[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 125 (Monday, June 29, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38907-38910]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13901]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2020-0278]


Port Access Route Study: Northern New York Bight

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of study and public meetings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is conducting a Port Access Route Study (PARS) 
to evaluate the adequacy of existing vessel routing measures and 
determine whether additional vessel routing measures are necessary for 
port approaches to New York and New Jersey and international and 
domestic transit areas in the First District area of responsibility. 
The Northern New York Bight PARS (NNYBPARS) will consider whether 
existing or additional routing measures are necessary to improve 
navigation safety due to factors such as planned or potential offshore 
development, current port capabilities and planned improvements, 
increased vessel traffic, existing and potential anchorage areas, 
changing vessel traffic patterns, effects of weather, or navigational 
difficulty. Vessel routing measures, which include traffic separation 
schemes, two-way routes, recommended tracks, deep-water routes, 
precautionary areas, and areas to be avoided, are implemented to reduce 
the risk of marine casualties. The recommendations of the study may 
subsequently be implemented through rulemakings or in accordance with 
international agreements.

DATES: Comments and related material must be received on or before 
August 28, 2020. Although the Coast Guard prefers and highly encourages 
all comments and related material be submitted directly to the 
electronic docket, two virtual public meetings will be held via webinar 
and teleconference to provide an opportunity for oral comments about 
the NNYBPARS on Thursday, July 30, 2020, beginning at 9 a.m. EST, and 
on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, beginning at 6 p.m. EST. All comments and 
related material submitted must be received by the Coast Guard on or 
before August 28, 2020.

[[Page 38908]]

Commenters should be aware that the electronic Federal Docket 
Management System will not accept comments after midnight Eastern 
Daylight Time on the last day of the comment period.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2020-0278 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov. See the ``Public Participation and Request for 
Comments'' portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further 
instructions on submitting comments.
    The virtual public meeting on Thursday, July 30, 2020, beginning at 
9 a.m. EST, will be held via webinar and teleconference.
    The virtual public meeting on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, beginning 
at 6 p.m. EST, will be held via webinar and teleconference.
    Access information for these virtual public meetings will be posted 
at https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=PARS by July 23, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this 
notice of study, call or email Mr. Craig Lapiejko, First Coast Guard 
District (dpw), U.S. Coast Guard; telephone (617) 223-8351, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Table of Abbreviations

ACPARS Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study
AIS Automatic Identification System
COMDTINST Commandant Instruction
DHS Department of Homeland Security
EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone
IMO International Maritime Organization
MTS Marine Transportation System
NAD83 North American Datum of 1983
NNYB Northern New York Bight
PARS Port Access Route Study
PWSA Ports and Waterways Safety Act
TSS Traffic Separation Scheme
USCG United States Coast Guard

II. Background and Purpose

    A. Requirements for Port Access Route Studies: Under Section 70003 
of Title 46 of the United States Code, the Commandant of the U.S. Coast 
Guard may designate necessary fairways and traffic separation schemes 
(TSSs) to provide safe access routes for vessels proceeding to and from 
U.S. ports. The designation of fairways and TSSs recognizes the 
paramount right of navigation over all other uses in the designated 
areas.
    Before establishing or adjusting fairways or TSSs, the Coast Guard 
must conduct a PARS, i.e., a study of potential traffic density and the 
need for safe access routes for vessels. Through the study process, the 
Coast Guard must coordinate with federal, state, and foreign state 
agencies (where appropriate) and consider the views of maritime 
community representatives, environmental groups, and other interested 
stakeholders. The primary purpose of this coordination is, to the 
extent practicable, to reconcile the need for safe access routes with 
other reasonable waterway uses such as anchorages, construction, and 
operation of renewable energy facilities, marine sanctuary operations, 
commercial and recreational activities, and other uses.
    In addition to aiding the Coast Guard in establishing new or 
adjusting fairways or TSSs, this PARS may recommend establishing or 
amending other vessel routing measures. Examples of other routing 
measures include two-way routes, recommended tracks, deep-water routes 
(for the benefit primarily of ships whose ability to maneuver is 
constrained by their draft), precautionary areas (where ships must 
navigate with particular caution), and areas to be avoided (for reasons 
of exceptional danger or especially sensitive ecological and 
environmental factors).
    B. Previous Port Access Route Studies within this Study Area: The 
original precautionary area and TSSs within this study area were first 
established in May, 1967, and were approved by the International 
Maritime Organization (IMO).
    In 1987 the Coast Guard conducted a PARS prior to establishing two 
parallel shipping safety fairways off New York entitled ``Ambrose to 
Nantucket Safety Fairway'' and ``Nantucket to Ambrose Safety Fairway'' 
and published the final results in the Federal Register (52 FR 33589; 
September 4, 1987).
    In 2016, the Coast Guard published a notice of its Atlantic Coast 
Port Access Route Study (ACPARS) in the Federal Register (81 FR 13307; 
March 14, 2016) and announced the study report as final in the Federal 
Register (82 FR 16510; April 5, 2017). The ACPARS analyzed the Atlantic 
Coast waters seaward of existing port approaches within the U.S. 
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This multiyear study began in 2011, 
included public participation, and identified the navigation routes 
customarily followed by ships engaged in commerce between international 
and domestic U.S. ports. The study is available at https://navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=PARSReports. Data and information from 
stakeholders, including Automatic Identification System (AIS) data from 
vessel traffic, 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.
    C. Need for a New Port Access Route Study: In 2019, the Coast Guard 
announced a new study of routes used by ships to access ports on the 
Atlantic Coast of the United States in the Federal Register (84 FR 
9541; March 15, 2019). This new study supplements and builds upon the 
ACPARS by conducting a series of PARS to examine ports along the 
Atlantic Coast that are economically significant or support military or 
critical national defense operations and related international entry 
and departure transit areas that are integral to the safe and efficient 
and unimpeded flow of commerce to/from major international shipping 
lanes. The NNYBPARS is just one of these several new studies being 
conducted.

III. Information Requested

    The New York Bight encompasses a very large area starting along the 
coasts of New York and New Jersey, from Montauk Point, NY, to Cape May, 
NJ, and then offshore to the outer edge of the Continental Shelf. The 
purpose of this notice is to announce the commencement of this PARS to 
examine the First District's portion of the New York Bight which 
includes the port approaches to New York and New Jersey and the 
international and domestic entry and departure transit areas in 
conjunction with the implementation of recommendations of the ACPARS, 
and to solicit public comments. Similar to the ACPARS, this PARS will 
focus on and use AIS data and information from stakeholders to identify 
and verify customary navigation routes as well as routes between port 
approaches and international entry and departure transit areas. The 
Coast Guard encourages participation in the study process by submitting 
comments in response to this notice. Comments should address impacts to 
navigation within the study area resulting from factors such as: 
Planned or potential offshore development, current port capabilities 
and planned improvements, increased vessel traffic, changing vessel 
traffic patterns, effects of weather, potential conflicts or 
disruptions in uncharted or informal anchorage areas, or navigational 
difficulties or concerns in general.

IV. Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to participate in this study by submitting 
comments and related materials. All comments received will be posted 
without change to https://www.regulations.gov and will

[[Page 38909]]

include any personal information you have provided.
    A. Submitting Comments: If you submit comments to the online public 
docket, please include the docket number for this notice (USCG-2020-
0278), indicate the specific section of this document to which each 
comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or 
recommendation. We accept anonymous comments.
    To submit your comment online, go to https://www.regulations.gov, 
and insert ``USCG-2020-0278'' in the ``search box.'' Click ``Search'' 
and then click ``Comment Now.'' We will consider all comments and 
material received during the comment period.
    B. Public Meetings: We plan to hold two virtual public meetings to 
receive oral comments on this notice. Again, as stated earlier, the 
Coast Guard prefers and highly encourages all comments and related 
material be submitted directly to the online public docket, but two 
virtual public meetings will be held via webinar and teleconference to 
provide an opportunity for oral comments about the NNYBPARS. If you 
want to provide a written version of your oral comments made at the 
virtual public meeting, you may submit them directly to Mr. Craig 
Lapiejko. These comments will be added to our online public docket. We 
recommend that you include your name and a mailing address, an email 
address, or a telephone number in the body of your document so that we 
can contact you if we have questions regarding your submission. 
Attendance at the virtual public meeting is not required. We will 
provide a written summary of the oral comments received and will place 
that summary in the online public docket.
    The first virtual public meeting on Thursday, July 30, 2020, 
beginning at 9 a.m. EST, will be held via webinar and teleconference.
    Access information for this virtual public meetings will be posted 
at https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=PARS by July 23, 2020.
    The second virtual public meeting on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 
beginning 6 p.m. EST, will be held via webinar and teleconference.
    Access information for this virtual public meetings will be posted 
at https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=PARS by July 23, 2020.
    C. Viewing Comments and Documents: To view the comments and 
documents mentioned in this preamble as being available in the online 
public docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov, click on the ``read 
comments'' box, which will then become highlighted in blue. In the 
``Keyword'' box insert ``USCG-2020-02782'' and click ``Search.'' Click 
the ``Open Docket Folder'' in the ``Actions'' column.
    D. Privacy Act: 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 submissions in response to this document, see DHS's 
Correspondence System of Records notice (84 FR 48645, September 26, 
2018). Documents mentioned in this notice as being available in the 
docket, and all public comments, will be in our online docket at 
https://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.

V. Northern New York Bight PARS: Timeline, Study Area, and Process

    The First Coast Guard District, Coast Guard Sector New York, and 
Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound will conduct this PARS. The study 
will commence upon publication of this notice and may take 12 months or 
more to complete.
    The study area is described as an area bounded by a line connecting 
the following geographic positions:

40 18'00.0'' N 074 00'00.0'' W
38 57'00.0'' N 071 16'00.0'' W
39 47'24.0'' N 069 40'01.2'' W
41 07'12.0'' N 071 34'33.6'' W
41 04'15.6'' N 071 51'25.2'' W

thence along the coast line back to the origin. All geographic points 
are based on North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).
    This area extends approximately 150 nautical miles seaward and 
covers approximately 25,000 square nautical miles including the 
offshore area of New Jersey and New York used by private, commercial, 
and public vessels transiting to and from these ports. An illustration 
showing the study area is below with additional illustrations available 
in the online public docket where indicated under ADDRESSES.

[[Page 38910]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29JN20.000

    This PARS will identify and analyze the customary navigation routes 
between the port approaches of New York and New Jersey and the 
international and domestic transit areas and connecting them to the 
potential fairways identified in the ACPARS final report.
    Analyses will be conducted in accordance with COMDTINST 16003.2B, 
Marine Planning to Operate and Maintain the Marine Transportation 
System (MTS) and Implement National Policy. Instruction is available at 
https://media.defense.gov/2019/Jul/10/2002155400/-1/-1/0/CI_16003_2B.PDF.
    We will publish the results of the PARS in the Federal Register. It 
is possible that the study may validate the status quo (no additional 
fairways or routing measures) and conclude that no changes are 
necessary. It is also possible that the study may recommend one or more 
changes to address navigational safety and the efficiency of vessel 
traffic management. The recommendations may lead to future rulemakings 
or international agreements.
    This notice is published under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).

    Dated: June 23, 2020.
T.G. Allan Jr.,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, First Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2020-13901 Filed 6-26-20; 8:45 am]
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