Dry Cargo Residue Discharges in the Great Lakes; Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement, 12209-12211 [06-2258]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 46 / Thursday, March 9, 2006 / Notices
should register online at https://
www.biosecurityboard.gov/meetings.asp
or by calling The Hill Group (Contact:
Jenny Chun) at 301–897–2789, ext. 115.
Individuals who plan to attend and
need special assistance, such as sign
language interpretation or other
reasonable accommodations, should
indicate these requirements upon
registration.
hsrobinson on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Name of Committee: National Science
Advisory Board for Biosecurity.
Date: March 30, 2006.
Time: 8 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.
Agenda: Presentations and discussions
regarding: (1) Criteria for identifying dual use
research; (2) a code of conduct for the life
sciences; (3) principles and tools for the
responsible communication of dual use
research; (4) international perspectives on
dual use research; (5) synthetic genomics; (6)
public comments; and (7) other business of
the Board.
Place: The National Institutes of Health,
Building 31, 6C–Room 10, Bethesda,
Maryland.
Contact Person: Allison Chamberlain,
NSABB Program Assistant, 6705 Rockledge
Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 402–3090.
This meeting will also be Webcast.
The draft meeting agenda and other
information about NSABB, including
information about access to the Webcast
and pre-registration, will be available at
https://www.biosecurityboard.gov/
meetings.asp.
Any member of the public interested
in presenting oral comments at the
meeting may notify the Contact Person
listed on this notice at least 10 days in
advance of the meeting. Interested
individuals and representatives of an
organization may submit a letter of
intent, a brief description of the
organization represented and a short
description of the oral presentation
Only one representative of an
organization may be allowed to present
oral comments. Both printed and
electronic copies are requested for the
record. In addition, any interested
person may file written comments with
the committee. All written comments
must be received by March 17, 2005 and
should be sent via email to
nsabb@od.nih.gov with ‘‘NSABB Public
Comment’’ as the subject line or by
regular mail to 6705 Rockledge Drive,
Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20892,
Attention Allison Chamberlain. The
statement should include the name,
address, telephone number and, when
applicable, the business or professional
affiliation of the interested person.
Dated: March 1, 2006.
Anna Snouffer,
Acting Director, Office of Federal Advisory
Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. 06–2215 Filed 3–8–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–M
13:58 Mar 08, 2006
Jkt 208001
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Center for Scientific Review; Amended
Notice of Meeting
Center for Scientific Review; Amended
Notice of Meeting
Notice is hereby given of a change in
the meeting of the Center for Scientific
Review Special Emphasis Panel, March
6, 2006, 8:30 a.m. to March 7, 2006, 1
p.m., One Washington Circle, One
Washington Circle, NW., Washington,
DC, 20037 which was published in the
Federal Register on February 15, 2006,
71 FR 7985–7987.
The meeting will be held one day
only on March 6, 2006, from 8:30 a.m.
to 6 p.m. The meeting location remains
the same. The meeting is closed to the
public.
Notice is hereby given of a change in
the meeting of the Center for Scientific
Review Special Emphasis Panel, March
22, 2006, 3 p.m. to March 22, 2006, 5
p.m., National Institutes of Health, 6701
Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892
which was published in the Federal
Register on February 23, 2006, 71 FR
9362–9363.
The starting time of the meeting on
March 22, 2006 has been changed to 2
p.m. until adjournment. The meeting
date and location remain the same. The
meeting is closed to the public.
Dated: March 1, 2006.
Anna Snouffer,
Acting Director, Office of Federal Advisory
Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. 06–2213 Filed 3–8–06; 8:45 am]
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Dated: February 28, 2006.
Anna Snouffer,
Acting Director, Office of Federal Advisory
Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. 06–2207 Filed 3–8–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–M
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Center for Scientific Review; Amended
Notice of Meeting
Notice is hereby given of a change in
the meeting of the Center for Scientific
Review Special Emphasis Panel, March
7, 2006, 11 a.m. to March 7, 2006, 12
p.m., National Institutes of Health, 6701
Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892
which was published in the Federal
Register on February 23, 2006, 71 FR
9363–9367.
The meeting will be held on March
21, 2006, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. The
meeting location remains the same. The
meeting is public.
Dated: February 28, 2006.
Anna Snouffer,
Acting Director, Office of Federal Advisory
Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. 06–2208 Filed 3–8–06; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–M
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BILLING CODE 4140–01–M
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Coast Guard
[USCG–2004–19621]
Dry Cargo Residue Discharges in the
Great Lakes; Preparation of
Environmental Impact Statement
Coast Guard, DHS.
Notice of intent; notice of
availability; request for comments.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces
its intent to prepare an environmental
impact statement (EIS) in connection
with the development of proposed new
regulations on the incidental discharge
of dry cargo residue in the Great Lakes.
Publication of this notice begins a
public scoping process that will help
determine the scope of issues to be
addressed in the EIS and identify the
significant environmental issues related
to this EIS (40 CFR 1506.6). This notice
also solicits public participation in the
scoping process, and announces the
availability of a study on current dry
cargo residue discharge practices in the
Great Lakes.
DATES: Comments and related material
must reach the Docket Management
Facility on or before July 31, 2006.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
identified by Coast Guard docket
number USCG–2004–19621 to the
Docket Management Facility at the U.S.
Department of Transportation.
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
09MRN1
12210
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 46 / Thursday, March 9, 2006 / Notices
Address docket submissions for
USCG–2004–19621 to: Docket
Management Facility, U.S. Department
of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street
SW., Washington, DC 20590–0001.
The Docket Management Facility
accepts hand-delivered submissions,
and makes docket contents available for
public inspection and copying at this
address, in room PL–401, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. The
Facility’s telephone is 202–366–9329,
its fax is 202–493–2251, and its Web site
for electronic submissions or for
electronic access to docket contents is
https://dms.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If
you have questions regarding this
notice, contact LCDR Mary Sohlberg,
U.S. Coast Guard, fax 202–267–4690 or
e-mail msohlberg@comdt.uscg.mil. If
you have questions on viewing or
submitting material to the docket, call
Renee V. Wright, Program Manager,
Docket Operations, telephone 202–493–
0402.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
hsrobinson on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Request for Comments
We request public comments or other
relevant information on environmental
issues related to all aspects of incidental
dry cargo residue discharges on the
Great Lakes. You can submit comments
to the Docket Management Facility
during the public comment period (see
DATES). We will consider all comments
and material received during the
comment period.
Submissions should include:
• Docket number USCG–2004–19621.
• Your name and address.
• Your reasons for making each
comment or for bringing information to
our attention.
Submit comments or material using
only one of the following methods:
• Electronic submission to DMS,
https://dms.dot.gov.
• Fax, mail, or hand delivery to the
Docket Management Facility (see
ADDRESSES). Faxed or hand delivered
submissions must be unbound, no larger
than 81⁄2 by 11 inches, and suitable for
copying and electronic scanning. If you
mail your submission and want to know
when it reaches the Facility, include a
stamped, self-addressed postcard or
envelope.
Regardless of the method used for
submitting comments or material, all
submissions will be posted, without
change, to the DMS Web site (https://
dms.dot.gov), and will include any
personal information you provide.
Therefore, submitting this information
makes it public. You may wish to read
VerDate Aug<31>2005
13:58 Mar 08, 2006
Jkt 208001
the Privacy Act notice that is available
on the DMS Web site, or the Department
of Transportation Privacy Act Statement
that appeared in the Federal Register on
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477).
You may view docket submissions at
the Docket Management Facility (see
ADDRESSES), or electronically on the
DMS Web site.
Background
The Coast Guard has previously
published Federal Register documents
concerning regulation of incidental dry
cargo residue on the Great Lakes: 69 FR
1994 (January 13, 2004), 69 FR 57711
(September 27, 2004), 69 FR 77147
(December 27, 2004; corrected at 70 FR
1400, January 7, 2005).
The historical practice of bulk dry
cargo vessels on the Great Lakes is to
wash non-hazardous and non-toxic
cargo residues (‘‘dry cargo residue’’ or
‘‘cargo sweepings’’) overboard. These
non-hazardous non-toxic discharges
eliminate unsafe conditions onboard the
vessel, without requiring alternatives
that could involve time delays or added
cost. Current environmental statutes, if
strictly enforced, would prohibit these
incidental discharges. However, under
an ‘‘interim enforcement policy’’ (IEP)
first adopted by the Coast Guard’s Ninth
District in 1993, incidental discharges of
dry cargo residue are permitted in
defined portions of the Great Lakes.
Congress has authorized continuation of
the IEP until September 30, 2008, unless
the Coast Guard acts sooner to replace
the IEP with new regulations.
Dry cargo residue on the Great Lakes
generally includes, but is not limited to,
limestone and other clean stone, iron
ore such as taconite, coal and salt, and
cement. The IEP applies only to such
cargo residues, and does not alter the
strict prohibition of any discharge of
oily waste, untreated sewage, plastics,
dunnage, or other things commonly
understood to be ‘‘garbage,’’ from
vessels on the Great Lakes. Nor does the
IEP permit the discharge of any
substance known to be toxic or
hazardous, such as nickel, copper, zinc,
or lead. The IEP permits incidental dry
cargo residue discharges only in areas
that are relatively far from shore, and
that meet depth restrictions and other
restrictions near special protection
areas.
Our December 27, 2004 Federal
Register document (69 FR 77147;
corrected at 70 FR 1400, January 7,
2005) announced that we would
conduct a study of current dry cargo
residue discharge practices in the Great
Lakes, and requested information from
the public that could help us conduct
that study. The study is now complete
PO 00000
Frm 00050
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
and is available for public review either
electronically or at the Docket
Management Facility (see ADDRESSES
and Request for Comments).
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The proposed action is to adopt the
IEP as the basis for permanent
regulations, adding new requirements
for standardized record-keeping by
vessels that discharge dry cargo residue.
The discharges that require logging, the
format for log entries, the retention time
of the logs, and the physical location of
the log would be specified. The
alternatives to the proposed action
include:
• Allowing the IEP to terminate on
September 30, 2008, after which the
Coast Guard would enforce all laws
applicable to the discharge of dry cargo
residues into the Great Lakes. For the
purposes of our environmental review
this represents the ‘‘no-action’’
alternative;
• Adopting the IEP as the basis for
permanent regulations, without
significant change;
• Adopting the IEP as the basis for
permanent regulations, possibly with
significant changes (other than recordkeeping) designed to reduce the
environmental impact. Possible changes
would be specified and could include
adoption of best management practices,
quantity limits, cargo type limits, or
additional restrictions on discharge
locations;
• Developing a Coast Guard permit
system for vessels discharging
incidental dry cargo residue; and
• Regulating shoreside facilities to
control or eliminate dry cargo spillage
during vessel loading or unloading.
Scoping Process
The scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7)
is an early and open process for
determining the scope of issues to be
addressed in an EIS and for identifying
the significant issues related to the
proposed action. The scoping process
begins with publication of this notice
and ends when the Coast Guard has
completed the following actions:
• Invites the participation of Federal,
State, and local agencies, any affected
Indian tribe, the applicant, and other
interested persons;
• Determines the actions, alternatives,
and impacts described in 40 CFR
1508.25;
• Identifies and eliminates from
detailed study those issues that are not
significant or that are previously
documented and can be incorporated by
reference;
• Allocates responsibility for
preparing EIS components;
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
09MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 46 / Thursday, March 9, 2006 / Notices
• Indicates any related environmental
assessments or environmental impact
statements that are not part of the EIS;
• Identifies other relevant
environmental review and consultation
requirements;
• Indicates the relationship between
timing of the environmental review and
other aspects of the application process;
and
• At its discretion, exercises the
options provided in 40 CFR 1501.7(b).
The Coast Guard will publish a
Federal Register Notice to announce a
public meeting and will include the
time, location, and venue for the
meeting as part of the scoping process
under NEPA for this action. The Coast
Guard intends to announce these details
after gauging the level of public interest
in response to the current notice. Once
the scoping process is complete, the
Coast Guard will prepare a draft EIS,
and we will publish a Federal Register
notice announcing its public
availability. If you wish to be mailed or
e-mailed the public meeting notice or
the draft EIS notice of availability,
please contact the person named in FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. We will
provide the public with an opportunity
to review and comment on the draft EIS.
After the Coast Guard considers those
comments, we will prepare the final EIS
and similarly announce its availability
and issue a Record of Decision 30 days
later.
Dated: March 6, 2006.
Howard L. Hime,
Acting Director of Standards, Assistant
Commandant for Prevention.
[FR Doc. 06–2258 Filed 3–6–06; 4:25 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Coast Guard
[USCG–2006–24105]
Chemical Transportation Advisory
Committee
Coast Guard, DHS.
Notice of open teleconference
meeting.
AGENCY:
hsrobinson on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
ACTION:
SUMMARY: This notice announces a
teleconference of the Chemical
Transportation Advisory Committee
(CTAC). The purpose of the
teleconference is for CTAC to approve
comments to be submitted on the Coast
Guard’s Notification of Arrival in U.S.
Ports and Certain Dangerous Cargo
interim rule. Less than 15 days notice of
this teleconference is given in order to
complete timely input on critical issues
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13:58 Mar 08, 2006
Jkt 208001
being studied by the Coast Guard before
the end of the interim rule’s comment
period on March 16, 2006.
DATES: The CTAC teleconference will
take place on Monday, March 13, 2006,
from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, EST. The
teleconference may close early if all
business is finished. Written material
and requests to make oral presentations
should reach the Coast Guard on or
before March 10, 2006. Requests to have
a copy of your material distributed to
each member of the Committee should
reach the Coast Guard on or before
March 10, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Members of the public may
participate in this teleconference by
dialing 1–202–366–3920, passcode:
5543. Public participation is welcomed;
however, the number of teleconference
lines is limited and available on a first
come, first-served basis. Members of the
public may also participate by coming
to Room 3319, U.S. Coast Guard
Headquarters, 2100 Second Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20593–0001. We
request that members of the public who
plan to attend this meeting, notify LT
Barker or LT Stockwell at 202–267–1217
so proper security arrangements may be
made. Send written material and
requests to make oral presentations to
Commander Robert J. Hennessy,
Executive Director of CTAC,
Commandant (G–PSO–3), U.S. Coast
Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street
SW., Washington, DC 20593–0001 or email: CTAC@comdt.uscg.mil. This
notice is available on the Internet at
https://dms.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Commander Robert J. Hennessy,
Executive Director of CTAC, or Ms. Sara
Ju, Assistant to the Executive Director,
telephone 202–267–1217, fax 202–267–
4570.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of
these meetings is given under the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5
U.S.C. App. 2. The purpose of the
teleconference is for CTAC to approve
comments to be submitted on the Coast
Guard’s Notification of Arrival in U.S.
Ports and Certain Dangerous Cargo
interim rule (70 FR 74663, December 16,
2005). Less than 15 days notice of this
teleconference is given in order to
complete timely input on critical issues
being studied by the Coast Guard before
the end of the interim rule’s comment
period on March 16, 2006.
Agenda for Teleconference
(1) Introductions and opening
remarks.
(2) Discussion and vote on comments
drafted by Hazardous Cargo
Transportation Security Subcommittee
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Fmt 4703
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12211
for submission to the U.S. Coast Guard
concerning the Notification of Arrival in
U.S. Ports and Certain Dangerous Cargo
Federal Register document (70 FR
74663, December 16, 2005).
(3) Discussion and vote on Best
Practices developed by the Outreach
Subcommittee concerning the vapor
emissions from chemical barges.
(4) Public comment period.
Procedural
The teleconference is open to the
public. Please note that the
teleconference may close early if all
business is finished. The Chair of CTAC
shall conduct the teleconference in a
way that will, in their judgment,
facilitate the orderly conduct of
business. Members of the public will be
heard during the public comment
period. The Chair will make every effort
to hear the views of all interested
parties. Written comments must be
submitted to the Executive Director (see
ADDRESSES) on or before March 10,
2006.
The teleconference will be recorded
and a summary will be available for
public review upon request
approximately 30 days following the
teleconference meeting.
Dated: March 3, 2006.
Howard L. Hime,
Acting Director of Standards, Assistant
Commandant for Prevention.
[FR Doc. 06–2259 Filed 3–6–06; 4:25 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Extension of a Currently
Approved Information Collection;
Comment Request
30-Day Notice of Information
Collection Under Review: Petition for
Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special
Immigrant, Form I–360.
ACTION:
The Department of Homeland
Security, U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) has
submitted the following information
collection request to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and clearance in accordance
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995. The information collection was
previously published in the Federal
Register on December 14, 2005, at 70 FR
74028. The notice allowed for a 60-day
public comment period. No comments
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 46 (Thursday, March 9, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12209-12211]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2258]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[USCG-2004-19621]
Dry Cargo Residue Discharges in the Great Lakes; Preparation of
Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of intent; notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS) in connection with the development
of proposed new regulations on the incidental discharge of dry cargo
residue in the Great Lakes. Publication of this notice begins a public
scoping process that will help determine the scope of issues to be
addressed in the EIS and identify the significant environmental issues
related to this EIS (40 CFR 1506.6). This notice also solicits public
participation in the scoping process, and announces the availability of
a study on current dry cargo residue discharge practices in the Great
Lakes.
DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Docket Management
Facility on or before July 31, 2006.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket
number USCG-2004-19621 to the Docket Management Facility at the U.S.
Department of Transportation.
[[Page 12210]]
Address docket submissions for USCG-2004-19621 to: Docket
Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh
Street SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
The Docket Management Facility accepts hand-delivered submissions,
and makes docket contents available for public inspection and copying
at this address, in room PL-401, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays. The Facility's telephone is
202-366-9329, its fax is 202-493-2251, and its Web site for electronic
submissions or for electronic access to docket contents is https://
dms.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions regarding this
notice, contact LCDR Mary Sohlberg, U.S. Coast Guard, fax 202-267-4690
or e-mail msohlberg@comdt.uscg.mil. If you have questions on viewing or
submitting material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program
Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-493-0402.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Request for Comments
We request public comments or other relevant information on
environmental issues related to all aspects of incidental dry cargo
residue discharges on the Great Lakes. You can submit comments to the
Docket Management Facility during the public comment period (see
DATES). We will consider all comments and material received during the
comment period.
Submissions should include:
Docket number USCG-2004-19621.
Your name and address.
Your reasons for making each comment or for bringing
information to our attention.
Submit comments or material using only one of the following
methods:
Electronic submission to DMS, https://dms.dot.gov.
Fax, mail, or hand delivery to the Docket Management
Facility (see ADDRESSES). Faxed or hand delivered submissions must be
unbound, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, and suitable for copying
and electronic scanning. If you mail your submission and want to know
when it reaches the Facility, include a stamped, self-addressed
postcard or envelope.
Regardless of the method used for submitting comments or material,
all submissions will be posted, without change, to the DMS Web site
(https://dms.dot.gov), and will include any personal information you
provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public. You
may wish to read the Privacy Act notice that is available on the DMS
Web site, or the Department of Transportation Privacy Act Statement
that appeared in the Federal Register on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477).
You may view docket submissions at the Docket Management Facility
(see ADDRESSES), or electronically on the DMS Web site.
Background
The Coast Guard has previously published Federal Register documents
concerning regulation of incidental dry cargo residue on the Great
Lakes: 69 FR 1994 (January 13, 2004), 69 FR 57711 (September 27, 2004),
69 FR 77147 (December 27, 2004; corrected at 70 FR 1400, January 7,
2005).
The historical practice of bulk dry cargo vessels on the Great
Lakes is to wash non-hazardous and non-toxic cargo residues (``dry
cargo residue'' or ``cargo sweepings'') overboard. These non-hazardous
non-toxic discharges eliminate unsafe conditions onboard the vessel,
without requiring alternatives that could involve time delays or added
cost. Current environmental statutes, if strictly enforced, would
prohibit these incidental discharges. However, under an ``interim
enforcement policy'' (IEP) first adopted by the Coast Guard's Ninth
District in 1993, incidental discharges of dry cargo residue are
permitted in defined portions of the Great Lakes. Congress has
authorized continuation of the IEP until September 30, 2008, unless the
Coast Guard acts sooner to replace the IEP with new regulations.
Dry cargo residue on the Great Lakes generally includes, but is not
limited to, limestone and other clean stone, iron ore such as taconite,
coal and salt, and cement. The IEP applies only to such cargo residues,
and does not alter the strict prohibition of any discharge of oily
waste, untreated sewage, plastics, dunnage, or other things commonly
understood to be ``garbage,'' from vessels on the Great Lakes. Nor does
the IEP permit the discharge of any substance known to be toxic or
hazardous, such as nickel, copper, zinc, or lead. The IEP permits
incidental dry cargo residue discharges only in areas that are
relatively far from shore, and that meet depth restrictions and other
restrictions near special protection areas.
Our December 27, 2004 Federal Register document (69 FR 77147;
corrected at 70 FR 1400, January 7, 2005) announced that we would
conduct a study of current dry cargo residue discharge practices in the
Great Lakes, and requested information from the public that could help
us conduct that study. The study is now complete and is available for
public review either electronically or at the Docket Management
Facility (see ADDRESSES and Request for Comments).
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The proposed action is to adopt the IEP as the basis for permanent
regulations, adding new requirements for standardized record-keeping by
vessels that discharge dry cargo residue. The discharges that require
logging, the format for log entries, the retention time of the logs,
and the physical location of the log would be specified. The
alternatives to the proposed action include:
Allowing the IEP to terminate on September 30, 2008, after
which the Coast Guard would enforce all laws applicable to the
discharge of dry cargo residues into the Great Lakes. For the purposes
of our environmental review this represents the ``no-action''
alternative;
Adopting the IEP as the basis for permanent regulations,
without significant change;
Adopting the IEP as the basis for permanent regulations,
possibly with significant changes (other than record-keeping) designed
to reduce the environmental impact. Possible changes would be specified
and could include adoption of best management practices, quantity
limits, cargo type limits, or additional restrictions on discharge
locations;
Developing a Coast Guard permit system for vessels
discharging incidental dry cargo residue; and
Regulating shoreside facilities to control or eliminate
dry cargo spillage during vessel loading or unloading.
Scoping Process
The scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7) is an early and open process
for determining the scope of issues to be addressed in an EIS and for
identifying the significant issues related to the proposed action. The
scoping process begins with publication of this notice and ends when
the Coast Guard has completed the following actions:
Invites the participation of Federal, State, and local
agencies, any affected Indian tribe, the applicant, and other
interested persons;
Determines the actions, alternatives, and impacts
described in 40 CFR 1508.25;
Identifies and eliminates from detailed study those issues
that are not significant or that are previously documented and can be
incorporated by reference;
Allocates responsibility for preparing EIS components;
[[Page 12211]]
Indicates any related environmental assessments or
environmental impact statements that are not part of the EIS;
Identifies other relevant environmental review and
consultation requirements;
Indicates the relationship between timing of the
environmental review and other aspects of the application process; and
At its discretion, exercises the options provided in 40
CFR 1501.7(b).
The Coast Guard will publish a Federal Register Notice to announce
a public meeting and will include the time, location, and venue for the
meeting as part of the scoping process under NEPA for this action. The
Coast Guard intends to announce these details after gauging the level
of public interest in response to the current notice. Once the scoping
process is complete, the Coast Guard will prepare a draft EIS, and we
will publish a Federal Register notice announcing its public
availability. If you wish to be mailed or e-mailed the public meeting
notice or the draft EIS notice of availability, please contact the
person named in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. We will provide the
public with an opportunity to review and comment on the draft EIS.
After the Coast Guard considers those comments, we will prepare the
final EIS and similarly announce its availability and issue a Record of
Decision 30 days later.
Dated: March 6, 2006.
Howard L. Hime,
Acting Director of Standards, Assistant Commandant for Prevention.
[FR Doc. 06-2258 Filed 3-6-06; 4:25 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P