[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 4, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 23694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-10167]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2025-0097]
Exemption Permit for the M/V SUPPLIER or M/V TRANSPORTER
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notification of issuance of Alaska cargo exemption permit.
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SUMMARY: Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard District, has issued a
permit exempting two vessels from requirements in the Code of Federal
Regulations when transporting cargo, including bulk fuel, within
Alaska. Permits temporarily waive vessel inspection requirements to
facilitate the movement of cargo, including bulk fuel, to remote
Alaskan sites when inspected cargo vessels are not reasonably
available. Sundog Charters Inc., the operator of M/V SUPPLIER (O.N.
1205481) and M/V TRANSPORTER (O.N. 1321256), received a single permit
allowing one of the vessels to conduct on-going bulk fuel deliveries of
up to a total of 8,000 gallons of heating oil, diesel, gasoline and
aviation gasoline carried in approved portable tanks on deck, between
Kodiak and remote sites around the island. The permit expires on 06
March 2026. This notification of issuance of a permit promotes the
Coast Guard's marine safety mission and the flow of essential cargo to
remote sites.
DATES: The waiver permit was issued on 6 March 2025; it expires on 6
March 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information or questions about
this notice call or email Commander Douglas Salik, and District
Seventeen, Prevention, Inspections and Investigations, U.S. Coast
Guard; (907) 463-2821, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal law \1\ formally recognizes the
remoteness of Alaska, limited shipping options, underdeveloped port
facilities, and limited oil spill response capability. Special
authority to issue waivers allows for the delivery of essential goods,
bulk fuel, and timely emergency assistance to areas of Alaska
underserved by shippers or remote customers burdened with unique
seasonal shipping conditions. 46 U.S.C. 3302(i) allows exemption from
46 CFR requirements for voyages within Alaska. A permit may be issued
for a specific voyage or for not more than one year. An issued permit
will stipulate manning, along with any relevant requirements or
restrictions for requested operations. The authority to grant permits
for such exemption to qualified vessels is delegated in 33 CFR 1.01-50
to the Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard District. Permitting
authority has been further delegated; emergency, single trip permits
may be granted by the local Officer in Charge of Marine Inspection,
while an extended permit lasting up to one year may be issued by the
Chief of Prevention for District Seventeen.
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\1\ 46 U.S.C. 3302, Exemptions from inspection. Sections (c),
(d) & (i), all have Alaska specific application.
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Permits may be granted if all the following conditions are met:
i. The vessel is not more than 300 Gross Registered Tonnage;
ii. The vessel is in an acceptable condition, that does not pose
immediate threat to safety of life or environment; and
iii. The vessel was operating in Alaska as of June 1, 1976 or is a
replacement for such a vessel if the vessel being replaced is no longer
in service.
Once issued, use of the permits is subject to the following
conditions:
i. The permit may only be used when an inspected vessel that could
carry the cargo is not reasonably available, or the cargo cannot be
brought on overland routes. In a situation declared to be an emergency,
a permit may be used to transport cargo without delay.
ii. If a vessel issued a permit creates an immediate threat to the
safety of life or the environment or is operated in a manner
inconsistent with the terms of the permit or the requirements, the
permit may be revoked.
iii. If a vessel violates conditions on the permit, the responsible
party may be liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty
of not more than $1,000.
Having considered the conditions listed above, the Chief of
Prevention for the Seventeenth Coast Guard District has issued a permit
to Sundog Charters Inc. for the M/V SUPPLIER (O.N. 1205481) and M/V
TRANSPORTER (O.N. 1321256), both 61.5 foot long landing craft operating
out of Kodiak, Alaska. A single vessel may use the permit at a time.
The permit authorizes on-going bulk fuel carriage of up to a total of
8,000 gallons of heating oil, diesel, gasoline and aviation gasoline
carried in approved portable tanks on deck. The permit vessels may
operate only between Kodiak harbor and the remote communities of:
Karluk, Ouzinkie, Larsen Bay, other remote sites not on the road-system
in the Kodiak archipelago, and Katmai Wilderness Lodge in Kukak Bay on
the Alaskan mainland. North Pacific Fuels and Petro Marine Services,
the marine fuel terminals and fuel barge operators in Kodiak, do not
conduct small volume deliveries to these locations and Ouzinkie only
receives one fuel barge a year for use by the local school. The permit
allows up to 5,000 gallons of cargo to be carried in existing non-
specification tanks, with the stipulation that Sundog Charters replace
all existing portable tanks with approved bulk packaging per 49 CFR
171, 172 and 173; future use of such tanks is not permitted.
This notice is issued under authority of 46 U.S.C. 3302(i) and 33
CFR 1.01-50.
D. Salik,
Commander, U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Chief of Prevention, Seventeenth
Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2025-10167 Filed 6-3-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P