15 C.F.R. Subpart F—Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
Title 15 - Commerce and Foreign Trade
The Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (Sanctuary) consists of a vertical water column in the Atlantic Ocean one mile in diameter extending from the surface to the seabed, the center of which is at 35°00'23" north latitude and 75°24'32" west longitude. Except as may be permitted by the Director, the following activities are prohibited and thus are unlawful for any person to conduct or to cause to be conducted within the Sanctuary: (a) Anchoring in any manner, stopping, remaining, or drifting without power at any time; (b) Any type of subsurface salvage or recovery operation; (c) Diving of any type, whether by an individual or by a submersible; (d) Lowering below the surface of the water any grappling, suction, conveyor, dredging or wrecking device; (e) Detonating below the surface of the water any explosive or explosive mechanism; (f) Drilling or coring the seabed; (g) Lowering, laying, positioning or raising any type of seabed cable or cable-laying device; (h) Trawling; or (i) Discharging waster material into the water in violation of any Federal statute or regulation. (a) Any person or entity may conduct in the Sanctuary any activity listed in §922.61 if such activity is either: (1) For the purpose of research related to the Monitor, or (2) Pertains to salvage or recovery operations in connection with an air or marine casualty and such person or entity is in possession of a valid permit issued by the Director authorizing the conduct of such activity; except that, no permit is required for the conduct of any activity immediately and urgently necessary for the protection of life, property or the environment. (b) Any person or entity who wishes to conduct in the Sanctuary an activity for which a permit is authorized by this section (hereafter a permitted activity) may apply in writing to the Director for a permit to conduct such activity citing this section as the basis for the application. Such application should be made to: Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management; ATTN: Manager, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, Building 1519, NOAA, Fort Eustis, VA 23604–5544. (c) In considering whether to grant a permit for the conduct of a permitted activity for the purpose of research related to the Monitor, the Secretary shall evaluate such matters as: (1) The general professional and financial responsibility of the applicant; (2) The appropriateness of the research method(s) envisioned to the purpose(s) of the research; (3) The extent to which the conduct of any permitted activity may diminish the value of the MONITOR as a source of historic, cultural, aesthetic and/or maritime information; (4) The end value of the research envisioned; and (5) Such other matters as the Director deems appropriate. (d) In considering whether to grant a permit for the conduct of a permitted activity in the Sanctuary in relation to an air or marine casualty, the Director shall consider such matters as: (1) The fitness of the applicant to do the work envisioned; (2) The necessity of conducting such activity; (3) The appropriateness of any activity envisioned to the purpose of the entry into the Sanctuary; (4) The extent to which the conduct of any such activity may diminish the value of the Monitor as a source of historic, cultural, aesthetic and/or maritime information; and (5) Such other matters as the Director deems appropriate. (e) In considering any application submitted pursuant to this section, the Director shall seek and consider the views of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. (f) The Director may observe any activity permitted by this section; and/or may require the submission of one or more reports of the status or progress of such activity.
Title 15: Commerce and Foreign Trade
PART 922—NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY PROGRAM REGULATIONS
Subpart F—Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
§ 922.60 Boundary.
§ 922.61 Prohibited or otherwise regulated activities.
§ 922.62 Permit procedure and criteria.
