[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 26 (Friday, February 7, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7470-7471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02708]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2013-1084]


Draft Policy Letters: Guidance for the Use of Liquefied Natural 
Gas as a Marine Fuel

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability, in the docket, of 
two draft policy letters for which it seeks public comment. The first 
draft policy letter provides voluntary guidance for liquefied natural 
gas (LNG) fuel transfer operations on vessels using natural gas as fuel 
in U.S. waters, and training of personnel on those vessels. It 
recommends transfer and personnel training measures that we believe 
will achieve a level of safety that is at least equivalent to that 
provided for traditional fueled vessels. It would apply to vessels 
equipped to receive LNG for use as fuel, but not to vessels carrying 
LNG as cargo that use boil-off gas as fuel. The second draft policy 
letter discusses voluntary guidance and existing regulations applicable 
to vessels and waterfront facilities conducting LNG marine fuel 
transfer (bunkering) operations. The second draft policy letter 
provides voluntary guidance on safety, security, and risk assessment 
measures we believe will ensure safe LNG bunkering operations. We 
request your comments on these draft policy letters before signature 
and public release.

DATES: Comments and related material must either be submitted to our 
online docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or before March 10, 
2014 or reach the Docket Management Facility by that date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2013-1084 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 Ken Smith, Vessel and Facility Operating Standards 
Division (CG-OES-2), U.S. Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-1413, email 
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing or submitting 
material to the docket, call Cheryl Collins, 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 
proposed draft policy letters and voluntary guidance described in 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-2013-1084) 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, 
type the docket number (USCG-2013-1084) in the ``SEARCH'' box and click 
``SEARCH.'' 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 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 material in the docket: To view the policy 
letters and comments on it, go to http://www.regulations.gov, type the 
docket number (USCG-2013-1084) in the ``SEARCH'' box and click 
``SEARCH.'' Click on ``Open Docket Folder'' on the line associated with 
this notice. 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

[[Page 7471]]

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).

Background and Purpose

    The shipping industry is exploring conversion from oil-based bunker 
fuel to cleaner burning natural gas, because the use of natural gas as 
vessel fuel would substantially reduce carbon emissions, sulfur 
emissions, and nitrogen oxide emissions. This fuel would be stored on 
and transferred to vessels in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG). 
To date, the Coast Guard has issued no policy or regulations 
specifically for vessels receiving LNG for use as fuel or for vessels 
and waterfront facilities providing LNG for use as fuel. Existing 
regulations cover design, equipment, operations, and training of 
personnel on vessels that carry LNG as cargo and at waterfront 
facilities that handle LNG in bulk. They also cover conventional oil 
fuel transfer operations, but do not address LNG transferred as fuel. 
The shipping industry, including vessels and waterfront facilities 
intending to provide LNG as fuel, is looking to the Coast Guard to 
provide guidance to help ensure the safe transfer and use of LNG as a 
marine fuel.
    The Coast Guard has developed two draft policy letters, available 
in the docket, that recommend transfer procedures and other operating 
guidelines for vessels and waterfront facilities providing LNG to 
vessels for use as fuel and for vessels operating in U.S. waters that 
will be fueled with natural gas that will be stored onboard as LNG. The 
Coast Guard is interested in receiving public comment on these draft 
policy letters and voluntary guidelines prior to finalizing them for 
signature and public release. At a future date, we may initiate a 
rulemaking on the topics discussed in these policy letters.
    The draft policy letters and voluntary guidance would not apply to 
vessels that carry LNG as cargo and utilize their boil-off gas as fuel. 
They also would not provide guidance on vessel design criteria for 
natural gas fuel systems or design of vessels providing LNG for use as 
fuel. Questions related to the design of these systems should be 
referred to the Coast Guard's Office of Design and Engineering 
Standards (CG-ENG, formerly CG-521). To communicate with CG-ENG, please 
contact Mr. Ken Smith (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section for 
details).

Voluntary Policy

    The draft policy letters proposed would be voluntary, except where 
existing regulatory requirements are discussed. Although they may 
assist the industry, public, Coast Guard, and other Federal and State 
regulators in applying existing statutory and regulatory requirements, 
the draft policy letters and guidance they contain are not a substitute 
for applicable legal requirements nor are they regulations themselves. 
We note the ongoing work of the International Maritime Organization in 
this area, in particular regarding training of personnel engaged in 
these operations. Developments within this body will be taken into 
account during possible future revisions of the draft policy letters. 
During the course of local operations, each Coast Guard Captain of the 
Port (COTP) has discretionary authority on how best to address specific 
safety and security concerns within his or her area of responsibility 
(see, e.g., 33 CFR 1.01-30). Nothing in the draft policy letters and 
guidance they contain are meant to override or subvert the discretion 
of the COTP when addressing the unique safety and security concerns of 
an LNG operation.
    This notice is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 33 
U.S.C. 1221-1236.

    Dated: February 3, 2014.
J.G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, U.S. Coast Guard.
[FR Doc. 2014-02708 Filed 2-6-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P