[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 166 (Monday, August 28, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50973-50974]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-14260]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration


Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA)/Joint Planning 
Advisory Group (JPAG)

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Synopsis of July 26 and 27, 2006 meeting with VISA 
participants.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Taylor E. Jones II, Director, 
Office of Sealift Support, (202) 366-2323.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The VISA program requires that a notice of 
the time, place, and nature of each JPAG meeting be published in the 
Federal Register. The full text of the VISA program, including these 
requirements, is published in 70 FR 55947-55955, dated September 23, 
2005.
    On July 26 and 27, 2006, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and 
the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) co-hosted a meeting of the 
VISA JPAG at the Military Sealift Command in Washington, DC. Meeting 
attendance was by invitation only, due to the nature of the information 
discussed and the need for a government-issued security clearance. Of 
the 52 U.S.-flag carrier corporate participants enrolled in the VISA 
program, 17 companies participated in the JPAG meeting. In addition, 
representatives from MARAD and the Department of Defense (DOD) attended 
the meeting.
    Margaret LeClaire, Deputy Director, Strategy, Plans, Policy & 
Programs, USTRANSCOM, and James Caponiti, Associate Administrator for 
National Security, MARAD, welcomed the participants. Ms. LeClaire noted 
that this JPAG was a table-top exercise to match industry capabilities 
to military requirements related to the findings of DOD's Mobility 
Capabilities Study (MCS). She asked industry participants to be 
creative and to collaborate as necessary to offer solutions. She noted 
that there were DOD representatives present to answer specific 
questions related to the exercise. Mr. Caponiti remarked that while 
some progress has been made in recent JPAG meetings regarding the 
findings of DOD's Mobility Capabilities Study, he expected that this 
exercise would provide the government with a better appreciation of 
industry capabilities. He requested that industry representatives 
itemize their concerns related to the exercise so that they might be 
addressed after the meeting.
    VISA participants coordinated their efforts to ensure that 
commercial resources were utilized in an efficient and innovative 
manner. As a result of the exercise there was general agreement that 
there was more capability in the commercial industry than was assumed 
in the MCS to meet timelines and satisfy requirements. The participants 
noted that their responses were based on numerous assumptions. It was 
agreed that a closer examination of equipment, infrastructure and 
intermodal constraints was needed, and that factors such as market 
conditions and trade seasonality should be considered and evaluated 
before final conclusions could be reached.
    The following VISA companies participated in the July 26 and 27, 
2006 JPAG meeting: American President Lines, Ltd.; American Roll-On 
Roll-Off Carrier, LLC; American Shipping Group;

[[Page 50974]]

APL Marine Services, Ltd.; APL Maritime Ltd; Central Gulf Lines, Inc.; 
CP Ships USA, LLC; Farrell Lines Incorporated; Fidelio Limited 
Partnership; Liberty Global Logistics, LLC; Liberty Shipping Group 
Limited Partnership; Maersk Line, Limited; Matson Navigation Company, 
Inc.; Patriot Shipping, LLC; Patriot Titan, LLC; Sealift Inc.; and 
Waterman Steamship Corporation.

(Authority: 49 CFR 1.66)


    By Order of the Maritime Administrator.

    Dated: August 22, 2006.
Joel C. Richard,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E6-14260 Filed 8-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P