[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 162 (Thursday, August 21, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 44428-44429]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-22136]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 167

[CGD 97-044]


Port Access Routes; Approaches to the Mississippi River via 
Southwest Pass, South Pass, Tiger Pass Including the Mississippi River 
Gulf Outlet

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of study.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is conducting a port access route study to 
evaluate the need for vessel routing or other traffic management 
measures in the approaches to the Mississippi River. Concerns for the 
safety of navigation in these areas have been expressed by the 
Associated Branch Pilots and the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in 
New Orleans, LA. This port access route study will determine what, if 
any, vessel routing or other traffic management measures are needed in 
the approaches to the Mississippi River and the Mississippi River Gulf 
Outlet. As a result of the study, vessel routing measures or other 
vessel operating requirements may be proposed in the Federal Register.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 19, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be mailed to Commander (mov-1), Eighth Coast 
Guard District, Hale Boggs Federal Building, 501 Magazine Street, New 
Orleans, LA 70130-3396. The comments and other materials related to 
this notice will be available for inspection and copying at 501 
Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA, room 1341. Normal office hours are 7 
a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Comments may 
also be hand delivered to this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Captain M.M. Ledet (504) 589-4686 or 
M.Ledet/D[email protected] (Internet), or Margie Hegy (202) 
267-0415 or MH[email protected] (Internet).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

    The Coast Guard is interested in receiving information and opinions 
from persons who have an interest in safe routing of ships in the study 
area. Vessel owners and operators are specifically invited to comment 
on any safety concerns they may have when operating in the study area. 
Negative impacts that may result from the establishment of a routing 
measure, such as a traffic separation scheme (TSS), or a regulated 
navigation area (RNA) with vessel operating requirements should be 
identified and supported with documentation of any costs or benefits.
    Commenters should include their names and addresses, identify this 
notice (CGD 97-044), and give reasons for each comment. Receipt of 
comments will be acknowledged if a stamped, self-addressed post card or 
envelope is enclosed. In addition to the specific questions asked 
herein, comments from the maritime community, offshore development 
concerns, environmental groups and any other interested parties are 
invited. All comments received during the comment period will be 
considered in the study and in development of any regulatory proposals.
    The Coast Guard intends to hold at least one public meeting to 
listen to the users, both commercial and recreational, of the waters in 
the study area. We are particularly interested in the source of delays 
that slow down commercial vessels and the source of upsets that 
interfere with the recreational boaters enjoyment of the waterway. 
Details of the meeting will be announced in a separate notice as well 
as locally.
    The Eighth Coast Guard District will conduct the study and develop 
recommendations. Captain M.M. Ledet, Vessel Traffic Management Section, 
Marine Safety Branch, Eighth Coast Guard District (504) 589-4686 is the 
project officer responsible for the study.

Background and Purpose

    The 1978 amendments to the Ports and Waterways Safety Act (PWSA), 
33 U.S.C. 1223(c), require that a port access route study be conducted 
prior to establishing or adjusting fairways or TSS's. The Coast Guard 
is undertaking a port access route study to determine if a vessel 
routing system is needed in the study area.
    An internationally recognized vessel routing system is one or more 
routes or routing measures aimed at reducing the risk of casualties. A 
system may include TSS's, two-way routes, recommended tracks, areas to 
be avoided, inshore traffic zones, roundabouts, precautionary areas, 
and deep-water routes.
    A TSS is a routing measure which minimizes the risk of collision by 
separating vessels into opposing streams of traffic through the 
establishment of traffic lanes.
    A two-way route is a route within defined limits inside which two-
way traffic is established, aimed at providing safe passage of ships 
through waters where navigation is difficult or dangerous.
    A recommended track is a route which has been specially examined to 
ensure so far as possible that it is free of dangers and along which 
ships are advised to navigate.
    An area to be avoided is a routing measure comprising an area 
within defined limits in which either navigation is particularly 
hazardous or it is exceptionally important to avoid casualties and 
which should be avoided by all ships, or certain classes of ships.
    An inshore traffic zone comprises a designated area between the 
landward boundary of a TSS and the adjacent

[[Page 44429]]

coast and is used in accordance with Rule 10(d) of the 72 COLREGS.
    A roundabout is a routing measure comprising a separation point or 
circular separation zone and a circular traffic lane within defined 
limits. Traffic within the roundabout is separated by moving in a 
counterclockwise direction around the separation point or zone.
    A precautionary area is a defined area where ships must navigate 
with particular caution and within which the direction of traffic flow 
may be recommended.
    A deep-water route is a route within defined limits which has been 
accurately surveyed for clearance of sea bottom and submerged obstacles 
as indicated on nautical charts.
    The approaches to the Mississippi River and the Mississippi River 
Gulf Outlet were last studied in 1984. The study concluded that there 
was a need for the establishment of the existing shipping safety 
fairways.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Waterborne Commerce of The United 
States reports that, from 1984 to 1993, volume of traffic increased 
from 397.1 million tons to 520.3 million tons. Channel depths were 
increased to 45 feet in 1994.
    The Associated Branch Pilots Association and the Coast Guard's 
Marine Safety Office in New Orleans have expressed concern about the 
safety of navigation due to the frequency of collisions that have the 
potential to close one of the busiest ports in the United States. In 
addition to safety concerns, several collisions in the past few years 
have demonstrated the potential for far reaching economic impact. The 
most recent collision involving the M/V FORMOSA SIX and the M/V FLORA 
partially closed the waterway with an estimated cost of over one 
million dollars per day.

Study Area

    The study area is bounded by a line connecting the following 
geographic positions:

                                                                        
                Latitude                            Longitude           
                                                                        
29 deg.02'20'' N.......................  89 deg.40'15'' W               
29 deg.33'00'' N.......................  89 deg.02'39'' W               
29 deg.32'45'' N.......................  88 deg.42'40'' W               
29 deg.03'30'' N.......................  88 deg.45'12'' W               
28 deg.36'30'' N.......................  89 deg.18'09'' W               
28 deg.26'15'' N.......................  89 deg.41'15'' W               
                                                                        

    The study area encompasses the approaches to the Mississippi River, 
the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet as well as the area offshore of 
southeast Louisiana used by commercial vessels transiting to and 
between these ports.

Issues

    The Coast Guard is trying to determine the scope of any safety 
problems associated with vessel transit in the study area. It is 
expected that information will be gathered during the study that will 
identify the problems and appropriate solutions.
    In addition to information that you wish to provide, the Coast 
Guard is particularly interested in your responses to the following 
questions:
    1. What is the nature of your work that causes you to navigate in 
the study area?
    2. How many trips do you make in the study area in a 24-hour 
period?
    3. What route do you take? Please specify point of origin and 
destination?
    4. Considering all the passes leading to the Gulf of Mexico, which 
would be the most direct to your destination?
    5. Are there passes that you do not use? Why not?
    6. If the U.S. Corps of Engineers maintained each pass to a 
predetermined depth, would you use all the passes?
    7. What should be the maintained depth of each pass?
    8. Have you had an accident or near miss when transiting the mouth 
of the Mississippi River? If so, where? Please describe the incident.
    9. Would a traffic separation scheme to separate opposing streams 
of traffic help in preventing accidents or near misses?
    10. Would improved aids to navigation help in preventing accidents 
or near misses? What improvements would you suggest?
    11. Would mandatory vessel transit restrictions or operating 
requirements in the passes and near shore waters help?
    12. Do you have other suggestions to improve navigational safety in 
the study area?
    The study may recommend the following:
    1. No vessel routing measures are needed.
    2. Establish one or more of the following vessel routing measures:
    (a) TSS in the approach to Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River;
    (b) TSS in the approach to the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet;
    (c) Precautionary area(s) near either or both approaches; or,
    (d) Inshore traffic zone(s) near either or both approaches; and,
    3. Establish a regulated navigation area with specific vessel 
operating requirements to ensure safe navigation.

Procedural Requirements

    In order to provide safe access routes for movement of vessel 
traffic proceeding to and from U.S. ports, the PWSA directs that the 
Secretary designate necessary fairways and TSS's in which the paramount 
right of navigation over all other uses shall be recognized. Before a 
designation can be made, the Coast Guard is required to undertake a 
study of potential traffic density and the need for safe access routes.
    During the study, the Coast Guard is directed to consult with 
federal and state agencies and to consider the views of representatives 
of the maritime community, port and harbor authorities or associations, 
environmental groups, and other parties who may be affected by the 
proposed action.
    In accordance with 33 U.S.C. 1223(c), the Coast Guard will, to the 
extent practicable, reconcile the need for safe access routes with the 
needs of all other reasonable uses of the area involved. The Coast 
Guard will also consider previous studies and experience in the areas 
of vessel traffic management, navigation, shiphandling, the effects of 
weather, and prior analysis of the traffic density in certain regions.
    Data needed to gain a clear understanding of the waterway and its 
uses will be gathered by a contractor. The Coast Guard will focus on 
interaction with waterway users and stakeholders to scope out safety 
concerns and determine an appropriate solution.
    The results of this study will be published in the Federal 
Register. If the Coast Guard determines that new routing or other 
regulatory measures are needed, a notice of proposed rulemaking will be 
published. It is anticipated that the study will be concluded by 30 
January 1998.

    Dated: August 7, 1997.
R.C. North,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety 
and Environmental Protection.
[FR Doc. 97-22136 Filed 8-20-97; 8:45 am]
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