[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 93 (Monday, May 14, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22276-22277]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10215]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2016-1061]


Proposed Termination of U.S. Coast Guard Rebroadcast of HYDROLANT 
and HYDROPAC Information

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The United States Coast Guard may cease rebroadcasting 
HYDROLANT and HYDROPAC (defined below) navigational warnings from the 
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) over HF SITOR (defined 
below). There is not a requirement for the Coast Guard to rebroadcast 
this information, although the Coast Guard has been voluntarily doing 
so for a number of years, and doing so is duplicative of NGA's 
broadcast. The information would continue to be disseminated by the 
NGA. This notice requests public comment on the possibility of 
terminating the rebroadcast over HF SITOR.

DATES: Comments must be submitted to the online docket via http://www.regulations.gov, on or before July 13, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2016-1061 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. See the ``Public Participation and Request for 
Comments'' portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further 
instructions on submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this document, 
please call or email Derrick Croinex, Chief, Spectrum Management and 
Telecommunications Policy, U.S. Coast Guard (Commandant CG-672); 
telephone: 202-475-3551; email: [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Abbreviations

GMDSS Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
HF SITOR High Frequency Simplex Teletype Over Radio service
HYDROLANT Navigational Warnings Categorized by their Atlantic Ocean 
Location
HYDROPAC Navigational Warnings Categorized by their Pacific Ocean/
Pacific Rim Location
NGA National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
NTM Notice to Mariners
WWNWS Worldwide Navigational Warnings Service

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to submit comments (or related material) on the 
possible termination of the USCG's rebroadcast of HYDROLANT and 
HYDROPAC information. We will consider all submissions received before 
the comment period closes. If you submit a comment, please include the 
docket number for this notice, indicate the specific section of this 
document to which each comment applies, and provide a reason for each 
suggestion or recommendation.
    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 person in the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate 
instructions. 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 website'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.
    We accept anonymous comments. All comments received will be posted 
without change to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any 
personal information you have provided. For more about privacy and the 
docket, you may review a Privacy Act notice regarding the Federal 
Docket Management System in the March 24, 2005, issue of the Federal 
Register (70 FR 15086).

Discussion

    In support of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System 
(GMDSS), Broadcast Warnings are promulgated by the Worldwide 
Navigational Warnings Service (WWNWS) to provide rapid dissemination of 
information critical to navigation and the safety of life at sea.
    Broadcast Warnings are issued regularly by the WWNWS and contain 
information about persons in distress, or objects and events that pose 
an immediate hazard to navigation. The four types of Navigational 
Warnings--NAVAREA IV, HYDROLANT, NAVAREA XII, and HYDROPAC--are 
categorized by their location. In addition, warnings are issued for the 
Arctic region not covered by HYDROLANT and HYDROPAC messages. A graphic 
showing the locations of the Navigational Warning areas is available on 
NGA's website at http://msi.nga.mil/MSISiteContent/StaticFiles/Images/navwarnings.jpg. Additional information regarding this program is 
available at the following NGA website: http://msi.nga.mil/NGAPortal/MSI.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=msi_portal_page_63.
    NGA currently provides, and will continue to provide, global 
broadcast through HYDROLANT, HYDROPAC, and HYDROARC messages over 
INMARSAT maritime satellite telecommunications services which are 
principally directed to the U.S. Navy (USN) and National Geospatial 
Intelligence Agency (NGA) partners. NGA also is charged with 
promulgation of the U.S. Notice to Mariners (NTM) and it satisfies this 
via the NGA website and email subscription, which can be monitored via 
INMARSAT-C maritime satellite telecommunications services. In 
accordance with the International Hydrographic Organization's (IHO) 
World-Wide Navigational Warning Service (WWNWS), the United States is 
solely responsible for Broadcast Warnings to the NAVAREA IV and XII 
geographic locations. Broadcast Warning messages are also available at 
Google Earth.
    Other notices, Special Warnings and Maritime Administration (MARAD) 
Advisories, are issued infrequently and contain information about 
potential hazards caused by the global political climate.
    In addition, a Daily Memorandum is issued each week day by NGA, 
excluding federal holidays, and contains a summary of all Broadcast 
Warnings and Special Warnings promulgated during the past 24-72 hours. 
The Atlantic Edition includes HYDROLANT and NAVAREA IV Warnings, while 
the Pacific Edition includes HYDROPAC and NAVAREA XII Warnings. Both 
editions include Special Warnings and HYDROARC Warnings issued during 
the same period.
    In light of all of the foregoing ways in which this weather-related 
information is available to mariners, the Coast Guard's rebroadcasting 
of these warnings has become unnecessary. Rebroadcasting this 
information has become very time consuming for the Coast Guard, and it 
takes limited resources away from other safety

[[Page 22277]]

missions performed by the Coast Guard. Therefore, we believe it is in 
the public interest for the Coast Guard to cease rebroadcasting of this 
information.
    Before terminating the rebroadcasting of WWNWS weather warnings, we 
will consider comments from the public. After considering any comments 
received, the Coast Guard will issue a notice in the Federal Register 
indicating how the matter will be resolved.
    This notice is issued under authority of 14 U.S.C. 93(a)(16) and in 
accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a).

    Dated: May 8, 2018.
Derrick J. Croinex,
Chief, Spectrum Management and Telecommunications Policy.
[FR Doc. 2018-10215 Filed 5-11-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P