[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 170 (Thursday, August 31, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 53071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22315]



[[Page 53071]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[USCG-2000-7848]


Inland Tank Barge Certificates of Inspection; Administrative 
Changes

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of pilot program.

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SUMMARY: A one-year cooperative pilot program will be implemented to 
test administrative changes to inland tank barge Certificates of 
Inspection (COI). The tank barge COI pilot program initiative is based 
on a Chemical Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC) recommendation.

DATES: A one-year cooperative pilot program will be implemented with 
the Marine Safety Office New Orleans and American Commercial Barge 
Lines. The pilot program will commence on September 1, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions on this notice, contact 
Lieutenant Greg Herold, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001, telephone: 202-267-0084, 
facsimile: 202-267-4570, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

    We are not requesting comments at this time. At the conclusion of 
the pilot program, if it is deemed successful, the Coast Guard will 
develop a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and publish it in the 
Federal Register. We will solicit comments on any proposed regulatory 
changes at that time.

Background and Purpose

    Currently, tank barges are required to include on their Certificate 
of Inspection (COI) an endorsement stating the authorized grade of 
cargo under 46 CFR 31.05-1(b) for flammable or combustible cargoes, 
and/or a list of authorized cargo names, loading constraints and 
operating limitations under 46 CFR 151.04-1(c) and 46 CFR 151.10-15, 
for bulk liquid hazardous material cargoes. A typical chemical tank 
barge on inland service may be authorized to transport over one hundred 
cargoes. Listing each of these cargoes on the vessel's COI, along with 
other required endorsements, results in an awkward document that can 
amount to eight or more pages in length. Additionally, cargo 
endorsements on the COI include information such as Chemical Hazards 
Response Information System (CHRIS) codes, cargo containment types, and 
International Maritime Organization (IMO) pollution categories, which 
are extraneous to the COI and at times confusing to tank barge 
personnel.
    Evaluation of the COI format and content currently used for 
chemical tank barges, subject to the requirements of 46 CFR subchapter 
O, was implemented as part of an initiative by the Prevention Through 
People (PTP) Subcommittee of the Chemical Transportation Advisory 
Committee (CTAC). The Subcommittee reviewed the current document with 
the following basic goals in mind:
     To assess the value of the written requirements included 
on the COI to the tankerman,
     To determine how useful and easily understood the 
requirements are, and
     To make recommendations for improvements as necessary.
    As a result of their work, one of the PTP Subcommittee's 
recommendations was to remove the cargo information and conditions of 
carriage from the COI, and place it in a separate Bulk Liquid Cargo 
Authority document. The Bulk Liquid Cargo Authority document would be 
maintained as a mandatory attachment to the vessel's cargo transfer 
procedures, which are required to be kept aboard the vessel by 33 CFR 
155.740(c). Instead of endorsing the COI with a list of cargoes, one 
COI endorsement would reference the Bulk Liquid Cargo Authority 
document by its U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Center (MSC) date of 
issue.
    The change would constitute a significant improvement to the 
current COI by reducing its length and improving the format, content 
and location of the authorized cargo information. It would also 
eliminate duplicative work in cargo data entry performed by the MSC and 
the local Marine Safety Offices (MSO), and streamline the process for 
generating COIs.

Pilot Program

    The pilot program will assess the addition of a new Bulk Liquid 
Cargo Authority document produced by the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety 
Center (MSC) to be attached to the required cargo transfer procedures. 
The document will include certain required chemical cargo endorsements 
from the inland tank barge COI. The document is similar to those 
produced for chemical tankships under 46 CFR 153. If the pilot program 
is successful, it will result in a shortened COI with a more detailed 
and user-friendly cargo transfer procedures.
    The one-year cooperative pilot program is proposed to evaluate the 
recommendations from the CTAC for streamlining tank barge COIs. 
American Commercial Barge Lines (ACBL) has agreed to participate in the 
pilot program with a specified number of barges from their fleet. All 
COIs will be issued under the cognizance of the Officer in Charge, 
Marine Inspection, New Orleans, LA, who has also agreed to participate 
in the pilot program. A COI endorsement will be added identifying those 
barges participating in the pilot program and directing any specific 
inquiries about the program to MSO New Orleans.
    Access to the cargo authority and conditions of carriage 
information for all vessels enrolled in the program will be available 
by contacting the MSO New Orleans 24-hr manned Communications Center, 
through the MSC's Cargo Division (MSC-3) during working hours, or the 
MSC's Cargo Division Duty Officer after hours.

Evaluation and Implementation

    The pilot program will be evaluated based on the goals and expected 
outcomes of the program envisioned by CTAC.
    The evaluation criteria include:
     Ease of use/``user friendliness'' of new COI,
     Relevance of COI information,
     Savings/loss of time compared to existing COI format, and
     Assessment of new Bulk Liquid Cargo Authority document.
    If the pilot program is deemed successful, a Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking will be developed to give the public an opportunity to 
comment on the proposed nationwide program. If implemented, we envision 
that each tank barge will receive a COI, following a successful 
inspection for certification, in the new format at the time their COI 
is due for reissue, along with the associated Bulk Liquid Cargo 
Authority document.

    Dated: August 28, 2000.
R.C. North,
Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety and Environmental Protection.
[FR Doc. 00-22315 Filed 8-30-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P