[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 108 (Thursday, June 5, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30925-30926]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14737]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard
[CGD 97-003]


Additional Hazards Study

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces two public workshops to be held to 
present the results of the Additional Hazards Study.

DATES: Duplicate public workshops will be held on June 24, 1997, from 
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Comments concerning 
this notice should reach the Coast Guard on or before 6 July, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The workshops will be held at Best Western Executive Inn, 
200 Taylor Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109. Comments may be mailed to the 
Executive Secretary, Marine Safety Council (G-LRA/3406) [CGD 97-003], 
U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street SW, Washington, DC 
20593-0001, or may be delivered to room 3406 at the same address 
between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. The telephone number is (202) 267-1477.
    The Executive Secretary maintains the public docket for this 
project. Comments will become part of this docket and will be available 
for inspection or copying at room 3406, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 
between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LT Duane Boniface, Human Element 
and Ship Design Division (G-MSE-1), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 
2100 Second Street SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001, telephone 202-
267-0178, fax 202-267-4816, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

    The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to submit written 
data, views, or arguments, concerning the subject matter of this 
notice. Persons submitting comments should include their names and 
addresses, identify this docket (CGD 97-003), and give the reason for 
each comment, providing specific examples whenever possible. Please 
submit two copies of all comments and attachments in an unbound format, 
no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic 
filing. Persons wanting acknowledgment of receipt of comments should 
enclose stamped, self-addressed postcards or envelopes.

Background and Purpose

    The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe) has 
conducted a study entitled ``The Additional Hazards Study'' on behalf 
of the U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Transportation in accordance 
with a Presidential Directive issued in 1996. This study has evaluated 
all measures, current and planned, intended to reduce the hazards of 
major oil spills (including crude oil, refined product, and bunker) by 
commercial ships while transiting the waters of Puget Sound, the 
Straits of Juan de Fuca, and the Olympic Coast National Marine 
Sanctuary. An example of one of these measures is the planned 
International Tug of Opportunity System (ITOS), which is a system 
designed to coordinate tugs responding to disabled vessels off the 
Olympic Coast.
    This study represents another step in a continuous improvement 
process to address maritime concerns in the Pacific Northwest. 
Development of this project began in early December 1996.
    These Workshops are the second formal session to obtain stakeholder

[[Page 30926]]

input and feedback. The first two, held in March in Seattle, were used 
to obtain the stakeholder concerns about the hazards in the waterway, 
as well as to identify potential additional measures. This information 
was used by the Expert Panel (held in Seattle in April) and Volpe to 
augment both expert judgment and data in their analysis. This session 
will be used to gather feedback on the outcome of the study (in 
addition to the docket as described above) and to start to develop a 
refined picture of what additional steps should be evaluated as the 
process moves forward.
    The current workshops will allow the Coast Guard to present the 
outcome of the study, and gather stakeholder comments on the outcome. 
These comments will be presented to the Secretary along with the 
Additional Hazards Study.

    Dated: May 29, 1997.
Howard L. Hime,
Acting Director, Standards, U.S. Coast Guard.
[FR Doc. 97-14737 Filed 6-4-97; 8:45 am]
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