[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 4, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6614-6615]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02198]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2013-0686]


Waterway Suitability Assessment for Expansion of Liquefied Gas 
Facilities; Houston, TX

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard, at Sector Houston-Galveston, announces 
receipt of a Letter of Intent (LOI) and Waterways Suitability 
Assessment (WSA) for two separate proposed construction projects 
expanding existing Liquefied Hazardous Gas (LHG) facilities in Houston, 
Texas. The LOI and WSA were submitted by Intercontinental Terminals 
Company (ITC) and Vopak. The Coast Guard is notifying the public of 
this action to solicit public comments on the proposed expansion of 
Liquefied Hazardous Gas (LHG) facilities, as defined by 33 CFR 127.005.

DATES: Comments and related material must be received on or before 
March 6, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2013-0686 using any one of the following methods:
    (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) Fax: 202-493-2251.
    (3) Mail or Delivery: 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. Deliveries 
accepted 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 three 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 
of availability, call or email LCDR Xochitl Castaneda, U.S. Coast 
Guard; telephone 713-671-5164, email [email protected]. If 
you have questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, 
call Cheryl T. Collins, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 
202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    The Coast Guard encourages public participation. We request that 
you submit comments and related materials in response to 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-2013-0686, and provide a reason for 
each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and 
related material online at 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, it will be considered received by the Coast Guard 
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, 
type the docket number (USCG-2013-0686) in the ``SEARCH'' box and click 
``SEARCH.'' Then click on ``Submit a Comment'' on the line associated 
with this notice.
    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 comments 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 documents: To view comments, go to http://www.regulations.gov, type the docket number (USCG-2013-0686) in the 
``SEARCH'' box and click ``SEARCH.'' Click on Open Docket Folder on the 
line associated with this rulemaking. You may also visit 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.

[[Page 6615]]

    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).
    Public meeting: We do not now plan to hold a public meeting. But 
you may submit a request for one, using one of the methods specified 
under ADDRESSES. Please explain why you believe a public meeting would 
be beneficial. If, based on requests or comments received, the Coast 
Guard determines that a public meeting would aid this evaluation and 
subsequent recommendation, we will hold one at a time and place 
announced by a later notice in the Federal Register.

Basis and Purpose

    Under 33 CFR 127.007, an owner or operator planning new 
construction to expand or modify marine terminal operations in an 
existing facility handling LNG or LHG, where the construction, 
expansion, or modification would result in an increase in the size and/
or frequency of LNG or LHG marine traffic on the waterway associated 
with a proposed facility or modification to an existing facility, must 
submit an LOI to the Captain of the Port (COTP) of the zone in which 
the facility is or will be located. Under 33 CFR 127.009, after 
receiving an LOI, the COTP issues a Letter of Recommendation (LOR) as 
to the suitability of the waterway for LNG or LHG marine traffic to the 
appropriate jurisdictional authorities. The LOR is based on a series of 
factors outlined in 33 CFR 127.009 that relate to the physical nature 
of the affected waterway and issues of safety and security associated 
with LNG or LHG marine traffic on the affected waterway.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit public comments on the two 
separate proposed construction and expansion projects related to 
existing LHG facilities as submitted by ITC and Vopak in Houston, 
Texas. Input from the public may be useful to the COTP with respect to 
developing the LOR. The Coast Guard requests comments to help assess 
the suitability of the associated waterway for increased LHG marine 
traffic as it relates to navigation, safety, and security.
    On January 24, 2011, the Coast Guard published Navigation and 
Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 01-2011, ``Guidance Related to 
Waterfront Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Facilities.'' NVIC 01-2011 
provides guidance for owners and operators seeking approval to 
construct and operate LNG facilities. While NVIC 01-2011 is specific to 
LNG, it provides useful process information and guidance for owners and 
operators seeking approval to construct and operate or expand LHG 
facilities as well. The Coast Guard will refer to NVIC 01-2011 for 
process information and guidance in evaluating the two projects 
included in the LOI and WSA submitted by ITC and Vopak. A copy of NVIC 
01-2011 is available for viewing in the public docket for this notice 
and also on the Coast Guard's Web site at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvic/2010s.asp.
    This notice is issued under authority of 33 U.S.C. Sec. Sec.  1223-
1225, Department of Homeland Security Delegation Number 0170.1(70), 33 
CFR 127.009, and 33 CFR 103.205.

    Dated: December 31, 2013.
B.K. Penoyer,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the Port Houston-Galveston, 
Texas.
[FR Doc. 2014-02198 Filed 2-3-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P