[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 51 (Friday, March 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9541-9542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04891]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2011-0351]


Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study: Port Approaches and 
International Entry and Departure Transit Areas

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of study; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is beginning a new study of routes used by 
ships to access ports on the Atlantic Coast of the United States. This 
new study supplements and builds on the Atlantic Coast Port Access 
Route Study (ACPARS) completed on April 5, 2017.

DATES: Coast Guard District Commanders will prioritize and schedule a 
Port Access Route Study (PARS) for specific port approaches and 
international transit areas associated with proposed ACPARS fairways 
within their areas of responsibilities (AOR). They will post these 
milestones on the docket by May 1, 2019. This initiative is expected to 
be completed by May 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2011-0351 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://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 
call or email George Detweiler, Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-1566, 
email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Participation and Comments

    Public participation is essential to this study and the Coast Guard 
will consider all comments and material received during the comment 
period. We encourage you to participate by submitting comments and 
related materials. All comments received will be posted without change 
to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any personal information 
you have provided. You may submit your comments and material online via 
http://www.regulations.gov. Type ``USCG-2011-0351'' into the search bar 
and click search, next to the displayed search results click ``Comment 
Now'', which will open the comment page. If you cannot submit your 
material by using https://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in 
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice for 
alternate instructions. Reference documents and all public comments, 
will be available in our online docket at https://www.regulations.gov, 
and can be viewed by following that website's instructions. Type 
``USCG-2011-0351'' into the search bar and click search, next to the 
displayed search results click ``Open Docket Folder.'' Additionally, if 
you visit the online docket and sign up for email alerts, you will be 
notified when comments are posted.
    We accept anonymous comments. All comments received will be posted 
without change to https://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).

Public Meeting

    You may submit a request for a public meeting online via http://www.regulations.gov. Please explain why you believe a public meeting 
would be beneficial. If we determine that a public meeting would aid in 
the study, we will hold a meeting at a time and place announced by a 
later notice in the Federal Register. When it is published, we will 
place a copy of the announcement in the docket and you will receive an 
email alert from www.regulations.gov.

Definitions

    Fairway or shipping safety fairway means a lane or corridor in 
which no artificial island or fixed structure, whether temporary or 
permanent, will be permitted. See 33 CFR 166.105 (a).
    International Entry and Departure Transit Areas mean navigation 
routes followed by vessels coming to or departing from the United 
States and an international seaport. For this study, international 
entry and departure transit areas will connect to recommended shipping 
safety fairways in the ACPARS at the outer limit of the EEZ.
    Port Approaches mean navigation routes followed by vessels entering 
or departing a seaport from or to a primary transit route. This study 
will consider port approaches that connect seaports to recommended 
shipping safety fairways described in the ACPARS.

Discussion

    The Coast Guard is beginning a new study of the port approaches and 
international entry and departure transit areas to ports on the 
Atlantic Coast of the United States. These routes are critical links of 
a robust and effective Marine Transportation System (MTS) and integral 
to efficient shipping safety fairways recommended in the Atlantic Coast 
Port Access Route Study (ACPARS). The ACPARS analyzed the Atlantic 
Coast waters seaward of existing port approaches within the U.S. 
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to identify navigation routes customarily 
followed by ships engaged in commerce between international and 
domestic U.S. ports. See https://navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/PARS/ACPARS_Final_Report_08Jul2015_Combined_Appendix_Enclosures_Final_After_LMI_Review.pdf. This new study is focused on routes between port 
approaches and international entry and departure transit areas.
    The Ports and Waterways Safety Act (PWSA) (46 U.S.C. 70003(c)) 
requires the Coast Guard to study potential traffic density and assess 
the need for safe access routes for vessels. The Coast Guard 
coordinates with Federal and State agencies, and considers the views of 
the maritime community, environmental groups, and other interested 
stakeholders in order to reconcile the need for safe access routes with 
other reasonable waterway uses in the study area.

[[Page 9542]]

    The ACPARS analyzed waters located seaward of existing port 
approaches within the EEZ along the entire Atlantic Coast. Automatic 
Identification System (AIS) data and information from stakeholders were 
used to identify and verify deep draft and coastwise navigation routes 
that are typically followed by ships engaged in commerce between 
international and domestic U.S. ports. Additional analysis of sea space 
for vessels to maneuver in compliance with the International 
Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea led to development of 
marine planning guidelines and recommendations for shipping safety 
fairways.
    An analysis of potential traffic density of vessels proceeding to 
and from a U.S. port is referred to as a Port Access Route Study 
(PARS). Several PARS will examine ports along the Atlantic coast that 
are economically significant, support military operations or critical 
to national defense and related international entry and departure 
transit areas that are integral to the safe, efficient and unimpeded 
flow of commerce to/from major international shipping lanes. Similar to 
the ACPARS, PARS will use AIS data and information from stakeholders to 
identify and verify customary navigation routes as well as potential 
conflicts involving alternative activities, such as wind energy 
generation and offshore mineral exploitation and exploration.

Scope

    The Coast Guard will analyze ports that are economically 
significant, that support military operations or are strategic for 
national defense along the Atlantic. This includes but is not limited 
to:

First Coast Guard District

    Kennebec River/Bath, ME;, Port of Portland, ME;, Portsmouth, NH;, 
New Bedford, MA;, Port of Boston, MA;, Narragansett Bay, RI;, Long 
Island Sound Eastern Entrances;, Groton, CT;, New Haven Harbor, CT; 
and, Port of New York and New Jersey, including Port Elizabeth and 
Newark.

Fifth Coast Guard District

    Port of Philadelphia, PA including Camden-Gloucester City, NJ, Port 
of Wilmington, DE and New Castle, DE;, Port of Baltimore, MD;, Port of 
Virginia including Norfolk, Newport News and Hampton Roads, VA;, 
Morehead City, NC; and, Wilmington, NC.

Seventh Coast Guard District

    Port of Charleston, SC;, Port of Savannah, GA;, Brunswick, GA;, 
Kings Bay, GA;, Port of Jacksonville, FL;, Port Canaveral, FL;, Port 
Everglades, FL; and, Port of Miami, FL.

Methodology

    This study will analyze navigation routes to/from the ports 
identified above to the proposed fairways outlined in the ACPARS as 
well as international routes to/from the United States. Current 
capabilities and planned improvements in these ports to handle maritime 
conveyances will be considered. Analyses will be conducted in 
accordance with Marine Planning to Operate and Maintain the Marine 
Transportation System (MTS) and Implement National Policy, COMDTINST 
16003.2A, and coordinated by the cognizant District Commander. See 
https://media.defense.gov/2017/Mar/15/2001716995/-1/-1/0/CI_16003_2A.PDF. Notices of study will be published in the Federal 
Register to inform and solicit public comments for each PARS.
    This notice is issued under authority of 46 U.S.C. 70003(c) and 5 
U.S.C. 552[ ].

    Dated: March 11, 2019.
Michael D. Emerson,
Director, Marine Transportation Systems.
[FR Doc. 2019-04891 Filed 3-14-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P