[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 242 (Friday, December 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78290-78292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32230]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2011-1089]


Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: Usage of 
Biodiesel Fuel Blends Within Marine Inboard Engines

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to enter into a 
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Cummins, 
Inc., to identify and investigate the advantages, disadvantages, 
required technology enhancements, performance, costs, and other issues 
associated with using biodiesel fuel blends in marine inboard engines, 
with the overarching goal of reducing their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) 
emissions (i.e., lower carbon footprints). The Coast Guard invites 
public comment on the proposed CRADA and also invites other non-Federal 
participants, who have the interest and capability to bring similar 
contributions to this type of research, to consider entry into similar 
CRADAs.

DATES: Comments and related material on the proposed CRADA must either 
be submitted to our online docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or 
before January 17, 2012, or reach the Docket Management Facility by 
that date. Proposals from parties interested in participating as a non-
Federal participant in a CRADA similar to the one described in this 
notice (investigating the use of biodiesel fuel blends in marine 
inboard engines) must reach the Docket Management Facility on or before 
January 17, 2012.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments identified by docket number 
USCG-2011-1089 using any one of the following methods:
    (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    (3) 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.
    (4) 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. 
See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for instructions on 
submitting comments.
    Do not submit detailed proposals for future CRADAs to the Docket 
Management Facility. Potential, non-Federal CRADA participants should 
submit these documents to Mr. Richard Hansen, United States Coast Guard 
Research and Development Center; 1 Chelsea Street, New London, CT 
06320, telephone: (860) 271-2866; email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions concerning this 
notice or desire to submit a CRADA proposal, please contact Mr. Richard 
Hansen, United States Coast Guard Research and Development Center; 1 
Chelsea Street, New London, CT 06320, telephone: (860) 271-2866; email: 
[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: 

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to submit comments and related material on this 
notice. All comments received will be posted, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any personal information you have 
provided.

Submitting comments

    If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this 
notice (USCG-2011-1089) and provide a reason for each suggestion or 
recommendation. You may submit your comments and material online (via 
http://www.regulations.gov), or by fax, mail or hand delivery, but 
please use only one of these means. If you submit a comment online via 
http://www.regulations.gov, it will be considered received by the Coast 
Guard

[[Page 78291]]

when you successfully transmit the comment. If you fax, hand deliver, 
or mail your comment, it will be considered as having been received by 
the Coast Guard when it is received at the Docket Management Facility. 
We recommend that you include your name and a mailing address, an email 
address, or a telephone number in the body of your document so that we 
can contact you if we have questions regarding your submission.
    To submit your comment online, go to http://www.regulations.gov and 
type ``USCG-2011-1089'' in the ``Keyword'' box. If you submit your 
comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no 
larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic 
filing. If you submit them by mail and would like to know that they 
reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard 
or envelope. We will consider all comments and material received during 
the comment period.

Viewing Comments and Related Material

    To view the comments and related material, go to http://www.regulations.gov, click on the ``read comments'' box, which will 
then become highlighted in blue. In the ``Keyword'' box insert ``USCG-
2011-1089'' and click ``Search.'' Click the ``Open Docket Folder'' in 
the ``Actions'' column. 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.

Privacy Act

    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, system of 
records notice regarding our public dockets in the January 17, 2008, 
issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 3316).

Cooperative Research and Development Agreements

    Cooperative Research and Development Agreements are authorized by 
the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99-502, codified 
at 15 U.S.C. 3710(a)). A CRADA promotes the transfer of technology to 
the private sector for commercial use as well as specified research or 
development efforts that are consistent with the mission of the Federal 
parties to the CRADA. The Federal party or parties agree with one or 
more non-Federal parties to share research resources, but the Federal 
party does not contribute funding. The Department of Homeland Security 
(DHS), as an executive agency under 5 U.S.C. 105, is a Federal agency 
for purposes of 15 U.S.C. 3710(a) and may enter into a CRADA. DHS 
delegated its authority to the Commandant of the Coast Guard (see DHS 
Delegation No. 0160.1, para. 2.B(34)), and the Commandant has delegated 
his authority to the Coast Guard's Research and Development Center 
(R&DC).
    CRADAs are not procurement contracts. Care is taken to ensure that 
CRADAs are not used to circumvent the contracting process. CRADAs have 
a specific purpose and should not be confused with other types of 
agreements such as procurement contracts, grants, and cooperative 
agreements.

Goal of Proposed CRADA

    Under the proposed CRADA, the Coast Guard's R&DC would collaborate 
with non-Federal participants. Together, the R&DC and the non-Federal 
participants would identify and investigate the advantages, 
disadvantages, required technology enhancements, performance, costs, 
and other issues associated with using biodiesel fuel blends within 
marine inboard engines. Presently available information suggests that 
biodiesel (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME)) fuel produced from renewable 
sources has the potential to reduce the Coast Guard's boat forces 
carbon footprint while also reducing risks to their operational 
readiness. Biodiesel is widely available around the country. Several 
States are phasing in requirements or incentives to provide a biodiesel 
blend containing conventional diesel for retail sale. As a result, the 
R&DC has concluded that biodiesel warrants further investigation as an 
alternative fuel.
    The R&DC, with the non-Federal participants, will create and employ 
a structured and collaborative test protocol to better understand the 
potential of biodiesel fuel blends within marine inboard engines. The 
non-Federal participants will investigate the use of at least one 
mutually agreed upon biodiesel fuel blend in representative inboard 
engines, via a sequential process that includes modifications to engine 
and fuel systems components to ensure compatibility with the biodiesel 
fuel, followed by controlled field tests, and finally longer-duration 
operational testing on actual Coast Guard boats.

Party Contributions

    We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the 
proposed CRADA will include the following:
    (1) Obtain, transport, and provide temporary storage for the 
selected biodiesel fuel blend required for the work to be accomplished 
under the CRADA;
    (2) Lead the development of the test objectives and test plan for 
the specific work to be accomplished under the CRADA;
    (3) Provide all required resources, and conduct the ``field 
testing'' analysis of the representative inboard engines using the 
selected biodiesel fuel blend, in accordance with the CRADA test plan;
    (4) Provide all required resources, and conduct the ``operational 
testing'' analysis of representative inboard engines using the selected 
biodiesel fuel blend, in accordance with the CRADA test plan; and
    (5) Develop the CRADA Final Report, which documents the 
methodologies, findings, conclusions, and recommendations of this CRADA 
work.
    We anticipate that the non-Federal participants' contributions 
under the proposed CRADA will include the following:
    (1) Provide input into the Coast Guard selection of the biodiesel 
fuel blend to be used during this CRADA investigation;
    (2) Provide input into the Coast Guard-developed, CRADA test 
objectives and CRADA test plan;
    (3) Provide replacement components for the field and operational 
testing;
    (4) Provide recommendations to the R&DC for engine and fuel system 
modifications, such as fuel oil heaters and filters;
    (5) Document the modifications and recommendations in an interim 
CRADA report;
    (6) Provide inboard engine operation and performance monitoring 
support to the Coast Guard during the ``field testing'' analysis; and
    (7) Provide input into the Coast Guard-developed CRADA Final 
Report.

Selection Criteria

    The Coast Guard reserves the right to select for CRADA participants 
all, some, or none of the proposals in response to this notice. The 
Coast Guard will provide no funding for reimbursement of proposal 
development costs. Proposals (or any other material)

[[Page 78292]]

submitted in response to this notice will not be returned. Proposals 
submitted are expected to be unclassified and have no more than four 
single-sided pages (excluding cover page and resumes). The Coast Guard 
will select proposals at its sole discretion on the basis of:
    (1) How well they communicate an understanding of, and ability to 
meet, the proposed CRADA's goal; and
    (2) How well they address the following criteria:
    (a) Technical capability to support the non-Federal party 
contributions described; and
    (b) Resources available for supporting the non-Federal party 
contributions described.
    Currently, the Coast Guard is considering Cummins, Inc., for 
participation in this CRADA. This consideration is based on the fact 
that Cummins, Inc.'s engines power Coast Guard boats in the 49-foot 
Buoy Utility Stern Loading (BUSL) class, which support the Short Range 
Aids to Navigation Mission. By virtue of the type of mission and number 
of boats in the class, the BUSL is considered the best candidate test 
platform; however, the Coast Guard does not wish to exclude other 
viable participants from similar CRADAs.
    This is a technology transfer/development effort. Presently, the 
Coast Guard has no plan to procure inboard engines that operate on 
biodiesel fuel blends. Since the goal of this CRADA is ``to identify 
and investigate the advantages, disadvantages, required technology 
enhancements, performance, costs, and other issues associated with 
using biodiesel fuel blends in marine inboard engines, with the 
overarching goal of reducing their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions (i.e. 
lower carbon footprints),'' and not to set future Coast Guard 
acquisition requirements for same, non-Federal CRADA partners will not 
be excluded from any future Coast Guard procurements based solely on 
their participation within this CRADA.
    Special consideration will be given to small business firms/
consortia, and preference will be given to business units located in 
the U.S.

    Authority: This notice is issued under the authority of 15 
U.S.C. 3710(a), 5 U.S.C. 552(a), and 33 CFR 1.05-1.

    Dated: December 6, 2011.
Alan N. Arsenault,
CAPT, USCG, Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Research and 
Development Center.
[FR Doc. 2011-32230 Filed 12-15-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P