[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 245 (Thursday, December 22, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78701-78702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27895]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

 Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2022-0707]


Application for Recertification of Prince William Sound Regional 
Citizens' Advisory Council

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard seeks comments on, the application for 
recertification submitted by the Prince William Sound Regional 
Citizen's Advisory Council (PWSRCAC) for March 1, 2022, through 
February 28, 2023. Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), the 
Coast Guard may certify on an annual basis, the PWSRCAC. This advisory 
group monitors the activities of terminal facilities and crude oil 
tankers under the Prince William Sound program established by the 
statute. The Coast Guard may certify an alternative voluntary advisory 
group in lieu of the PWSRCAC. The current certification for the PWSRCAC 
will expire February 28, 2023.

DATES: Public comments on PWSRCAC's recertification application must 
reach the Seventeenth Coast Guard District on or before February 8, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2022-0707 using the Federal Decision Making 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: If you have questions on this 
recertification, call or email LT Benjamin Bauman, Seventeenth Coast 
Guard District (dpi); telephone (907)463-2809; email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We view public participation as essential to effective rulemaking 
and will consider all comments and material received during the comment 
period. Your comment can help shape the outcome of this rulemaking. If 
you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this 
rulemaking, indicate the specific section of this document to which 
each comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or 
recommendation.
    Submitting comments. We encourage you to submit comments through 
the Federal Decision Making Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. To 
do so, go to https://www.regulations.gov, type USCG-2022-0707 in the 
search box and click ``Search.'' Next, look for this document in the 
Search Results column, and click on it. Then click on the Comment 
option. If you cannot submit your material by using https://www.regulations.gov, call or email the person in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this proposed rule for alternate 
instructions.
    Viewing material in docket. To view documents mentioned in this 
proposed rule as being available in the docket, find the docket as 
described in the previous paragraph, and then select ``Supporting & 
Related Material'' in the Document Type column. Public comments will 
also be placed in our online docket and can be viewed by following 
instructions on the https://www.regulations.gov Frequently Asked 
Questions web page. We review all comments received, but we will only 
post comments that address the topic of the proposed rule. We may 
choose not to post off-topic, inappropriate, or duplicate comments that 
we receive.
    Personal information. We accept anonymous comments. Comments we 
post to https://www.regulations.gov will include any personal 
information you have provided. For more about privacy and submissions 
to the docket in response to this document, see DHS's eRulemaking 
System of Records notice (85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020).
    Public meeting. We do not plan to hold a public meeting. But you 
may submit a request for one on or before January 15, 2023, using the 
method specified under ADDRESSES. Please explain why you believe a 
public meeting would be beneficial. If we determine that one would aid 
the process of thoroughly considering the application for 
recertification, we will hold one at a time and place announced by a 
later notice in the Federal Register.

II. Background and Purpose

    The Coast Guard published guidelines on December 31, 1992 (57 FR 
62600), to assist groups seeking recertification under the Oil Terminal 
and Oil Tanker Environmental Oversight and Monitoring Act of 1990 (33 
U.S.C. 2732) (the Act). The Coast Guard issued a policy statement on 
July 7, 1993 (58 FR 36504), to clarify the factors that the Coast Guard 
would be considering in making its determination as to whether advisory 
groups should be certified in accordance with the Act; and the 
procedures which the Coast Guard would follow in meeting its 
certification responsibilities under the Act.
    Most recently, on September 16, 2002 (67 FR 58440), the Coast Guard 
changed its policy on recertification procedures

[[Page 78702]]

for regional citizen's advisory council by requiring applicants to 
provide comprehensive information every three years. For the two years 
in between, applicants only submit information describing substantive 
changes to the information provided at the last triennial 
recertification. This is the year in this triennial cycle that PWSRCAC 
must provide comprehensive information.
    The Coast Guard is accepting comments concerning the 
recertification of PWSRCAC. At the conclusion of the comment period, 
February 8, 2023, the Coast Guard will review all application materials 
and comments received and will take one of the following actions:
    (a) Recertify the advisory group under 33 U.S.C. 2732(o).
    (b) Issue a conditional recertification for a period of 90 days, 
with a statement of any discrepancies, which must be corrected to 
qualify for recertification for the remainder of the year.
    (c) Deny recertification of the advisory group if the Coast Guard 
finds that the group is not broadly representative of the interests and 
communities in the area or is not adequately fostering the goals and 
purposes of 33 U.S.C. 2732.
    The Coast Guard will notify PWSRCAC by letter of the action taken 
on their respective applications. A notice will be published in the 
Federal Register to advise the public of the Coast Guard's 
determination.

    Dated: December 16, 2022.
N. A. Moore,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard 
District.
[FR Doc. 2022-27895 Filed 12-21-22; 8:45 am]
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