Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study: Port Approaches and International Entry and Departure Transit Areas
| Published date | 15 March 2019 |
| Citation | 84 FR 9541 |
| Record Number | 2019-04891 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Coast Guard |
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 51 (Friday, March 15, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 51 (Friday, March 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9541-9542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04891]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2011-0351]
Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study: Port Approaches and
International Entry and Departure Transit Areas
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of study; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is beginning a new study of routes used by
ships to access ports on the Atlantic Coast of the United States. This
new study supplements and builds on the Atlantic Coast Port Access
Route Study (ACPARS) completed on April 5, 2017.
DATES: Coast Guard District Commanders will prioritize and schedule a
Port Access Route Study (PARS) for specific port approaches and
international transit areas associated with proposed ACPARS fairways
within their areas of responsibilities (AOR). They will post these
milestones on the docket by May 1, 2019. This initiative is expected to
be completed by May 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2011-0351 using the Federal eRulemaking 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: For information about this document
call or email George Detweiler, Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-1566,
email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Participation and Comments
Public participation is essential to this study and the Coast Guard
will consider all comments and material received during the comment
period. We encourage you to participate by submitting comments and
related materials. All comments received will be posted without change
to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any personal information
you have provided. You may submit your comments and material online via
http://www.regulations.gov. Type ``USCG-2011-0351'' into the search bar
and click search, next to the displayed search results click ``Comment
Now'', which will open the comment page. If you cannot submit your
material by using https://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice for
alternate instructions. Reference documents and all public comments,
will be available in our online docket at https://www.regulations.gov,
and can be viewed by following that website's instructions. Type
``USCG-2011-0351'' into the search bar and click search, next to the
displayed search results click ``Open Docket Folder.'' Additionally, if
you visit the online docket and sign up for email alerts, you will be
notified when comments are posted.
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 the
docket, you may review a Privacy Act notice regarding the Federal
Docket Management System in the March 24, 2005, issue of the Federal
Register (70 FR 15086).
Public Meeting
You may submit a request for a public meeting online via http://www.regulations.gov. Please explain why you believe a public meeting
would be beneficial. If we determine that a public meeting would aid in
the study, we will hold a meeting at a time and place announced by a
later notice in the Federal Register. When it is published, we will
place a copy of the announcement in the docket and you will receive an
email alert from www.regulations.gov.
Definitions
Fairway or shipping safety fairway means a lane or corridor in
which no artificial island or fixed structure, whether temporary or
permanent, will be permitted. See 33 CFR 166.105 (a).
International Entry and Departure Transit Areas mean navigation
routes followed by vessels coming to or departing from the United
States and an international seaport. For this study, international
entry and departure transit areas will connect to recommended shipping
safety fairways in the ACPARS at the outer limit of the EEZ.
Port Approaches mean navigation routes followed by vessels entering
or departing a seaport from or to a primary transit route. This study
will consider port approaches that connect seaports to recommended
shipping safety fairways described in the ACPARS.
Discussion
The Coast Guard is beginning a new study of the port approaches and
international entry and departure transit areas to ports on the
Atlantic Coast of the United States. These routes are critical links of
a robust and effective Marine Transportation System (MTS) and integral
to efficient shipping safety fairways recommended in the Atlantic Coast
Port Access Route Study (ACPARS). The ACPARS analyzed the Atlantic
Coast waters seaward of existing port approaches within the U.S.
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to identify navigation routes customarily
followed by ships engaged in commerce between international and
domestic U.S. ports. See https://navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/PARS/ACPARS_Final_Report_08Jul2015_Combined_Appendix_Enclosures_Final_After_LMI_Review.pdf. This new study is focused on routes between port
approaches and international entry and departure transit areas.
The Ports and Waterways Safety Act (PWSA) (46 U.S.C. 70003(c))
requires the Coast Guard to study potential traffic density and assess
the need for safe access routes for vessels. The Coast Guard
coordinates with Federal and State agencies, and considers the views of
the maritime community, environmental groups, and other interested
stakeholders in order to reconcile the need for safe access routes with
other reasonable waterway uses in the study area.
[[Page 9542]]
The ACPARS analyzed waters located seaward of existing port
approaches within the EEZ along the entire Atlantic Coast. Automatic
Identification System (AIS) data and information from stakeholders 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. Additional analysis of sea space
for vessels to maneuver in compliance with the International
Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea led to development of
marine planning guidelines and recommendations for shipping safety
fairways.
An analysis of potential traffic density of vessels proceeding to
and from a U.S. port is referred to as a Port Access Route Study
(PARS). Several PARS will examine ports along the Atlantic coast that
are economically significant, support military operations or critical
to national defense and related international entry and departure
transit areas that are integral to the safe, efficient and unimpeded
flow of commerce to/from major international shipping lanes. Similar to
the ACPARS, PARS will use AIS data and information from stakeholders to
identify and verify customary navigation routes as well as potential
conflicts involving alternative activities, such as wind energy
generation and offshore mineral exploitation and exploration.
Scope
The Coast Guard will analyze ports that are economically
significant, that support military operations or are strategic for
national defense along the Atlantic. This includes but is not limited
to:
First Coast Guard District
Kennebec River/Bath, ME;, Port of Portland, ME;, Portsmouth, NH;,
New Bedford, MA;, Port of Boston, MA;, Narragansett Bay, RI;, Long
Island Sound Eastern Entrances;, Groton, CT;, New Haven Harbor, CT;
and, Port of New York and New Jersey, including Port Elizabeth and
Newark.
Fifth Coast Guard District
Port of Philadelphia, PA including Camden-Gloucester City, NJ, Port
of Wilmington, DE and New Castle, DE;, Port of Baltimore, MD;, Port of
Virginia including Norfolk, Newport News and Hampton Roads, VA;,
Morehead City, NC; and, Wilmington, NC.
Seventh Coast Guard District
Port of Charleston, SC;, Port of Savannah, GA;, Brunswick, GA;,
Kings Bay, GA;, Port of Jacksonville, FL;, Port Canaveral, FL;, Port
Everglades, FL; and, Port of Miami, FL.
Methodology
This study will analyze navigation routes to/from the ports
identified above to the proposed fairways outlined in the ACPARS as
well as international routes to/from the United States. Current
capabilities and planned improvements in these ports to handle maritime
conveyances will be considered. Analyses will be conducted in
accordance with Marine Planning to Operate and Maintain the Marine
Transportation System (MTS) and Implement National Policy, COMDTINST
16003.2A, and coordinated by the cognizant District Commander. See
https://media.defense.gov/2017/Mar/15/2001716995/-1/-1/0/CI_16003_2A.PDF. Notices of study will be published in the Federal
Register to inform and solicit public comments for each PARS.
This notice is issued under authority of 46 U.S.C. 70003(c) and 5
U.S.C. 552[ ].
Dated: March 11, 2019.
Michael D. Emerson,
Director, Marine Transportation Systems.
[FR Doc. 2019-04891 Filed 3-14-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
