[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 138 (Wednesday, July 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41777-41778]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14265]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[USCG-2005-21723]


Environmental Equivalency Evaluation Index: Methodology To Assess 
the Oil Outflow Performance of Alternative Designs to the Double Hull 
Oil Tanker

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of an Environmental 
Equivalency Evaluation Index, which establishes a methodology to assess 
the oil outflow performance of alternative designs to the double hull 
oil tanker. This Environmental Equivalency Evaluation Index has been 
established in accordance with Section 705 of the Coast Guard and 
Maritime Transportation Act of 2004.

ADDRESSES: Documents mentioned in this notice as being available in the 
docket are part of public docket USCG-2005-21723, and are available for 
inspection or copying at the Docket Management Facility, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street SW., 
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays. You may also find this docket on the Internet 
at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information concerning this 
notice, contact James Person, Coast Guard Office of Design and 
Engineering Standards, by telephone at 202-267-2988 or via e-mail at 
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing material in 
the docket, call Andrea M. Jenkins, Program Manager, Docket Operations, 
by telephone at 202-366-0271.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 705 of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 
2004 amended Section 4115(e)(3) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (46 
U.S.C. 3703a note) to read as follows: ``(3) No later than one year 
after the date of enactment of the Coast Guard and Maritime 
Transportation Act of 2004, the Secretary shall, taking into account 
the recommendations contained in the report by the Marine Board of the 
National Research Council entitled `Environmental Performance of Tanker 
Design in Collision and Grounding' and dated 2001, establish and 
publish an environmental equivalency evaluation index (including the 
methodology to

[[Page 41778]]

develop that index) to assess overall outflow performance due to 
collisions and groundings for double hull tank vessels and alternative 
hull designs.''

Environmental Equivalency Evalution Index

    In accordance with the authority delegated from the Secretary, the 
Coast Guard has established the Environmental Equivalency Evaluation 
Index as directed. It is available on the Internet at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/mse/mse2-dh-alt-eval-index.pdf, and in the docket. 
To view documents in the docket, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any time 
and conduct a simple search using the docket number.

    Dated: July 12, 2005.
T.H. Gilmour,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, 
Security and Environmental Protection.
[FR Doc. 05-14265 Filed 7-19-05; 8:45 am]
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