[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 125 (Friday, June 28, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38999-39000]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-15500]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2013-0437]


Recreational Boating--Estimating Benefits of Reducing Injuries

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of a report 
produced for the Coast Guard entitled ``Estimating Benefits of Reducing 
Recreational Boating Injuries: Alternative Sources of Information on 
Fatalities, Injuries, and

[[Page 39000]]

Property Damages,'' dated September 12, 2011. The Coast Guard requests 
your comments on the report.

DATES: Comments and related material must either be submitted to our 
online docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or before August 27, 
2013 or reach the Docket Management Facility by that date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2013-0437 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, 
call or email Mr. Jeff Ludwig, Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-1061, 
email [email protected]. If you have questions on viewing or 
submitting material to the docket, call Barbara Hairston, 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 the 
report entitled ``Estimating Benefits of Reducing Recreational Boating 
Injuries: Alternative Sources of Information on Fatalities, Injuries, 
and Property Damages,'' dated September 12, 2011. 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-2013-0437) and provide a reason for 
each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and 
material online, or by fax, mail or hand delivery, but please use only 
one of these means. 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, 
click on the ``submit a comment'' box, which will then become 
highlighted in blue. In the ``Document Type'' drop down menu select 
``Notices'' and insert ``USCG-2013-0437'' in the ``Keyword'' box. Click 
``Search'' then click on the balloon shape in the ``Actions'' column. 
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 the comments and documents:
    To view the comments and the IEc Final Report entitled, 
``Estimating Benefits of Reducing Recreational Boating Injuries: 
Alternative Sources of Information on Fatalities, Injuries, and 
Property Damages,'' dated September 12, 2011, as well as documents 
mentioned in this preamble as being available in the docket, go to 
http://www.regulations.gov and insert ``USCG-2013-0437'' in the 
``Search'' Box. 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 notice 
regarding our public dockets in the January 17, 2008, issue of the 
Federal Register (73 FR 3316).

Background and Purpose

    We announce the availability of a report produced for the Coast 
Guard, entitled ``Estimating Benefits of Reducing Recreational Boating 
Injuries: Alternative Sources of Information on Fatalities, Injuries, 
and Property Damages,'' and dated September 12, 2011. The report 
examines data on the consequences of recreational boating accidents to 
help the Coast Guard determine how our analyses of accident data can be 
enhanced to improve how we can quantify the benefits of Coast Guard 
regulations, policies, and programs.
    The report reviews available recreational boating accident data 
(fatalities, nonfatal injuries and property damage) reported in Coast 
Guard's Boating Accident Report Database (BARD) and compares this 
information to national databases. The report suggests that available 
BARD data on fatalities and the value of reductions in fatality risks 
are reasonably accurate and appropriate for use in benefit-cost 
analysis. For nonfatal injuries, the available BARD data is more 
uncertain. The report notes that nonfatal injuries in BARD are 
underreported, with the degree of underreporting increasing as the 
severity of the injury decreases. In addition, the report finds that 
the approaches used for valuation do not directly address boating-
related injuries and rely on rough proxies for willingness to pay for 
risk reductions. Regarding property damages, the report concludes that 
more research is needed to determine the accuracy of the available 
estimates.
    The Coast Guard seeks comments on the content of the report 
generally, as well as any additional data or analysis that could 
further support the report's conclusions, could provide data to the 
contrary, or that may fill in any gaps identified by the report. 
Additionally, the Coast Guard seeks comments on, as well as any 
additional data or analysis, helping to identify property damages 
related to recreational boating activities.
    This notice is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552 (a).

    Dated: May 30, 2013.
J.G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, U.S. Coast Guard.
[FR Doc. 2013-15500 Filed 6-27-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P