[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 151 (Monday, August 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38317-38318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16760]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket Number USCG-2018-0193]


Polar Icebreaker Program; Preparation of Environmental Impact 
Statement

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of Availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard, as lead agency, announces the 
availability of a draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
for the Polar Icebreaker Program's design and build of up to six polar 
icebreakers. The U.S. Coast Guard requests public comments on the draft 
EIS.

DATES: Comments must be submitted to the online docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or before September 20, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2018-0193 using the Federal 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: If you have questions about this 
notice of intent, email Mr. Ahmed Majumder, Deputy Program Manager, 
Polar Icebreaker Program, U.S. Coast Guard; email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Table of Abbreviations

CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CGC Coast Guard Cutter
EIS Environmental Impact Statement
FR Federal Register
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
PIBs Polar Icebreakers
U.S.C. United States Code

II. Background and Purpose

    The U.S. Coast Guard's current fleet of polar icebreakers (PIBs) 
consists of two heavy icebreakers, Coast Guard Cutter (CGC) POLAR STAR 
and CGC POLAR SEA, and one medium icebreaker, CGC HEALY. The U.S. Coast 
Guard's heavy icebreakers have both exceeded their designed 30 year 
service life. CGC POLAR STAR was commissioned in 1976 and CGC POLAR SEA 
in 1978. CGC POLAR STAR began reactivation in 2010 and completed a 
service life extension in 2013 to allow CGC POLAR STAR to operate for 
an additional seven to ten years. CGC POLAR SEA has remained out of 
service since 2010 and is not expected to be reactivated. The current 
PIB program acquisition strategy is approved to construct up to three 
heavy PIBs and may (at a future date) potentially expand to include up 
to three medium icebreakers, with planned service design lives of 30 
years each. The first of these new PIBs is expected to delivered in 
2023. Because the first new PIB would not be operational in the Polar 
Regions until at least 2023, new information may become available after 
the completion of this EIS. In that case, supplemental NEPA 
documentation may, as appropriate, be prepared in

[[Page 38318]]

support of individual proposed actions. Examples of new information may 
include, but are not limited to, changes to a species listing status or 
any other applicable laws and directives, and information regarding 
mission, training, homeporting, maintenance, and eventual 
decommissioning of the new PIBs.
    A new PIB would be designed to carry out the U.S. Coast Guard's 
primary missions supported by the current polar icebreaker fleet. 
Expected missions include Ice Operations, Defense Readiness, Aids to 
Navigation, Living Marine Resources, Marine Safety, Marine 
Environmental Protection, Other Law Enforcement, Ports, Waterways, and 
Coastal Security, and Search and Rescue.
    In executing its various missions, the U.S. Coast Guard protects 
the public, the environment, and U.S. economic and security interests 
in any maritime region, including international waters and the Nation's 
coasts, ports, and inland waterways, as required to support national 
security. Legislation and executive orders assign the U.S. Coast Guard 
a wide range of responsibilities applicable to Polar Regions. The U.S. 
Coast Guard derives its authority for the use of icebreaking from 
several statutes governing execution of its missions. These include 14 
U.S.C. 81 (Coast Guard establishment, maintenance, and operation of 
aids to navigation), 14 U.S.C. 88 (Coast Guard saving of life and 
property), 14 U.S.C. 89 (Coast Guard law enforcement), 14 U.S.C. 90 
(Arctic maritime transportation), 14 U.S.C. 91 (controlling anchorage 
and movement of vessels), 14 U.S.C. 94 (conduct oceanographic 
research), and 14 U.S.C. 141 (cooperation with agencies, States, 
territories, and others). In addition, Executive Order 7521 (Use of 
Vessels for Icebreaking in Channels and Harbors), 1 FR 2184, Dec. 24, 
1936, directs the U.S. Coast Guard to assist in keeping channels and 
harbors open to navigation by means of icebreaking operations.
    The U.S. Coast Guard proposes to conduct polar icebreaker 
operations and training exercises to meet Coast Guard mission 
responsibilities in the U.S. Arctic and Antarctic Regions of operation, 
in addition to vessel performance testing post-dry dock in the Pacific 
Northwest near the current polar icebreaker homeport of Seattle, 
Washington. The exact location for future homeporting has not been 
determined, but the current fleet of polar icebreakers is homeported in 
Seattle, Washington.
    Polar Regions are becoming increasingly important to U.S. national 
interests. The changing environment in these regions could lead to a 
rise in human activity and increased commercial ship, cruise ship, and 
naval surface ship operations, as well as increased exploration for oil 
and other resources, particularly in the Arctic. One of the U.S. Coast 
Guard's highest priorities is safety of life at sea. This entails the 
Artic responsibilities described above as well as assisting with 
Antarctica logistics at McMurdo Station. Long-term projected increases 
in U.S. Coast Guard mission demand in the Polar Regions would require 
additional support from PIBs. A lack of infrastructure, polar 
environmental conditions, and long distances between operating areas 
and support bases all influence the U.S. Coast Guard's ability to 
provide comparable service and presence in Polar Regions as compared to 
that provided in other non-polar areas of operation with existing Coast 
Guard assets.
    This EIS will analyze the potential impacts of up to six new PIBs, 
as this is the maximum number anticipated to be operational in the 
Polar Regions under the current PIB program acquisition strategy; A 
lesser number of icebreakers is expected to result in a similar or 
reduced impact than what will be discussed and evaluated in this EIS. 
Potential environmental stressors include acoustic (underwater acoustic 
transmissions, vessel noise, icebreaking noise, aircraft noise, and 
gunnery noise), and physical (vessel movement, aircraft or in-air 
device movement, in-water device movement, icebreaking, and marine 
expended materials).

III. Scoping Process

    The U.S. Coast Guard conducted scoping in accordance with Council 
on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing the NEPA (40 
CFR 1500 et seq.) through public comment and public meetings. A summary 
of the scoping process can be found in the draft EIS.

IV. Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to submit comments (or related material) on the 
draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. We will consider all 
submissions and may adjust our final action based on your comments. 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 EIS 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).
    This notice is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).

    Dated: June 31, 2018.
Ahmed Majumder,
U.S. Coast Guard, Program Manager, Polar Icebreaker Program.
[FR Doc. 2018-16760 Filed 8-3-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P