[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 175 (Friday, September 9, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 55847-55849]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23053]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

46 CFR Parts 2, 15, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, and 144

[Docket No. USCG-2006-24412]
RIN 1625-AB06


Inspection of Towing Vessels

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces a series of public meetings to 
receive comments on a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) entitled 
``Inspection of Towing Vessels'' that was published in the Federal 
Register on August 11, 2011. As stated in that document, the 
regulations proposed in the NPRM would establish safety regulations 
governing the inspection, standards, and safety management systems of 
towing vessels. The proposal includes provisions covering: Specific 
electrical and machinery requirements for new and existing towing 
vessels, the use and approval of third-party auditors and surveyors, 
and procedures for obtaining Certificates of Inspection. Without making 
a specific proposal in the NPRM regarding potential requirements for 
hours of service or crew endurance management for mariners aboard 
towing vessels, the Coast Guard also welcomes comments on these two 
important issues, which are discussed in the NPRM.

DATES: Public meetings will be held on the following dates to provide 
an opportunity for oral comments:
     Tuesday, October 18, 2011, in Newport News, VA, from 9 
a.m. until 5 p.m.;
     Monday, October 24, 2011, in St. Louis, MO, from 9 a.m. 
until 5 p.m.;
     Wednesday, October 26, 2011, in New Orleans, LA, from 9 
a.m. until 5 p.m.;
     Wednesday, November 16, 2011, in Seattle, WA, from 9 a.m. 
until 5 p.m.
    Written comments and related material may also be submitted to 
Coast Guard personnel specified at those meetings for inclusion in the 
official docket for this rulemaking. The comment period for the NPRM 
closes on December 9, 2011. All comments and related material submitted 
after the meeting must either be submitted to our online docket via 
http://www.regulations.gov on or before December 9, 2011, or reach the 
Docket Management Facility by that date.

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held at the following locations:
     Tuesday, October 18, 2011--Point Plaza Suites at City 
Center, 950 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News, VA 23601.
     Monday, October 24, 2011--Crowne Plaza (Downtown), 200 N. 
Fourth Street, St. Louis, MO 63102.
     Wednesday, October 26, 2011--Crowne Plaza (New Orleans-
Airport), 2829 Williams Blvd., Kenner, LA 70062.
     Wednesday, November 16, 2011--Hotel 1000, 1000 First 
Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104.

Live Webcasts (audio and video) of the four public meetings will also 
be broadcast online. The Web site for viewing those Webcasts can be 
found at http://www.Towingvesselregs.us. The Webcasts will only enable 
those using this feature to view the proceedings--it will not allow 
them to make remarks to those participating in the meetings in person.
    As long as they are received by December 9, 2011, you may submit 
written comments identified by docket

[[Page 55848]]

number USCG-2006-24412 before or after the meetings using any one of 
the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments (this is the preferred 
method to avoid delays in processing).
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department 
of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. 
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. The 
telephone number is 202-366-9329. To avoid duplication, please use only 
one of these four methods. Our online docket for this rulemaking is 
available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov under docket 
number USCG-2006-2441.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions concerning the 
meeting or the proposed rule, please call or e-mail Michael Harmon, 
Project Manager, CGHQ-1210, Coast Guard, telephone 202-372-1427, e-
mail: [email protected]. If you have questions on viewing or 
submitting material to the docket, call Ms. Renee V. Wright, Program 
Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background and Purpose

    The Coast Guard published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in 
the Federal Register on August 11, 2011 (69 FR 49976; http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-08-11/pdf/2011-18989.pdf), entitled 
``Inspection of Towing Vessels.'' In it we stated our intention to hold 
public meetings, and to publish a notice announcing the locations and 
dates. This document is the notice of those meetings.
    The Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004 (CGMTA 
2004), Public Law 108-293, 118 Stat. 1028, (Aug. 9, 2004), established 
new authorities for towing vessels, including Section 415, which added 
towing vessels, as defined in section 2101 of title 46, United States 
Code (U.S.C.), as a class of vessels that are subject to safety 
inspections under chapter 33 of that title (Id. at 1047).
    In the NPRM published on August 11, 2011, the Coast Guard proposes 
to establish safety regulations governing the inspection of, and 
standards and safety management systems for, towing vessels. The 
proposal includes provisions covering: Specific electrical and 
machinery requirements for new and existing towing vessels, the use and 
approval of third-party auditors and surveyors, and procedures for 
obtaining Certificates of Inspection. The intent of the proposed 
rulemaking is to promote safer work practices and reduce casualties on 
towing vessels by requiring that towing vessels adhere to prescribed 
safety standards and safety management systems or to an alternative, 
annual Coast Guard inspection regime.
    Without making a specific proposal in the NPRM, the Coast Guard 
also seeks additional data, information and public comment on potential 
requirements for hours of service or crew endurance management for 
mariners aboard towing vessels. The Coast Guard would later request 
public comment on specific hours of service or crew endurance 
management regulatory text if it seeks to implement such requirements.
    You may view the NPRM in our online docket (document number USCG-
2006-24412-0001), in addition to supporting documents prepared by the 
Coast Guard (including the Preliminary Regulatory Analysis and Initial 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, document number USCG-2006-24412-0002), 
other supplemental material, and comments submitted thus far by going 
to http://www.regulations.gov. Once there, insert USCG-2006-24412 or 
the document number in the Keyword ID box, press Enter, and then click 
on the item you are interested in viewing. If you do not have access to 
the Internet, you may view the docket online by visiting the Docket 
Management Facility in Room W12-140 on the ground floor of the 
Department of Transportation West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays. We have an agreement with the 
Department of Transportation to use the Docket Management Facility.
    We encourage you to participate in this rulemaking by submitting 
comments either orally at the meeting or in writing. If you bring 
written comments to the meeting, you may submit them to Coast Guard 
personnel specified at the meeting to receive written comments. These 
comments will be submitted to our online public docket. All comments 
received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov 
and will include any personal information you have provided.
    Anyone can search the electronic form of comments received into any 
of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or 
signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). You may review a Privacy Act notice 
regarding our public dockets in the January 17, 2008 issue of the 
Federal Register (73 FR 3316).

Information on Services for Individuals With Disabilities

    For information on facilities or services for individuals with 
disabilities or to request special assistance at the public meetings, 
contact Michael Harmon at the telephone number or e-mail address 
indicated under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this 
notice.

Public Meetings

    As stated in the ADDRESSES section, the Coast Guard will hold 
public meetings regarding its Inspection of Towing Vessels proposed 
rule on the following dates at the stated locations:
     Tuesday, October 18, 2011--Point Plaza Suites at City 
Center, 950 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News, VA 23601.
     Monday, October 24, 2011--Crowne Plaza (Downtown), 200 N. 
Fourth Street, St. Louis, MO 63102.
     Wednesday, October 26, 2011--Crowne Plaza (New Orleans-
Airport), 2829 Williams Blvd., Kenner, LA 70062.
     Wednesday, November 16, 2011--Hotel 1000, 1000 First 
Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104.

Each meeting will be conducted from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., with a planned 
lunch break for approximately 60 to 90 minutes at a convenient point 
during the commenting period. The Coast Guard may conclude a meeting 
early if at any time after 1 p.m. all persons present at a meeting who 
wish to submit oral comments have done so.
    Live Webcasts (audio and video) of the four public meetings will 
also be broadcast online. The Web site for viewing those Webcasts can 
be found at http://www.Towingvesselregs.us. The Webcasts will only 
enable those using this feature to view the proceedings--it will not 
allow Webcast viewers to make remarks to those participating in the 
meetings in person.
    We plan to make an audio recording of the meetings available 
through a link in our online docket. We also plan to provide a written 
summary of oral comments presented at the meetings and will place those 
summaries in the docket.


[[Page 55849]]


    Dated: September 2, 2011.
R.C. Proctor,
Acting Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2011-23053 Filed 9-8-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P