[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 6 (Monday, January 10, 1994)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1411-1412]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-487]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: January 10, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Coast Guard
[CGD 91-202]
RIN 2115-AE10

 

Escort Vessels for Certain Oil Tankers

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: A two-part study assessing the capability of escort tugs to 
control disabled tankers in Prince William Sound, Alaska, was 
commissioned by the Disabled Tanker Towing Study Group (DTTSG). The 
study will specifically review the present equipment, personnel, and 
procedures aboard the tankers and escort vessels operating in Prince 
William Sound, as well as the assist capabilities of the vessels 
presently in service for escorting these tankers. Part 1 of the study 
has been completed, and the U.S. Coast Guard has been granted 
permission to make it available to the public. Certain technical 
findings of this study will aid the U.S. Coast Guard in promulgating 
national-level tug escort regulations under section 4116(c) of the Oil 
Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90).

ADDRESSES: Part 1 of the Prince William Sound Disabled Tanker Towing 
Study, entitled ``Evaluation of Existing Equipment, Personnel and 
Procedures,'' is available for inspection or copying at the Office of 
the Executive Secretary, Marine Safety Council (G-LRA/3406) (CGD 91-
202), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20593-0001, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal Holidays. The telephone number is (202) 267-
1477.
    Additionally, copies of Part 1 of the study may be ordered from the 
National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161 (phone 
orders (703) 487-4650). The NTIS publication number is PB94-120961; 
price $27.00 for paper copy, or $12.50 for microfiche copy.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas Jordan, Project Manager, OPA 90 Staff, at U.S. Coast Guard 
Headquarters, 2100 Second Street, SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001, or by 
phone at (202) 267-6751.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Discussion

    In the aftermath of the EXXON VALDEZ grounding, the state of Alaska 
established a contingency plan that includes provisions requiring laden 
tankers to be escorted through Prince William Sound. The escort vessels 
are expected to provide immediate assistance to a tanker in the event 
it suffers a propulsion or steering failure. The escort vessels also 
have some spill response capabilities. At present, there are 11 tugs 
and escort vessels in this service, operating out of Port Valdez and 
escorting tankers to Hinchinbrook Entrance.
    The Disabled Tanker Towing Study Group (DTTSG) was formed to review 
the present escort vessel practices in Prince William Sound. The DTTSG 
is formed of representatives from the Regional Citizen's Advisory 
Council (RCAC) for Prince William Sound, the Prince William Sound 
Tanker Association, the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, the Alaska 
Department of Environmental Conservation, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
    The DTTSG commissioned The Glosten Associates, Inc., to prepare a 
two-part study. The first part was to conduct an expert review and 
evaluation of the emergency towing equipment aboard the tankers and 
escort vessels operating in Prince William Sound. The second part was 
to determine, by means of actual tanker/tug trials and computer 
simulation analyses, the capabilities of the escort vessels to actually 
control disabled tankers.

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90)

    Section 4116(c) of OPA 90 requires the Secretary of Transportation 
to initiate issuance of regulations that define areas where single hull 
tankers over 5,000 gross tons transporting oil in bulk must be escorted 
by at least two towing vessels (as defined under 46 U.S.C. 2101), or by 
other vessels which the Secretary considers appropriate. These defined 
areas must include Prince William Sound, Alaska, and Rosario Strait and 
Puget Sound, Washington (including those portions of the Strait of Juan 
de Fuca east of Port Angeles, Haro Strait, and the Strait of Georgia 
subject to U.S. jurisdiction). The Secretary has delegated this 
responsibility to the Coast Guard.

Federal Regulatory Action to Date

    The Coast Guard's regulatory response to this section of OPA 90 has 
been divided into two rulemaking projects: the first project (CGD 91-
202) focuses on the Prince William Sound and Puget Sound waters 
specifically identified in the statute, the second project (CGD 91-
202a) focuses on other navigable waters where escorts might be 
required.
    In order to issue effective national escort rules, the Coast Guard 
finds it necessary to determine the realistic capabilities of the 
various types of tugs that may be used for escort service. To this end, 
the Disabled Tanker Towing Study (DTTS) is expected to provide valuable 
technical information. In addition to its participation in the DTTSG, 
Coast Guard's other actions to date have been as follows:
    (1) A notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the Prince William 
Sound and Puget Sound waters was published in the Federal Register on 
July 7, 1992 (57 FR 30058). Because the original public comments did 
not include sufficient information on certain issues, the comment 
period was reopened March 26, 1993 (58 FR 16391), with a request for 
more-detailed comments on some specified issues. Altogether, more than 
100 public comments were received.
    (2) An advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public 
comment on other navigable waters where escort vessels should be 
required was published April 27, 1993 (58 FR 25766). This ANPRM also 
requested detailed comments on some specified issues. More than 45 
public comments were received.
    (3) Three public hearings were held: in Anchorage, Alaska, on June 
3, 1993; Valdez, Alaska, on June 5, 1993; and Seattle, Washington, on 
June 7, 1993. Both Alaska hearings had teleconferencing arrangements to 
include outlying communities in the Exxon Valdez impacted areas. All 
three hearings were well attended. Locally-interested parties, 
including individuals and representatives of environmental, commercial 
fishing, and recreational groups, tug operators, pilots, and tanker 
operators, made presentations at each hearing. Transcripts of the three 
hearings have been put in files 43, 44, and 45 of Coast Guard docket 
91-202a.

Summary of the Study

    The Executive Summary from Part 1 of the DTTS, ``Evaluation of 
Existing Equipment, Personnel and Procedures,'' is reprinted here 
verbatim:
    ``This study has been undertaken by The Glosten Associates, Inc., 
to evaluate the existing capability for emergency towing at Prince 
William Sound and to examine alternatives that could enhance the escort 
and assist capabilities for disabled tankers within the waterway from 
the Alyeska Oil Terminal at the Port of Valdez to the Gulf of Alaska 
outside Hinchinbrook Entrance.
    Part 1, reported herein, is an objective evaluation by an 
experienced salvage towing master of the existing tugs, emergency 
towing equipment, towing practices, and discussion of alternate tug 
types. Part 2 will evaluate alternative equipment and deployments, 
using engineering methods, including simulation, that could improve the 
safety or cost-effectiveness of the response system.
    The Part 1 investigation was performed by subcontractor Smit Tak 
BV, based in Rotterdam. Captain Jan ter Haar, a senior Smit Tak salvage 
master, conducted interviews and observed normal operations and 
emergency drills in the Valdez area.
    Captain ter Haar feels that, with some changes such as improved bow 
fendering, the existing escort/response vessels (ERVs) are adequate to 
control a ship's heading in the event of a steering failure and to tow 
it in the event of loss of propulsive power. He reserves any final 
opinion on the number of such vessels required to control an incident, 
in relation to the size of tanker and the weather conditions, to the 
results of simulations in Part 2.
    All tankers calling at Valdez are required to carry specific 
emergency towing gear for rapid deployment and connection to a rescue 
tug. This ``Prince William Sound Emergency Towing Package'' is stowed 
and deployed differently on various vessels. Captain ter Haar 
recommends that all vessels adopt systems that can be readied for 
deployment in 15 minutes or less by a crew of two without using winch 
power.
    Captain ter Haar demonstrated in drills several effective 
alternative methods of making towing connections with the tugs' own 
gear, without deploying the ship's Prince William Sound Towing Package. 
Drills were also used to assess crew skills in towing large tankers in 
adverse weather with multiple tugs. He concludes that additional drills 
and training, both in the makeup and towing operations, would be 
beneficial.
    With regard to escort vessel operations, Captain ter Haar 
recommends that, in the Valdez Narrows area, escort position should be 
in close proximity to tankers for faster response to a steering 
failure. However, in the more open waters of Prince William Sound, 
where a power or steering failure will not result in immediate peril of 
grounding, close escort does not increase the level of safety of the 
system. Escort vessels strategically positioned at key locations would 
appear to provide the same level of protection. This deployment issue 
will be analyzed more thoroughly in Part 2.
    Captain ter Haar concludes that the vessels presently under 
contract are suitable for rescue towing in Prince William Sound under a 
full range of weather conditions. In the open waters of the Gulf of 
Alaska, at and beyond Hinchinbrook Entrance, he concludes that a larger 
salvage tug would improve the capability to prevent a major casualty.''

Anticipated Course of Action

    The second phase of the DTTS (tanker/tug maneuvering trials and 
computer simulation analyses) is currently underway. The Coast Guard 
has been informed that the technical data collection should be 
completed by January, 1994, and that Part 2 of the study will be 
released by spring, 1994.
    In the meantime, the Coast Guard is now reviewing all public 
comments and studying various technical submittals, including Part 1 of 
the DTTS. Because the Federal regulations that it ultimately proposes 
as a result of this review will probably differ from those proposed in 
the NPRM, the Coast Guard plans to issue a Supplementary Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM). The Coast Guard anticipates issuing the 
SNPRM after Part 2 of the study has been reviewed and analyzed.

    Dated: January 4, 1994.
W. J. Ecker,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Chief, Office of Navigation Safety and 
Waterway Services.
[FR Doc. 94-487 Filed 1-7-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-14-M