[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 3, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 34775]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17002]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Parts 154 and 155

[CGD 94-032 and 94-048]
RIN 2115-AE87 and 2115-AE88


Tank Vessel and Facility Response Plans, and Response Equipment 
for Hazardous Substances

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is holding two public meetings on its proposed 
regulations under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) relating to 
the preparation of hazardous substance response plans to minimize the 
impact of a discharge or release of hazardous substances into the 
navigable waters of the United States. There is substantial public 
interest in the rulemaking. The Coast Guard is conducting the public 
meetings to receive view on what should be regulated and what 
appropriate regulations should be.

DATES: The meetings will be held on July 30, 1996, and August 5, 1996. 
The meetings will begin at 9:00 a.m. Comments must be received on or 
before September 3, 1996.

ADDRESSES: The July 30, 1996, meeting will be held in room 6200, 
Department of Transportation, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20590. The August 5, 1996, meeting will be held in the 
lecture hall of the Center for Advanced Space Studies, 3600 Bay Area 
Boulevard, Clear Lake, TX 77058. Written comments may be mailed to the 
Executive Secretary, Marine Safety Council (G-LRA/3406) (CGD 94-032 and 
94-048), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20593-0001 or may be delivered to room 3406 at the above 
address between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays. The telephone number if (202) 267-1477
    The Executive Secretary maintains the public docket for this 
rulemaking. Comments will become part of this docket and will be 
available for inspection or copying at room 3406, U.S. Coast Guard 
Headquarters.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LT Cliff Thomas, Project Manager, 
Office of Standards Evaluation and Development, at (202) 267-1099. This 
number is equipped to record messages on a 24-hour basis. Copies of the 
advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) may be obtained by 
submitting a request by facsimile at (202) 267-4547.

Supplementary Information:

Background Information

Response Plans for Hazardous Substances

    The advanced noticed of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) (61 FR 20084), 
published on May 3, 1996, solicited comments on 96 questions to assist 
in the development of a notice of proposed rulemaking for vessels and a 
notice of proposed rulemaking for marine transportation-related 
facilities (MTR).
    Section 311(j)(5) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
(FWPCA) [33 U.S.C. 1321(j)(5)], as amended by section 4202(a) of OPA 
90, requires owners and operators of tank vessels, offshore facilities, 
and onshore facilities that could reasonably be expected to cause harm 
to the environment to prepare and submit plans for responding, to the 
maximum extent practicable, to a worst case discharge, or a substantial 
threat of such a discharge, of oil or hazardous substance. Section 
4202(b)(4) of OPA 90 establishes an implementation schedule for these 
requirements with regard to oil. However, section 4202(b)(4) did not 
establish a compliance date requiring response plans for hazardous 
substances.
    The Coast Guard issued two separate final rules: one requiring 
response plans for tank vessels carrying oil in bulk and another 
requiring response plans for marine transportation-related facilities 
(MTR) that handle, store, or transport oil in bulk. These final rules 
define many concepts such as ``marine transportation-related 
facility,'' ``maximum extent practicable,'' and ``worst case 
discharge.'' The rules also provide a specific format for these 
response plans; however, they allow for deviations from this format as 
long as the required information is included and there is a cross 
reference sheet identifying its location. The Coast Guard is 
considering using these concepts or modifying them as necessary in the 
regulations for response plans for hazardous substances.

Public Meeting

    The Coast Guard will hold two public meetings, the first on July 
30, 1996, and the second on August 5, 1996. The public is invited to 
comment on the issues discussed in the 96 questions listed in the 
ANPRM. The general areas in which the Coast Guard seeks public comment 
are response plan contents and format, carriage of response equipment, 
training requirements, and economic impacts.
    Attendance is open to the public. Persons who are hearing impaired 
may request sign translation by contacting the person under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT at least one week before the meeting. With advance 
notice, and as time permits, members of the public may make oral 
presentations during the meeting. Persons wishing to make oral 
presentations should notify the person listed above under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT no later than the day before the meeting. Written 
material may be submitted prior to, during, or after the meeting. 
Persons unable to attend the public meetings are encouraged to submit 
written comments as outlined in the ANPRM prior to September 3, 1996.

    Dated: June 27, 1996.
Joseph J. Angelo,
Director, of Standards, Marine Safety and Environmental Protection.
[FR Doc. 96-17002 Filed 7-2-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-14-M