[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 29, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41038-41039]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18294]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2017-0690]


Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: Environmentally 
Friendly Buoy Mooring System

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is announcing its intent to enter into a 
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with American 
Underwater Contractors, Inc. (AUC) to develop, demonstrate, evaluate 
and document the use of environmentally friendly buoy mooring systems 
(line and anchor) attached to a navigational buoy to determine the 
feasibility and practicality of the Coast Guard using both helix 
(screw) anchors and elastic mooring lines in environmentally sensitive 
areas. While the Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with 
AUC, we are soliciting public comment on the possible nature of and 
participation of other parties in the proposed CRADA. In addition, the 
Coast Guard also invites other potential non-Federal participants, who 
have the interest and capability to bring similar contributions to this 
type of research, to consider submitting proposals for consideration in 
similar CRADAs.

DATES: Comments must be submitted to the online docket via http://www.regulations.gov, or reach the Docket Management Facility, on or 
before September 27, 2017.
    Synopses of proposals regarding future CRADAs must reach the Coast 
Guard (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) on or before September 27, 
2017.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments online at http://www.regulations.gov 
following Web site instructions.

[[Page 41039]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice 
or wish to submit proposals for future CRADAs, contact Ms. Danielle 
Elam, Project Official, Environment and Waterways Branch, U.S. Coast 
Guard Research and Development Center, 1 Chelsea Street, New London, CT 
06320, telephone 860-271-2693, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We request public comments on this notice. Although we do not plan 
to respond to comments in the Federal Register, we will respond 
directly to commenters and may modify our proposal in light of 
comments.
    Comments should be marked with docket number USCG-2017-0690 and 
should provide a reason for each suggestion or recommendation. You 
should provide personal contact information so that we can contact you 
if we have questions regarding your comments; but please note that all 
comments will be posted to the online docket without change and that 
any personal information you include can be searchable online (see the 
Federal Register Privacy Act notice regarding our public dockets, 73 FR 
3316, Jan. 17, 2008). We also accept anonymous comments.
    We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be 
submitted using http://www.regulations.gov, contact the Coast Guard 
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Documents mentioned in this 
notice, and all public comments, are in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following that Web site's 
instructions. Additionally, if you go to the online docket and sign up 
for email alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted or a 
final rule is published.
    Do not submit detailed proposals for future CRADAs to the Docket 
Management Facility. Instead, submit them directly to the Coast Guard 
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Discussion

    CRADAs are authorized under 15 U.S.C. 3710(a).\1\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The statute confers this authority on the head of each 
Federal agency. The Secretary of DHS's authority is delegated to the 
Coast Guard and other DHS organizational elements by DHS Delegation 
No. 0160.1, para. II.B.34.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 procurement 
contracts, grants, and other type of agreements.
    Under the proposed CRADA, the R&D Center will collaborate with one 
non-Federal participant. Together, the R&D Center and the non-Federal 
participant will collect information/data for performance, reliability, 
maintenance, and environmental impact of the embedment anchor and 
elastic mooring line. The embedment anchor and elastic mooring line 
will be placed in Mullet Key Channel for a period of two years, where 
it will be visually inspected in-situ quarterly.
    Once the two years are complete, the embedment anchor and elastic 
mooring line will be removed from the water, inspected and then go 
through destructive testing.
    We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the 
proposed CRADA will include the following:
    (1) Provide appropriate staff with pertinent expertise to take the 
lead in accomplishing the required tasks;
    (2) Draft the demonstration plan;
    (3) Provide all support resources, including travel for Coast Guard 
staff that supports this CRADA;
    (4) Obtain, transport and provide divers for the installation of 
the mooring system;
    (5) Provide a Coast Guard boat platform and qualified Coast Guard 
operators for the installation and retrieval of the buoys;
    (6) Provide all the resources required (except the mooring line, 
helical anchor and required components provided by the non-Federal 
participant) for the conduct of the demonstration;
    (7) Collect and analyze data in accordance with the CRADA 
demonstration plan; and
    (8) Work with non-Federal participant to develop a Final Report, 
which will document 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 the technical data package for all equipments, 
including dimensions, weight, power requirements, and other technical 
considerations for additional components to be utilized under this 
CRADA;
    (2) Provide for shipment, and delivery of the mooring system 
required under this CRADA;
    (3) Provide/pay for travel and other associated personnel costs and 
other required expenses.
    The Coast Guard reserves the right to select for CRADA participants 
all, some, or no proposals submitted for this CRADA. The Coast Guard 
will provide no funding for reimbursement of proposal development 
costs. Proposals and any other material submitted in response to this 
notice will not be returned. Proposals submitted are expected to be 
unclassified and have not more than five single-sided (excluding cover 
page, DD 1494, JF-12, etc.). 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 AUC for participation in 
this CRADA. This consideration is based on the fact that AUC has 
demonstrated its technical ability as a U.S. Distributor of embedment 
anchors and elastic mooring lines. However, we do not wish to exclude 
other viable participants from this or future similar CRADAs.
    This is a technology assessment effort. The goal of the Coast Guard 
for this CRADA is to better understand the advantages, disadvantages, 
required technology enhancements, performance, costs, and other issues 
associated with environmentally friendly mooring systems. Special 
consideration will be given to small business firms/consortia, and 
preference will be given to business units located in the U.S. This 
notice is issued under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).

    Dated: 7 August 2017.
Bert Macesker,
Executive Director, Acting Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard 
Research and Development Center.
[FR Doc. 2017-18294 Filed 8-28-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P