[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 99 (Wednesday, May 23, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29029-29030]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-9922]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5765]


Shipping Coordinating Committee Notice of Meeting

    The Shipping Coordinating Committee (SHC) will conduct an open 
meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 30, 2007, in Room 6103 of the 
United States Coast Guard Headquarters Building, 2100 Second Street, 
SW., Washington, DC, 20593-0001. The primary purpose of the meeting is 
to discuss the testing of voluntary guidelines to monitor carbon 
dioxide emissions from ships operating internationally.
    The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency 
of the United Nations that focuses on improving maritime safety and 
marine environmental protection, is considering the international 
regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from ships at its 56th session 
of the Marine Environment Protection Committee to be held at IMO 
Headquarters in London, England from July 9th to July 13th, 2007. The 
open meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 30, 2007, will focus solely 
on the discussion of greenhouse gas emissions from ships and the

[[Page 29030]]

voluntary guidelines developed by IMO to monitor carbon dioxide 
emissions from ships operating internationally in anticipation of the 
MEPC 56 meeting. There will be a separate open meeting scheduled for 
June 20, 2007, to consider all of the items on the agenda for the MEPC 
56 meeting.
    In this context, IMO has drafted voluntary guidelines to monitor 
CO2 emissions from ships operating internationally. These 
draft guidelines describe how to generate a CO2 ``index'' 
(CO2 emissions per unit of cargo and kilometer traveled) for 
each ship in a fleet. IMO member countries have been asked to test the 
draft guidelines, collect data on a ship's fuel consumed, distance 
sailed, and cargo carried over one year of operations; and to then 
apply the calculations in the guidelines to determine the 
CO2 index for ships. The draft guidelines' aim to help 
owners monitor and improve the fuel efficiency of their operations and 
allow comparisons between the performances of different ships of a 
certain type (for example: Tankers, cargo ships, or passenger ferries). 
IMO countries are engaged in a trial period for the guidelines which 
goes until 2009. Following the trial period, the guidelines will be 
reassessed, and if found useful, voluntarily implemented 
internationally.
    The U.S. Government would greatly appreciate any assistance that 
U.S. ship owners may be willing to provide, on a strictly voluntary 
basis, in testing these guidelines and submitting the results of their 
testing to the Coast Guard. If shipowners were to test the guidelines, 
we recommend ship that owners:
    1. Collect data on a ship's fuel consumed, distance sailed, and 
cargo carried over one year of operations; and
    2. Apply the calculations in the guidelines to determine the 
CO2 index for each ship.
    Members of the public are invited to attend the SHC meeting up to 
the seating capacity of the room. To facilitate the building security 
process, those who plan to attend should call or send an e-mail two 
days before the meeting to LT Kevin Ferrie, [email protected].
    We welcome any feedback on the guidelines, particularly if you have 
any difficulties, questions, or suggestions for improvement. Your 
assistance in testing the guidelines will help ensure that any views 
and concerns you have are taken into consideration in finalizing these 
voluntary guidelines and that they will be easy to use once they are 
finalized, which we anticipate to be in 2009.
    The draft guidelines, as well as more specific information on how 
to test them, can be obtained by contacting the Coast Guard through the 
contact information below.
    The public should also be aware that other countries have invited 
commercial fleets under their respective flags to test the draft 
guidelines. If members of the public would like data that has already 
been submitted, please contact the individual listed below for further 
information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Wayne Lundy, Systems Engineering 
Division, Commandant (CG-3PSE-3), telephone 202-372-1379, or by e-mail 
at [email protected].

    Dated: May 8, 2007.
Michael E. Tousley,
Executive Secretary, Shipping Coordinating Committee, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. E7-9922 Filed 5-22-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-09-P