[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 198 (Tuesday, October 13, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64507-64509]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22540]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2020-0172]


Port Access Route Study: Seacoast of New Jersey Including 
Offshore Approaches to the Delaware Bay, Delaware

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting; request for comments.

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SUMMARY:  The Coast Guard is announcing two public meetings to discuss 
our notice of study entitled ``Port Access Route Study: Seacoast of New 
Jersey including the offshore approaches to the Delaware Bay, 
Delaware'' that was published in the Federal Register on May 5, 2020, 
(USCG-2020-0172) and our notice of inquiry entitled ``Anchorage 
Grounds; Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean, Delaware'' that was published 
in the Federal Register on November 29, 2019, (USCG-2019-0822). Because 
the public may have similar comments on both topics we have decided to 
hold joint public meetings to discuss both notices. To ensure adequate 
opportunity to address concerns raised at the meetings and any 
subsequent questions, the Coast Guard is reopening the comment period.

[[Page 64508]]


DATES: Interested members of the public can attend either session, via 
teleconference, on Thursday October 29, 2020, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. or 
on Wednesday November 4, 2020, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. All comments and 
related material must be received by the Coast Guard on or before 
November 10, 2020. If you want your comments to be considered before 
the public meetings, comments must be received by the Coast Guard on or 
before October 15, 2020.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held via a web-enabled 
interactive, online format and teleconference line. To join the web-
based meeting and teleconference or to request special accommodations, 
contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section no later than 1 p.m. on October 20, 2020, to obtain the needed 
information.
    You may submit written comments identified by docket number USCG-
2020-0172 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this 
notice, call or email Captain Maureen Kallgren, Fifth Coast Guard 
District, Waterways Management Branch, U.S. Coast Guard; telephone 
(757) 398-6250, email [email protected] or Mr. Jerry Barnes, 
Fifth Coast Guard District, Waterways Management Branch, U.S. Coast 
Guard; telephone (757) 398-6230, email [email protected]. If you 
encounter technical difficulties accessing the online meeting please 
call LTJG John Frank, (757) 398-6298.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Coast Guard is conducting the Port Access Route Study (PARS) to 
determine whether existing or additional vessel routing measures are 
necessary along the seacoast of New Jersey and approaches to the 
Delaware Bay. The PARS will consider whether existing or additional 
routing measures are necessary to improve navigational 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, weather conditions, or navigational difficulty. We published 
a notice of study (NOS) in the Federal Register on May 5, 2020, 
entitled ``Port Access Route Study: Seacoast of New Jersey Including 
Offshore Approaches to the Delaware Bay, Delaware. Previously, we 
published a notice of inquiry (NOI) in the Federal Register on November 
29, 2019, entitled ``Notice of Inquiry, Anchorage Grounds, Delaware Bay 
and Atlantic Ocean Delaware. As discussed in the NOI, the Coast Guard 
is considering amending its regulations to establish new anchorage 
grounds in the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean. You may view the NOS 
and NOI in our online docket, in addition to comments submitted thus 
far by going to https://www.regulations.gov. Once there, insert ``USCG-
2020-0172'' or ``USCG-2019-0822'' in the ``Keyword'' box and click 
``Search.''
    The Coast Guard received several requests for a public meeting to 
discuss the NOS and NOIs. We have concluded that a public meeting would 
inform both of these studies; therefore, we are publishing this notice. 
We are placing a document into the docket for the NOI, USCG-2019-0822, 
alerting followers of that docket of this notice and the opportunity to 
submit comments.
    The Coast Guard is seeking additional public input on current 
waterway uses in the study area. These comments will help inform and 
direct any future rulemaking as well as inform our input as a 
cooperating agency to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for 
offshore renewable energy installations.

II. Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to participate by submitting comments either 
orally at the meeting or in writing. Oral comments at the public 
meetings may be limited to 3 minutes per speaker based on registration. 
You can provide written comments by submitting them directly to the 
docket online or by emailing Captain Maureen Kallgren, 
[email protected]. All comments received will be posted 
without change to https://www.regulations.gov and will include any 
personal information you have provided. We are particularly interested 
in specific comments on the following questions:

    1. What proposed routing measures would you suggest to preserve 
shipping safety around and within the offshore wind energy areas?
    2. What areas within the study area have you traditionally used 
for anchoring and why?
    3. If fully developed, how will the offshore wind energy 
projects in the study area impact your anchoring practices or other 
waterway uses?
    4. What other navigational concerns do you have regarding the 
proposed wind energy projects in the study area?
    5. What alternatives for mitigating anchor damage to underground 
cables are available, and is it possible for underground cables to 
coexist within the anchorages?
    6. Which fisheries do you primarily target that cause you to 
transit or fish in the study area?
    7. While fishing offshore, how much time do you spend underway, 
making way versus how much time do you spend underway, not making 
way as a percentage of the overall time frame (for example, I spend 
10% of the trip transiting to and from port, 70% engaged in fishing, 
and 20% setting or hauling back gear)?
    8. What risk control measures would you propose during the 
construction and operations of the wind energy areas?
    9. Where is the predominant recreational boating traffic within 
the study area? Is there a time of year that traffic is more 
prevalent?

    Suggested comments are most helpful when they are specific and 
supported by industry data or consensus. We are seeking to ensure the 
data we have collected from past public comments, such as current 
vessel AIS data and stakeholder input, reflects the status of waterway 
use today. We suggest commenters review current data found on the Mid 
Atlantic Ocean Data Portal found at www.portal.midatlanticocean.org. 
This data portal collects and prepares a variety of source data for 
public use and analysis. All comments will inform our way forward to 
ensure a measured approach to balance the different uses of the 
waterway in the future.
    Comments submitted after the meeting must reach the Coast Guard on 
or before November 10, 2020. We encourage you to submit comments 
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. 
If your material cannot be submitted using https://www.regulations.gov, 
contact the person in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this document for alternate instructions.
    Anyone can search the electronic form of 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.). For more about privacy and submissions in 
response to this document, see DHS's eRulemaking System of Records 
notice (85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020).
    The Coast Guard will hold public meetings regarding these studies 
via a webinar and teleconference. The Coast Guard prefers and highly 
encourages all comments and related material be submitted directly to 
the online public docket; however two virtual public meetings will be 
held to provide an opportunity for oral comments. The first virtual 
public meeting will be held on Thursday, October 29, 2020, at 1 p.m. 
The second virtual public meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 
4,

[[Page 64509]]

2020 at 6 p.m. To join the web-based meeting and teleconference or to 
request special accommodations, contact the individual listed in the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section no later than 1 p.m. on October 
20, 2020, to obtain the needed information. Access information for the 
virtual public meetings will be posted at https://www.navcen.uscg.gov. 
If you encounter technical difficulties, contact LTJG John Frank at 
757-398-6298 or [email protected]. We will provide a written summary 
of the meeting and comments and will place that summary in the docket.

    Dated: October 7, 2020.
L.M. Dickey,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2020-22540 Filed 10-9-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P