[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83-85]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-28482]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2022-0047]


Port Access Route Study: Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and 
Massachusetts

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft report; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: On March 31, 2022, the Coast Guard published a notice of study 
and request for comments announcing commencement of an Approaches to 
Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts Port Access Route Study 
(MNMPARS). This notice announces the availability of a draft report for 
public review and comment. The Coast Guard is seeking public comments 
on the content, proposed routing measures, and development of the 
report. The recommendations of this study may lead

[[Page 84]]

to future rulemakings or appropriate international agreements.

DATES: All comments and related material must be received on or before 
February 2, 2022. 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-
2022-0047 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 viewing the draft report and submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this 
notice, call or email LTJG Thomas Davis, First Coast Guard District 
(dpw), U.S. Coast Guard: telephone (617) 223-8632, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Table of Abbreviations

DHS Department of Homeland Security
MNMPARS Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts Port 
Access Route Study
PARS Port Access Route Study
TSS Traffic Separation Scheme
USCG United States Coast Guard

II. Background and Purpose

    Under section 70003 of title 46 of the United States Code (46 
U.S.C. 70003(c)), the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) 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 USCG must 
conduct a Port Access Route Study (PARS), i.e., a study of potential 
traffic density and the need for safe access routes for vessels. 
Through the study process, the USCG must coordinate with federal, 
state, tribal, and foreign state agencies (where appropriate) and 
consider the views of maritime community representatives, environmental 
groups, and other 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, operation of renewable energy facilities, 
marine sanctuary operations, commercial and recreational activities, 
and other uses.
    On March 31, 2022, the Coast Guard commenced an Approaches to 
Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts Port Access Route Study 
(MNMPARS) by publishing a notice of study and request for comments in 
the Federal Register (87 FR 18800). The purpose of the MNMPARS is to 
evaluate the adequacy of existing vessel routing measures and determine 
whether additional vessel routing measures are necessary for port 
approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts and international 
and domestic transit areas in the First Coast Guard District area of 
responsibility.
    On June 28, 2022, the First Coast Guard District published a 60-day 
Notification of Inquiry and Public Meetings; request for comments (87 
FR 38418). This supplemental notice announced a schedule for six public 
meetings and sought additional public comments concerning more specific 
navigational safety issues. The notification requested responses to 
several general and port-specific questions that were based on analysis 
of historical traffic data and public comments received from the 
original Notice of Study. Of the six public meetings, four were 
conducted in both in-person and virtual formats, one was in-person 
only, and one was virtual only.
    During both comment periods a total of 30 comments were submitted 
by representatives of the maritime community, Federal and State 
governmental agencies, environmental groups, non-governmental 
organizations, and other stakeholders. Comments were provided during 
public meetings, via email, and submitted directly to the electronic 
docket. Oral comments provided during public meetings can be viewed in 
the individual meeting recordings posted to the ``Documents'' section 
of the public docket.
    The USCG is opening this third MNMPARS comment period to facilitate 
transparent public feedback on the content and findings included in the 
draft report of this study.

III. Information Requested

    The USCG is seeking all public comments on the content and 
recommendations contained in the study draft report. All comments 
received will be reviewed and considered before a final version of the 
PARS is announced in the Federal Register.

IV. Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to participate in the study process by commenting 
on the content and development of the draft report.
    A. Viewing the draft version of the report: To view the draft 
version of the MNMPARS report in the docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov, and insert ``USCG-2022-0047'' in the ``search 
box''. Click ``Search''. Then, scroll to find the document entitled 
``DRAFT REPORT Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts 
Port Access Route Study'' under the document type ``Supporting & 
Related Material.''
    B. Submitting Comments: To submit your comment online, go to http://www.regulations.gov, and insert ``USCG-2022-0047'' in the ``search 
box.'' Click ``Search''. Then scroll to find the most recent ``notice'' 
entitled ``Port Access Route Study: Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, 
and Massachusetts'' and click ``Comment.'' The ``Comment'' button can 
be found on the following pages:
     Docket Details page when a document within the docket is 
open for comment,
     Document Details page when the document is open for 
comment, and
     Document Search Tab with all search results open for 
comment displaying a ``Comment'' button.
    Clicking ``Comment'' on any of the above pages will display the 
comment form. You can enter your comment on the form, attach files 
(maximum of 20 files up to 10MB each), and choose whether to identify 
yourself as an individual, an organization, or anonymously. Be sure to 
complete all required fields depending on which identity you have 
chosen. Once you have completed all required fields and chosen an 
identity, the ``Submit Comment'' button is enabled. Upon completion, 
you will receive a Comment Tracking Number for your comment. For 
additional step by step instructions, please see the Frequently Asked 
Questions page on http://www.regulations.gov or by clicking https://www.regulations.gov/faq.
    We accept anonymous comments. Comments we post to http://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).
    We review all comments and materials received during the comment

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period, but we may choose not to post off-topic, inappropriate, or 
duplicate comments that we receive.
    C. How do I find and browse for posted comments on Regulations.gov? 
On the previous version of Regulations.gov, users browsed for comments 
on the Docket Details page. However, since comments are made on 
individual documents, not dockets, new Regulations.gov organizes 
comments under their corresponding document. To access comments and 
documents submitted to this draft version of the study report go to 
http://www.regulations.gov and insert ``USCG-2022-0047'' in the 
``search box.'' Click ``Search.'' Then scroll down to and click on the 
most recent ``notice'' entitled ``Port Access Route Study: Approaches 
to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.'' This will open to the 
``Document Details'' page. Then click on the ``Browse Comments'' tab. 
On the comment tab, you can search and filter comments. Note: If no 
comments have been posted to a document, the ``Comments'' tab will not 
appear on the Document Details page.
    D. If you need additional help navigating the new Regulations.gov. 
For additional step by step instructions to submit a comment or to view 
submitted comments or other documents please see the Frequently Asked 
Questions (FAQs) at http://www.regulations.gov/faqs or call or email 
the person in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this 
document for alternate instructions.
    E. Privacy Act: 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.). You may review a 
Privacy Act, system of records notice regarding DHS's eRulemaking in 
the March 11, 2020, issue of the Federal Register (85 FR 14226).

V. Future Actions

    Any comments received by the comment period end date will be 
reviewed and considered before the final report of the MNMPARS is 
announced in the Federal Register.
    This notice is published under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).

    Dated: December 22, 2022.
J. W. Mauger,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, First Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2022-28482 Filed 12-30-22; 8:45 am]
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