[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 230 (Tuesday, December 1, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 74985-74986]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30434]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

15 CFR Part 922


Notice of Delay of Discharge Requirements for U.S. Coast Guard 
Activities in Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine 
Sanctuaries

AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean 
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Final rule; delay of effectiveness for discharge requirements 
with regard to Coast Guard activities.

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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 
expanded the boundaries of Gulf of the Farallones National Marine 
Sanctuary (now renamed Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary or 
GFNMS) and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (CBNMS) to an area 
north and west of their previous boundaries with a final rule published 
on March 12, 2015. The Final Rule entered into effect on June 9, 2015. 
At that time, NOAA postponed the effectiveness of the discharge 
requirements in both sanctuaries' regulations with regard to U.S. Coast 
Guard activities for 6 months. This document extends the postponement 
of the discharge requirements for these activities for another 6 months 
to provide adequate time for completion of an environmental assessment, 
and subsequent rulemaking, as appropriate.

DATES: The effectiveness for the discharge requirements in both CBNMS 
and GFNMS expansion areas with regard to U.S. Coast Guard activities is 
June 9, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIS, final management plans, and the final 
rule published on March 12, 2015 can be viewed or downloaded at http://farallones.noaa.gov/manage/expansion_cbgf.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Brown, Greater Farallones 
National Marine Sanctuary Superintendent, at [email protected] or 
415-561-6622; or Dan Howard, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary 
Superintendent, at [email protected] or 415-464-5260.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 12, 2015, NOAA expanded the 
boundaries of Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (now 
renamed Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary or GFNMS) and 
Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (CBNMS) to an area north and 
west of their previous boundaries with a final rule (80 FR 13078). The 
Final Rule entered into effect on June 9, 2015 (80 FR 34047). At that 
time, NOAA postponed the effectiveness of the discharge requirements in 
both sanctuaries' regulations with regard to U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) 
activities for 6 months.

[[Page 74986]]

    This document postpones the effectiveness of the discharge 
requirements in both sanctuaries with regard to USCG activities for 
another 6 months, until June 9, 2016. In the course of the rule making 
to expand GFNMS and CBNMS, NOAA learned from USCG that the discharge 
regulations had the potential to impair the operations of USCG vessels 
and air craft conducting law enforcement and on-water training 
exercises in GFNMS and CBNMS. The USCG supports national marine 
sanctuary management by providing routine surveillance and dedicated 
law enforcement of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and sanctuary 
regulations.
    To ensure that the March 12, 2015 rule does not undermine USCG's 
ability to perform its duties, NOAA postponed for 6 months the 
effectiveness of the discharge requirements for USCG operations. 
Specifically, the effectiveness of the discharge requirements was 
postponed until December 9, 2015. However, NOAA needs more time to 
assess USCG activities and develop alternatives for an environmental 
assessment developed pursuant to the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. Therefore, NOAA is postponing the 
effectiveness of the discharge requirements with respect to USCG 
operations for another 6 months, until June 9, 2016. During this time, 
NOAA will consider how to address USCG's concerns and will consider, 
among other things, whether to exempt certain USCG activities in 
sanctuary regulations. The public, other federal agencies, and 
interested stakeholders will be given an opportunity to comment on 
various alternatives that are being considered. This will include the 
opportunity to review any proposed rule and related environmental 
analysis.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 470.

    Dated: November 20, 2015.
John Armor,
Acting Director for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. 2015-30434 Filed 11-30-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P