[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 174 (Thursday, September 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55732-55733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22967]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration


Public Listening Sessions Regarding the Maritime Administration's 
Panama Canal Expansion Study and the America's Marine Highway Program

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to announce a series of public 
listening sessions and workshops regarding the expansion of the Panama 
Canal and the America's Marine Highway Program. The meetings are being 
held to provide a forum for maritime industry stakeholders and the 
general public to present their views and concerns on critical issues 
that the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration 
(MARAD) should consider in the development of its comprehensive study 
of the 2014 Panama Canal Expansion project and during its efforts to 
explore opportunities to incorporate America's Marine Highways into the 
National Transportation System. These meetings will be identical in 
terms of agenda and purpose; they are being held in different locations 
(San Francisco, CA and New York, NY) to maximize nationwide stakeholder 
participation.
    MARAD's study of the Panama Canal Expansion will evaluate the 
potential impacts of the expansion on U.S. ports and infrastructure. 
The study is being conducted in four defined phases that are designed 
to present considerations for policy, investment, and funding options 
as well as recommendations for policy changes that will favorably 
impact the overall shift in the Nation's trade patterns. Phase I of the 
study will include an examination of the history and development of the 
Panama Canal Expansion process and will present current data and 
information on Panama Canal's role in the U.S. trade market with the 
rest of the world. Phase II of the study will involve a more 
comprehensive data gathering and outreach effort that will include the 
subject stakeholder listening sessions, dissemination of a shipper 
survey, and one-on-one interviews with targeted maritime stakeholder 
groups. The final Phases of the study (Phase III and Phase IV) will 
involve identification of

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potential infrastructure expansion opportunities and development of a 
framework for which the U.S. Government may leverage the Panama Canal 
Expansion effort to optimize financial investments in U.S. ports and 
inland infrastructure.
    Expansion of the Panama Canal will require new capital investments 
in transportation infrastructure by both the private and public 
sectors. The size, location and timing of these investments will depend 
on how various stakeholders believe that global trade patterns, vessel 
operations, import and export flows, logistics support systems and port 
and land-side capacity will be re-configured to accommodate the larger 
vessels and increased capacity of the Panama Canal in a post-2014 
operating environment. A wide variety of stakeholders may be 
potentially affected by decisions and policies that will be implemented 
by the U.S. Department of Transportation and MARAD as a result of this 
study. Each stakeholder has a particular set of perspectives and a 
highly unique set of information upon which they will base their own 
investment and operational responses to the Panama Canal Expansion. 
Moreover, there is a wide diversity of opinion on which ports, trade 
lanes, landside infrastructure and commodities will be affected by the 
expansion.
    Accordingly, stakeholder participation in the subject listening 
sessions and workshops is an essential part of the overall data 
collection and analysis effort for the study and will help support the 
agency's efforts to expand the use of America's Marine Highways. 
Discussion topics for the Panama Canal Expansion Study Listening 
Sessions will include: Impacts on the U.S. economy, trade patterns 
post-expansion, anticipated effects on East/West/Gulf Coasts and Inland 
ports, infrastructure development, and future bottlenecks as well as 
other related issues. Topics of discussions relating to the America's 
Marine Highways will include: corridors, connections and crossings, 
program projects and initiatives, intermodal connectivity, and public/
private partnerships.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information, contact Ms. Yvette M. 
Fields, Director, Office of Deepwater Ports and Offshore Activities, 
Maritime Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 
20590 or by e-mail at mailto:[email protected].

DATES AND ADDRESSES: The first Panama Canal Expansion Study Listening 
Session will take place in San Francisco, CA on September 22, 2011, 
from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Westin Hotel at Market Street, 50 
Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, and will be followed by the 
America's Marine Highway Corridor Workshop from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. The 
second Panama Canal Expansion Study Listening Session will take place 
in New York, NY on September 27, 2011, from 8:30 to 12:30 p.m., at the 
U.S. Customs House, One Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004, and will be 
followed by the America's Marine Highway Corridor Workshop from 1:30 
p.m. to 5 p.m.
    Registration: To register, interested parties should send their 
name, group affiliation, and contact information, and indicate which of 
the meetings (either the Panama Canal, Marine Highway or both) they 
wish to attend to mailto:http://www.PanamaCanalStudy.com/registration 
by September 14, 2011. The meetings are open to the public and advance 
registration and confirmation is required. Space is limited to the 
first 150 registrants. After registering, an email confirmation will be 
forwarded with an agenda and other related information.
    The sessions will be held at sites accessible to individuals with 
disabilities. Individuals who require other special accommodations such 
as a sign language interpreter may submit their request at the time of 
registration at http://www.PanamaCanalStudy.com/registration by 
September 14, 2011.

    Dated: September 1, 2011.
    By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
Julie P. Agarwal,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-22967 Filed 9-7-11; 8:45 am]
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