[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 230 (Thursday, November 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69213-69214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20286]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[USCG-2006-26267]


Double Hull Standards for Vessels Carrying Oil in Bulk; U.S. 
Position on International Standards for Tank Vessel Design

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice is to inform the public that on January 25, 2005, 
the U.S. Embassy in London deposited a declaration with the 
International Maritime Organization stating that the express approval 
of the U.S. Government will be necessary before Regulations 19, 20, and 
21 of the revised Annex I of the International Convention for the 
Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78) would enter into 
force for the U.S.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information concerning this 
notice, contact Mr. David A. Du Pont, Project Manager, Office of 
Standards Evaluation and Development, Project Development Division (CG-
3PSR-2), telephone 202-372-1497 or via e-mail at 
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing material to 
the DOT Docket Management Facility docket, call Ms. Renee V. Wright, 
Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-493-0402.

ADDRESSES: Comments and material received from the public, as well as 
documents mentioned in this preamble as being available in the docket, 
are part of docket USCG-2006-26267 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The International Convention for the 
Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78), implemented by the 
Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships at 33 U.S.C. 1901 et seq., is the 
primary international agreement aimed at reducing pollution of the 
marine environment from a variety of vessel-generated sources. Annex I 
to MARPOL 73/78, ``Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by 
Oil,'' contains provisions intended to reduce both intentional and 
accidental discharges of oil. The entire annex was revised by adoption 
of Resolution MEPC.117(52) on October 15, 2004. Revised Annex I will 
enter into force on January 1, 2007. Three of the revised Annex I 
regulations are the focus of this notice.
     Regulation 19 of revised Annex I, ``Double hull and double 
bottom requirements for oil tankers delivered on or after 6 July 
1996,'' establishes design requirements for double hull oil tank 
vessels delivered on or after July 6, 1996.
     Regulation 20 of revised Annex I, ``Double hull and double 
bottom

[[Page 69214]]

requirements for oil tankers delivered before 6 July 1996,'' 
establishes design requirements for double hull oil tank vessels 
delivered before July 6, 1996.
     Regulation 21 of revised Annex I, ``Prevention of oil 
pollution from oil tankers carrying heavy grade oil as cargo,'' bans 
the carriage of heavy grade oil in certain single hull tank vessels.
    Through its January 25, 2005 declaration, which is available in the 
docket, the U.S. advised the IMO that the express approval of the U.S. 
will be necessary before these amendments will be applied in place of 
existing U.S. law. As a result, the U.S. has reaffirmed with the IMO 
that the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) continues to be the 
national governing design standard for tank vessels operating in U.S. 
waters.
    This January 25, 2005, declaration is fully consistent with prior 
actions by the U.S. in this area. In each of the three past instances, 
the U.S. deposited an instrument with IMO and published a notice in the 
Federal Register. Details of these past notices are found in the table 
below.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Docket number,
                                federal  register
         Notice title             cite, date of        Notice summary
                                   publication
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Double Hull Standards for       CGD 90-051; 58 FR  International
 Vessels Carrying Oil in Bulk;   39087; July 21,    standards for new
 U.S. Position on                1993.              and existing tank
 International Standards for                        vessel designs were
 Tank Vessel Design.                                developed and
                                                    adopted by the
                                                    International
                                                    Maritime
                                                    Organization (IMO)
                                                    in March 1992. The
                                                    U.S. has taken the
                                                    position with IMO
                                                    that the express
                                                    approval of the U.S.
                                                    Government would be
                                                    necessary before
                                                    these international
                                                    tank vessel design
                                                    standards will be
                                                    enforced by the U.S.
                                                    This is due to
                                                    technical
                                                    differences with the
                                                    mandated
                                                    requirements of the
                                                    Oil Pollution Act of
                                                    1990 (OPA 90) and
                                                    IMO's adopted
                                                    international tank
                                                    vessel design
                                                    standards.
Double Hull Standards for       USCG-2002-10298;   This notice is to
 Vessels Carrying Oil in Bulk;   67 FR 7443;        inform the public
 U.S. Position on the            February 19,       that on February 12,
 Amendment of International      2002.              2002, the U.S.
 Standards for the Phase-Out                        Embassy in London
 of Existing Single Hull Tank                       deposited a
 Vessels.                                           declaration with the
                                                    International
                                                    Maritime
                                                    Organization (IMO)
                                                    stating that the
                                                    express approval of
                                                    the U.S. Government
                                                    will be necessary
                                                    before the revised
                                                    Regulation 13G of
                                                    the International
                                                    Convention for the
                                                    Prevention of
                                                    Pollution from Ships
                                                    (MARPOL 73/78) would
                                                    enter into force for
                                                    the U.S. In this
                                                    declaration, the
                                                    U.S. cited specific
                                                    technical
                                                    differences between
                                                    the revised MARPOL
                                                    Regulation for new
                                                    and existing tankers
                                                    and OPA 90.
U.S. Position on Amendments to  USCG-2004-18656;   This notice is to
 MARPOL 73/78 Regarding the      69 FR 46172;       inform the public
 Phase-Out of Existing Single    August 2, 2004.    that on Friday, July
 Hull Tank Vessels.                                 2, 2004, the U.S.
                                                    Embassy in London
                                                    deposited a
                                                    declaration with the
                                                    International
                                                    Maritime
                                                    Organization stating
                                                    that the express
                                                    approval of the U.S.
                                                    Government will be
                                                    necessary before the
                                                    December 2003
                                                    revised Regulation
                                                    13G and new
                                                    Regulation 13H of
                                                    the International
                                                    Convention for the
                                                    Prevention of
                                                    Pollution from Ships
                                                    (MARPOL 73/78) would
                                                    enter into force for
                                                    the U.S. In this
                                                    declaration, the
                                                    U.S. cited specific
                                                    technical
                                                    differences between
                                                    the revised MARPOL
                                                    73/78 regulations
                                                    for new and existing
                                                    tank vessels and
                                                    provisions of the
                                                    Oil Pollution Act of
                                                    1990.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Copies of these notices are available in the docket.

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1231, 33 U.S.C. 1321, E.O. 12777, 
Department of Homeland Security Delegation No. 0170.1.

    Dated: November 24, 2006.
P.E. Little,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Director of National and 
International Standards, Assistant Commandant for Prevention.
[FR Doc. E6-20286 Filed 11-29-06; 8:45 am]
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