[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 13, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 8984-8986]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04525]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation

33 CFR Part 402

RIN 2135-AA46


Tariff of Tolls

AGENCY: Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) and 
the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) of Canada, under 
international agreement, jointly publish and presently administer the 
St. Lawrence Seaway Tariff of Tolls in their respective jurisdictions. 
The Tariff sets forth the level of tolls assessed on all commodities 
and vessels transiting the facilities operated by the SLSDC and the 
SLSMC. The SLSDC is revising its regulations to reflect the fees and 
charges levied by the SLSMC in Canada starting in the 2019 navigation 
season, which are effective only in Canada. An amendment to increase 
the minimum charge per lock for those vessels that are not pleasure 
craft or subject in Canada to tolls under items 1 and 2 of the Tariff 
for full or partial transit of the Seaway will apply in the U.S. (See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.) The Tariff of Tolls will become effective 
in Canada on March 30, 2019. For consistency, because these are joint 
regulations under international agreement, and to avoid confusion among 
users of the Seaway, the SLSDC finds that there is good cause to make 
the U.S. version of the amendments effective on the same date.

DATES: This rule is effective on March 30, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Docket: For access to the docket to read background 
documents or comments received, go to http://www.Regulations.gov; or in 
person at the Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carrie Mann Lavigne, Chief Counsel, 
Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, 180 Andrews Street, 
Massena, New York 13662; 315/764-3200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development 
Corporation (SLSDC) and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation 
(SLSMC) of Canada, under international agreement, jointly publish and 
presently administer the St. Lawrence Seaway Tariff of Tolls (Schedule 
of Fees and Charges in Canada) in their respective jurisdictions.
    The Tariff sets forth the level of tolls assessed on all 
commodities and vessels transiting the facilities operated by the SLSDC 
and the SLSMC. The SLSDC is revising 33 CFR 402.12, ``Schedule of 
tolls'', to reflect the fees and charges levied by the SLSMC in Canada 
beginning in the 2019 navigation season. With one exception, the 
changes affect the tolls for commercial vessels and are applicable only 
in Canada. The collection of tolls by the SLSDC on commercial vessels 
transiting the U.S. locks is waived by law (33 U.S.C. 988a(a)).
    The SLSDC is amending 33 CFR 402.12, ``Schedule of tolls'', to 
increase the minimum charge per vessel per lock for full or partial 
transit of the Seaway from $28.29 to $28.57. This charge is for vessels 
that are not pleasure craft or subject in Canada to the tolls under 
items 1 and 2 of the Tariff. This increase is due to higher operating 
costs at the locks.
    Regulatory Notices: Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the 
electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the 
name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, 
if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). 
You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal 
Register published on April 11, 2000 (65FR 19477-78) or you may visit 
http://dms.dot.gov.

Regulatory Evaluation

    This regulation involves a foreign affairs function of the United 
States and therefore, Executive Order 12866 does not apply and 
evaluation under the Department of Transportation's Regulatory Policies 
and Procedures is not required.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Determination

    I certify this regulation will not have a significant economic 
impact on a substantial number of small entities. The St. Lawrence 
Seaway Tariff of Tolls primarily relate to commercial users of the 
Seaway, the vast majority of whom are foreign vessel operators. 
Therefore, any resulting costs will be borne mostly by foreign vessels.

Environmental Impact

    This regulation does not require an environmental impact statement 
under

[[Page 8985]]

the National Environmental Policy Act (49 U.S.C. 4321, et reg.) because 
it is not a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of 
the human environment.

Federalism

    The Corporation has analyzed this rule under the principles and 
criteria in Executive Order 13132, dated August 4, 1999, and has 
determined that this rule does not have sufficient federalism 
implications to warrant a Federalism Assessment.

Unfunded Mandates

    The Corporation has analyzed this rule under Title II of the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4, 109 Stat. 48) and 
determined that it does not impose unfunded mandates on State, local, 
and tribal governments and the private sector requiring a written 
statement of economic and regulatory alternatives.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This regulation has been analyzed under the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 and does not contain new or modified information collection 
requirements subject to the Office of Management and Budget review.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 402

    Vessels, Waterways.

    Accordingly, the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation 
amends 33 CFR part 402 as follows:

PART 402--TARIFF OF TOLLS

0
1. The authority citation for part 402 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 983(a), 984(a)(4), and 988, as amended; 49 
CFR 1.52.


0
2. In 402.3, revise definition of ``domestic cargo''and add a 
definition for ``duration'' in alphabetical order to read as follows:


Sec.  402.3  Interpretation.

* * * * *
    Domestic cargo means cargo, the shipment of which originates at one 
Canadian point and terminates at another Canadian point, or originates 
at one United States point and terminates at another United States 
point or originates at one Canadian or United States point in the Great 
Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway System and terminates at another Canadian 
or United States point in the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway System 
but does not include import or export cargo designated at the point of 
origin for transshipment by water at a point in Canada or in the United 
States.
    Duration means the number of years negotiated between the Manager 
and a shipper for the application of a toll reduction under the Gateway 
Incentive.
* * * * *

0
3. In Sec.  402.10, revise paragraph (a) to read as follows:


Sec.  401.10  Post-clearance date operational surcharges.

    (a) Subject to paragraph (b) of this section, a vessel that reports 
for its final transit of the Seaway from a place set out in column 1 
within a period after the clearance date established by the Manager and 
the Corporation set out in column 2 shall pay operational surcharges in 
the amount set out in column 3, prorated on a per-lock basis.
* * * * *

0
4. Revise Sec.  402.12 to read as follows:


Sec.  402.12  Schedule of tolls.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Column 1            Column 2         Column 3
                 -------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Rate ($)
                                            Rate ($)     Welland Canal--
      Item           Description of      Montreal to or  Lake Ontario to
                         Charges           from Lake       or from Lake
                                           Ontario (5     Erie (8 locks)
                                             locks)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...............  Subject to item 3,
                   for complete
                   transit of the
                   Seaway, a composite
                   toll, comprising:
                  (1) a charge per      0.1104.........  0.1766
                   gross registered
                   ton of the ship,
                   applicable whether
                   the ship is wholly
                   or partially laden,
                   or is in ballast,
                   and the gross
                   registered tonnage
                   being calculated
                   according to
                   prescribed rules
                   for measurement or
                   under the
                   International
                   Convention on
                   Tonnage Measurement
                   of Ships, 1969, as
                   amended from time
                   to time.\1\
                     (2) a charge per
                      metric ton of
                      cargo as
                      certified on the
                      ship's manifest
                      or other
                      document, as
                      follows:.
                       (a) bulk cargo.  1.1442.........  0.7810
                       (b) general      2.7571.........  1.2500
                        cargo.
                       (c) steel slab.  2.4953.........  0.8949
                       (d)              1.1442.........  0.7810
                        containerized
                        cargo.
                       (e) government   n/a............  n/a
                        aid cargo.
                       (f) grain......  0.7030.........  0.7810
                       (g) coal.......  0.7030.........  0.7810
                     (3) a charge per   1.7144.........  1.7144
                      passenger per
                      lock.
                     (4) a lockage      n/a............  0.2942
                      charge per Gross
                      Registered Ton
                      of the vessel,
                      as defined in
                      item 1(1),
                      applicable
                      whether the ship
                      is wholly or
                      partially laden,
                      or is in
                      ballast, for
                      transit of the
                      Welland Canal in
                      either direction
                      by cargo ships.
                     Up to a maximum    n/a............  4,115
                      charge per
                      vessel.
2...............  Subject to item 3,    20 per cent per  13 per cent per
                   for partial transit   lock of the      lock of the
                   of the Seaway.        applicable       applicable
                                         charge under     charge under
                                         items 1(1),      items 1(1),
                                         1(2) and 1(4)    1(2) and 1(4)
                                         plus the         plus the
                                         applicable       applicable
                                         charge under     charge under
                                         items 1(3).      items 1(3)
3...............  Minimum charge per    28.57 \2\......  28.57
                   vessel per lock
                   transited for full
                   or partial transit
                   of the Seaway.
4...............  A charge per          30.00 \4\......  30.00
                   pleasure craft per
                   lock transited for
                   full or partial
                   transit of the
                   Seaway, including
                   applicable federal
                   taxes \3\.

[[Page 8986]]

 
5...............  Under the New         20%............  20%
                   Business Initiative
                   Program, for cargo
                   accepted as New
                   Business, a
                   percentage rebate
                   on the applicable
                   cargo charges for
                   the approved period.
6...............  Under the Volume      10%............  10%
                   Rebate Incentive
                   program, a
                   retroactive
                   percentage rebate
                   on cargo tolls on
                   the incremental
                   volume calculated
                   based on the pre-
                   approved maximum
                   volume.
7...............  Under the New         20%............  20%
                   Service Incentive
                   Program, for New
                   Business cargo
                   moving under an
                   approved new
                   service, an
                   additional
                   percentage refund
                   on applicable cargo
                   tolls above the New
                   Business rebate.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Or under the US GRT for vessels prescribed prior to 2002.
\2\ The applicable charged under item 3 at the Saint Lawrence Seaway
  Development Corporation's locks (Eisenhower, Snell) will be collected
  in U.S. dollars. The collection of the U.S. portion of tolls for
  commercial vessels is waived by law (33U.S.C. 988a(a)). The other
  charges are in Canadian dollars and are for the Canadian share of
  tolls.
\3\ $5.00 discount per lock applicable on ticket purchased for Canadian
  locks via PayPal.
\4\ The applicable charge at the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development
  Corporation's locks (Eisenhower, Snell) for pleasure craft is $30 U.S.
  or $30 Canadian per lock.


    Issued at Washington, DC, on March 7, 2019.
    Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.
Carrie Lavigne,
Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2019-04525 Filed 3-12-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-61-P