[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 210 (Thursday, October 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61818-61819]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-27284]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[USCG-2003-14878]


Automatic Identification System; Expansion of Carriage 
Requirements for U.S. Waters

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments; and notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: On September 26, 2003, the Coast Guard published a notice 
announcing the dates and locations of three public meetings to be held 
to receive comments on how best to address implementation of Automatic 
Identification System (AIS) carriage requirements on certain navigable 
waters of the U.S. for vessels not on international voyages. In that 
notice, we did not have a specific location for the November 13, 2003, 
public meeting in New Bedford, MA. We are publishing that location in 
this notice as well as rescheduling the Seattle, WA, public meeting 
from December 5, 2003, to December 9, 2003. We also ask two additional 
questions to those previously published.

DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Docket Management 
Facility on or before January 5, 2004. Public meetings will be held on 
the following dates in the following cities:
    [sbull] November 5, 2003, 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. (noon), in New Orleans, 
LA.
    [sbull] November 13, 2003, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in New Bedford, 
MA.
    [sbull] December 9, 2003, 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., in Seattle, WA.

ADDRESSES: Comments. You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard 
docket number USCG-2003-14878 to the Docket Management Facility at the 
U.S. Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use 
only one of the following methods:
    (1) Web Site: http://dms.dot.gov.
    (2) Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (3) Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    (4) Delivery: 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.
    Meeting: The meetings will be held at the following locations:
    [sbull] New Orleans, LA--Hale Boggs Federal Building, Room B100, 
501 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130.
    [sbull] New Bedford, MA--New Bedford Whaling Museum, Museum 
Theater, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740-6398.
    [sbull] Seattle, WA--Northern Auditorium, 4th Floor, Federal 
Building, 915 Second Avenue, Seattle, WA 98174.

[[Page 61819]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, 
contact Mr. Jorge Arroyo, Office of Vessel Traffic Management (G-MWV-
1), Coast Guard, telephone (202) 267-6277, fax (202) 267-4826 or e-
mail: [email protected]. If you have questions on viewing or 
submitting material to the docket, call Ms. Andrea M. Jenkins, Program 
Manager, Docket Operations, telephone (202) 366-0271.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to respond to our request for comments by 
submitting comments and related materials. All comments received will 
be posted, without change, to http://dms.dot.gov and will include any 
personal information you have provided. We have an agreement with the 
Department of Transportation (DOT) to use the Docket Management 
Facility. Please see DOT's ``Privacy Act'' three paragraphs below.
    Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include your 
name and address, identify the docket number [USCG-2003-14878], 
indicate the specific question you are responding to, and give the 
reason for each comment. You may submit your comments and material by 
electronic means, mail, fax, or delivery 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 that 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.
    Viewing comments and documents: To view comments, as well as 
documents mentioned in this notice as being available in the docket, go 
to http://dms.dot.gov at any time and conduct a simple search using the 
docket number. You may also visit the Docket Management Facility in 
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.
    Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review the 
Department of Transportation's Privacy Act Statement in the Federal 
Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit 
http://dms.dot.gov.

Questions

    In addition to the eight questions that will be the topic of the 
meetings, published in the Federal Register (http://dmses.dot.gov/docimages/pdf88/255517_web.pdf) on September 26, 2003 (68 FR 55643), 
we add the two following questions:
    (9) Our final rule published in the Federal Register (http://dmses.dot.gov/docimages/pdf88/257425_web.pdf) on October 22, 2003 (68 
FR 60559), specifically exempted fishing vessels and certain passenger 
vessels from AIS carriage requirements. Other than costs, are there any 
specific reasons--particularly regarding safety or security--that 
warrant these vessels being excluded from AIS carriage? In particular, 
describe why these vessels should be treated differently from other 
commercial vessels over 65 feet in length?
    (10) Recognizing that the cost of AIS are not insignificant, and 
are deemed by various commenters as being unreasonable, at what cost 
point would AIS be reasonable or not impose an undue burden?

Public Meetings

    The public meetings regarding this notice on the expansion of 
Automatic Identification System (AIS) carriage requirements for U.S. 
waters will be held, respectively--
    [sbull] November 5, 2003, 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. (noon), at 8th Coast 
Guard District, Hale Boggs Federal Building, Room B100, 501 Magazine 
Street, New Orleans, LA 70130.
    [sbull] November 13, 2003, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at New Bedford 
Whaling Museum, Museum Theater, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 
02740-6398.
    [sbull] December 9, 2003, 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 13th Coast Guard 
District, Federal Building, 915 Second Avenue, 4th Floor, Northern 
Auditorium, Seattle, WA 98174.

    Dated: October 24, 2003.
Joseph J. Angelo,
Director of Standards, Marine Safety, Security and Environmental 
Protection.
[FR Doc. 03-27284 Filed 10-29-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P