) NMFS, in response to new information and in consultation with the AAC, may modify the mitigation or monitoring measures in subsequent LOAs if doing so creates a reasonable likelihood of more effectively accomplishing the goals of mitigation or monitoring set forth in the preamble of these regulations. Below are some of the possible sources of new data that could contribute to the decision to modify the mitigation or monitoring measures:
(1) Results from the AAC's monitoring from the previous year.
(2) Results from general marine mammal and sound research.