[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 4, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 46254]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21283]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Office of the Secretary


Waiver of Compliance With Navigation Laws; Hurricane Maria

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico resulting in widespread damage 
to its infrastructure. In light of this devastation, the Department of 
Defense (DoD) has requested a 10-day waiver of the Jones Act in the 
interest of national defense, commencing immediately.
    The Jones Act, 46 United States Code (U.S.C.) 55102, states ``a 
vessel may not provide any part of the transportation of merchandise by 
water, or by land and water, between points in the United States to 
which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port'' 
unless the vessel was built in and documented under the laws of the 
United States and is wholly owned by persons who are citizens of the 
United States. Such a vessel, after obtaining a coastwise endorsement 
from the U.S. Coast Guard, is ``coastwise-qualified.'' The coastwise 
laws generally apply to points in the territorial sea, which is defined 
as the belt, three nautical miles wide, seaward of the territorial sea 
baseline, and to points located in internal waters, landward of the 
territorial sea baseline.
    The navigation laws, including the coastwise laws, can be waived 
under the authority provided by 46 U.S.C. 501. The statute provides in 
relevant part, ``On request of the Secretary of Defense, the head of an 
agency responsible for the administration of the navigation or vessel-
inspection laws shall waive compliance with those laws to the extent 
the Secretary considers necessary in the interest of national 
defense.'' 46 U.S.C. 501(a).
    For the reasons stated above, and in light of the request from the 
Department of Defense, I am exercising my authority to waive the Jones 
Act for a 10-day period, commencing immediately, to facilitate movement 
of all products to be shipped from U.S. coastwise points to Puerto 
Rico. This waiver applies to covered merchandise laded on board a 
vessel within the 10-day period of the waiver and delivered by October 
18, 2017. Carriers or shippers who conduct transportation pursuant to 
this waiver should provide notice of the vessel, dates of embarkation 
and disembarkation, type and quantity of cargo, and port of embarkation 
to [email protected].

    Executed this 28th day of September, 2017.

Elaine C. Duke,
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2017-21283 Filed 10-3-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-14-P