[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 72 (Friday, April 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19282-19283]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-9182]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[USCG-2000-7514]


National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP)

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The four Federal agencies that comprise the National 
Scheduling Coordination Committee (NSCC) (U.S. Coast Guard, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Minerals Management Service, and 
Office of Pipeline Safety) hosted a Preparedness for Response Exercise 
Program (PREP) Workshop on August 29, 2000, in Washington, DC. 
Interested parties were encouraged to submit comments either at the 
workshop or to the docket. The NSCC has prepared responses to these 
comments and is drafting changes to the PREP Guidelines as a result of 
the workshop. Interested parties are invited to comment on these 
documents.

DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Docket Management 
Facility on or before September 1, 2001.

ADDRESSES: To make sure that your comments and related material are not 
entered more than once in the docket, please submit them by only one of 
the following methods:
    (1) By mail to the Docket Management Facility, (USCG-2000-7514), 
U.S. Department of Transportation, room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (2) By hand delivery to room PL-401 on the Plaza level of the 
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone 
number is 202-366-9329.
    (3) By fax to the Docket Management Facility at 202-493-2251.
    (4) Electronically through the Web Site for the Docket Management 
System at http://dms.dot.gov.
    The Docket Management Facility maintains the public docket for this 
notice. Comments and documents, as indicated in this notice, will 
become part of this docket and will be available for inspection or 
copying at room PL-401 on the Plaza Level of the Nassif Building at the 
same address between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays. You may electronically access the public docket for 
this notice on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: If you have questions on this notice and 
general information regarding the PREP program, contact Robert Pond, 
Office of Response, Plan and Preparedness Division (G-MOR-2), U.S. 
Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100, 2nd St. SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001, 
telephone 202-267-6603, fax 202-267-4065 or e-mail 
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing, or submitting 
material to the docket, contact Dorothy Beard, Chief, Dockets, 
Department of Transportation, telephone 202-366-5149.

Request for Comments

    We encourage you to participate by submitting comments and related 
material. If you do so, please include your name and address, identify 
the docket number (USCG-2000-7514), indicate the specific section of 
the document to which each comment applies, and give the reason for 
each comment. You may submit your comments and materials by mail or 
hand delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ 
by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing. If you submit 
them by mail and would like to know they reached the facility, please 
enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will 
consider all comments and material received during the comment period.

Background

    The Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the 
Research

[[Page 19283]]

and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), and the Minerals Management 
Service (MMS), in concert with the states, the oil industry and 
concerned citizens, developed the preparedness for Response Exercise 
Program (PREP). PREP was developed to establish a workable oil 
pollution response exercise program, which meets the intent of section 
4204(a) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. PREP provides a mechanism for 
compliance with the exercise requirements, while being economically 
feasible for the government and oil industry to adopt and sustain. 
Since the inception of PREP, public meetings have been held 
periodically to assess the continuing vitality of the program.

Availability of Documents

    The NSCC has prepared responses to comments received in association 
with the August 2000 PREP Workshop held in Washington, DC. These 
responses are available for review at the Docket Management Facility at 
http://dms.dot.gov (USCG-2000-7514). These responses and additional 
information regarding PREP are also available at the following web 
sites:

USCG:http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/nmc/response/# PREP
MMS:http://www.mms.gov
EPA:http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/index.htm
OPS:http://ops.dot.gov/

    As noted in some of the responses, the NSCC is currently working on 
revising the existing 1994 PREP Guidelines. Proposed changes to the 
Guidelines will be available at the Docket Management Facility Web Site 
(USCG-2000-7514), as well as, the above agency Web Sites by June 1, 
2001. NSCC will consider whether to schedule a PREP Workshop to discuss 
these proposed changes. Any comments on the proposed changes must be 
submitted to the Docket Management Facility no later than September 1, 
2001.

    Dated: April 4, 2001.
Howard L. Hime,
Acting Director of Standards.
[FR Doc. 01-9182 Filed 4-12-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P