[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 223 (Tuesday, November 19, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 69697-69698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-29168]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
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 

  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 223 / Tuesday, November 19, 2002 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 69697]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Parts 154 and 155

[USCG-2001-8661]
RIN 2115-AG05


Vessel and Facility Response Plans for Oil: 2003 Removal 
Equipment Requirements and Alternative Technology Revisions

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Proposed rule; meeting and extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard will hold a public meeting to let members of 
the public present oral comments on proposed rules for planholders 
transporting or transferring petroleum oil. A proposed rule published 
on October 11, 2002, would require changes to the requirements for oil-
spill removal equipment under vessel response plans and marine 
transportation-related facility response plans. These changes would 
increase the minimum available spill removal equipment required for 
tank vessels and facilities, add requirements for new response 
technologies, and clarify methods and procedures for responding to oil 
spills in coastal waters.

DATES: The Coast Guard will hold this public meeting on Wednesday, 
December 18, 2002, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., except that the meeting 
may close early if all business is finished. Other comments must reach 
the Docket Management Facility on or before April 8, 2003.

ADDRESSES: The Coast Guard will hold this public meeting in room 4618, 
Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street SW., Washington, DC 20593-
0001.
    You may submit your comments directly to the Docket Management 
Facility. To make sure that your comments and related material are not 
entered more than once in the docket [USCG-2001-8661], please submit 
them by only one of the following means:
    (1) By mail to the Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 
room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (2) By delivery to room PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif 
Building, 400 Seventh Street 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 Facility at 202-493-2251.
    (4) Electronically through the Web Site for the Docket Management 
System at http://dms.dot.gov.
    The Facility maintains the public docket for this notice. Comments, 
and related material 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 also access this docket on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions on this notice, call or 
e-mail Mr. Robert Pond, G-MOR, Coast Guard, at telephone 202-267-6603, 
or [email protected]. For questions on viewing, or submitting 
material to the docket, call Dorothy Beard, Chief, Dockets, Department 
of Transportation, telephone 202-366-9329.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Requests for Comments

    The Coast Guard encourages you to submit comments and related 
material concerning the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on Vessel 
and Facility Response Plans for Oil published October 11, 2002 [67 FR 
63331]. If you do so, please include your name and address, identify 
the docket number [USCG-2001-8661] and give the reasons for each 
comment. You may submit your comments and material by mail, delivery, 
fax, or electronic means to the Docket Management Facility at the 
address under ADDRESSES; but please submit your comments and material 
by only one means. If you submit them by mail or 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.

Information on Service for Individuals With Disabilities

    For information on facilities or services for individuals with 
disabilities or to seek special assistance at the meeting, contact Mr. 
Pond at the address or phone number under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT as soon as possible.

Background Information

    In 1996, the Coast Guard published final tank vessel response plan 
regulations [61 FR 1052, January 12, 1996] and final MTR facilities 
response plan regulations [61 FR 7890, February 29, 1996]. These 
regulations contain minimum on-water oil removal equipment requirements 
that planholders transporting or transferring petroleum oil are 
required to meet in planning for an oil discharge. These regulations 
also state that the Coast Guard will periodically review the existing 
oil removal equipment requirements to determine if increases in 
mechanical recovery systems and additional requirements for new 
response technologies are practicable.
    On October 11, 2002, we published a notice of proposed rulemaking 
in the Federal Register [67 FR 63331] entitled ``Vessel and Facility 
Response Plans for Oil: 2003 Removal Equipment Requirements and 
Alternative Technology Revisions''. It proposes an increase in the 
minimum available spill removal equipment required for tank vessels and 
facilities, added requirements for new response technologies, and it 
clarifies methods and procedures for responding to oil spills in 
coastal waters. A letter sent to the docket gave a number of reasons 
supporting the need for a public meeting and extension of time to file 
comments on the NPRM. The Coast Guard agrees with some of those 
reasons, so we are planning to hold the meeting announced by this 
notice, and we are extending the comment period until April 8, 2003.

Public Meeting

    The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to attend the meeting 
and present oral comments during the meeting. The meeting is open to

[[Page 69698]]

members of the public. Please note that the meeting may close early if 
all business is finished. We request that members of the public who 
plan to attend this meeting contact Mr. Pond at the telephone number or 
e-mail address listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT so that 
building security officials may be notified. If you would like to 
present an oral comment during the meeting, please notify Mr. Pond no 
later than, December 11, 2002. If you are unable to attend the meeting, 
you may submit comments as indicated under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

    Dated: November 12, 2002.
Howard L. Hime,
Acting Director of Standards, Marine Safety, Security & Environmental 
Protection.
[FR Doc. 02-29168 Filed 11-18-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-U