Application for the Integrated Tug and Barge MOKU PAHU, Review for Inclusion in the Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program; Draft Environmental Assessment, 18545-18546 [E8-6986]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 66 / Friday, April 4, 2008 / Notices Public Meetings We do not intend to hold any public meetings in association with this DEA. ebenthall on PRODPC61 with NOTICES Legislative and Regulatory History In the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990, as reauthorized, and as amended by the National Invasive Species Act of 1996, Public Law 101–646 and Public Law 104–332, respectively, Congress directed the Coast Guard to prevent introduction of aquatic nonindigenous species (NIS) from ballast water discharged by ships. 16 U.S.C 4711. To achieve this objective, the Coast Guard wrote new regulations in 33 CFR 151, subparts C and D. 58 FR 18330, April 8, 1993, and 69 FR 44952, July 28, 2004, respectively. On December 8, 2004, the Coast Guard published a notice in the Federal Register announcing its Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program (STEP) for experimental shipboard ballast water treatment systems. 69 FR 1802. The program goal is to promote development of alternatives to ballast water exchange as a means of preventing invasive species entering U.S. waters through ships’ ballast water. The comments we received support testing prototype treatment equipment and developing effective and practicable standards for approving this equipment. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Section 102(2)(c)), as implemented by the Council of Environment Quality regulations in 40 CFR parts 1500–1508 and Coast Guard Commandant Instruction M16475.1D, ‘‘National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures and Policy for Considering Environmental Impacts’’, the Coast Guard prepared a Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for the STEP to evaluate the environmental impacts from installing and operating a limited number of prototype ballast water treatment systems. 69 FR 71068. The PEA can be found in docket USCG– 2001–9267. That PEA addresses potential effects to the natural and human environments including fish, marine mammals, invertebrates, microorganisms and plankton, submerged and emergent species, threatened and endangered species, and essential fish habitat. It also requires each system to be evaluated for localized affects on the ports and waterways where a vessel involved in the program operates. We request your comments on the potential impacts of installing, using, and testing the Hyde Marine, Inc. Ballast Water Treatment System on the VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Apr 03, 2008 Jkt 214001 cruise ship CORAL PRINCESS, as analyzed in the DEA. We also request your comments on sources of data, reference material, or other information not included in the DEA. Your comments will be considered in preparing a Final Environmental Assessment for the CORAL PRINCESS. Dated: March 25, 2008. J.G. Lantz, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards. [FR Doc. E8–6995 Filed 4–3–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–15–P DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard [USCG–2007–0041] Application for the Integrated Tug and Barge MOKU PAHU, Review for Inclusion in the Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program; Draft Environmental Assessment Coast Guard, DHS. Notice of availability and request for public comments. AGENCY: ACTION: SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) for the integrated tug and barge MOKU PAHU. The DEA describes the MOKU PAHU’s application for the Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program (STEP) Ballast Water Treatment System demonstration initiative. The DEA for the MOKU PAHU also addresses effects on the human and natural environments from installing, testing, and using the Ecochlor Inc. ballast water treatment system as the vessel operates in U.S. waters. Comments and related materials must reach the Docket Management Facility on or before June 3, 2008. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket number USCG–2007–0041 to the Docket Management Facility at the U.S. Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use only one of the following methods: (1) Online: https:// www.regulations.gov. (2) Mail: Docket Management Facility (M–30), U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. (3) Hand Delivery: Room W12–140 on the Ground Floor of the West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. DATES: PO 00000 Frm 00056 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 18545 and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone number is 202–366–9329. (4) Fax: 202–493–2251. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on the Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) or would like a copy of the DEA, please contact LCDR Brian Moore, telephone 202–372–1434 or e-mail: brian.e.moore@uscg.mil. If you have questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, please call Ms. Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202–366– 9826. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Request for Comments We encourage you to submit comments and related materials about the Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) described in this notice. Persons submitting comments should include their names and addresses, the docket number for this notice (USCG–2007– 0041), and the reasons for each comment. You may submit your comments and materials by mail, hand delivery, fax, or electronic means to the Docket Management Facility listed under ADDRESSES. If you choose to submit them by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no longer than 81⁄2 by 11 inches, and suitable for copying and electronic filing. If you submit them by mail and would like to know if they reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped, selfaddressed postcard or envelope. We will consider all comments and materials received during the comment period. Public Meetings We do not intend to hold any public meetings in association with this DEA. Legislative and Regulatory History In the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990, as reauthorized, and as amended by the National Invasive Species Act of 1996, Public Law 101–646 and Public Law 104–332, respectively, Congress directed the Coast Guard to prevent introduction of aquatic nonindigenous species (NIS) from ballast water discharged by ships. 16 U.S.C. 4711. To achieve this objective, the Coast Guard wrote new regulations in 33 CFR 151, subparts C and D. 58 FR 18330, April 8, 1993, and 69 FR 44952, July 28, 2004, respectively. On December 8, 2004, the Coast Guard published a notice in the Federal Register announcing its Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program (STEP) for experimental shipboard ballast water treatment systems. 69 FR 1802. The E:\FR\FM\04APN1.SGM 04APN1 18546 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 66 / Friday, April 4, 2008 / Notices program goal is to promote development of alternatives to ballast water exchange as a means of preventing invasive species entering U.S. waters through ships’ ballast water. The comments we received support testing prototype treatment equipment and developing effective and practicable standards for approving this equipment. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Section 102(2)(c)), as implemented by the Council of Environment Quality regulations in 40 CFR parts 1500–1508 and Coast Guard Commandant Instruction M16475.1D, ‘‘National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures and Policy for Considering Environmental Impacts’’, the Coast Guard prepared a Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for the STEP to evaluate the environmental impacts from installing and operating a limited number of prototype ballast water treatment systems. 69 FR 71068. The PEA can be found in docket USCG– 2001–9267. That PEA addresses potential effects to the natural and human environments including fish, marine mammals, invertebrates, microorganisms and plankton, submerged and emergent species, threatened and endangered species, and essential fish habitat. It also requires each system to be evaluated for localized affects on the ports and waterways where a vessel involved in the program operates.We request your comments on the potential impacts of installing, using, and testing the Echoclor, Inc. ballast water treatment system on the cruise ship MOKU PAHU, as analyzed in the DEA. We also request your comments on sources of data, reference material, or other information not included in the DEA. Your comments will be considered in preparing a Final Environmental Assessment for the MOKU PAHU. Dated: March 25, 2008. J.G. Lantz, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards. [FR Doc. E8–6986 Filed 4–3–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–15–P DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ebenthall on PRODPC61 with NOTICES Coast Guard [Docket No. USCG–2008–0003] Notification of the Imposition of Conditions of Entry for Certain Vessels Arriving to the United States, Cuba AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Apr 03, 2008 Jkt 214001 ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces that effective anti-terrorism measures are not in place in the ports of Cuba and that it will impose conditions of entry on vessels arriving from that country. DATES: The policy announced in this notice will become effective April 18, 2008. ADDRESSES: This notice will be available for inspection and copying at the Docket Management Facility at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Room W12–140 on the Ground Floor of the West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone number is 202–366– 9329. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, call Mr. Michael Brown, International Port Security Evaluation Division, Coast Guard, telephone 202–372–1081. If you have questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202–366–9826. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background and Purpose Section 70110 of the Maritime Transportation Security Act provides that the Secretary of Homeland Security may impose conditions of entry on vessels requesting entry into the United States arriving from ports that are not maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures. The Coast Guard has been delegated the authority by the Secretary to carry out the provisions of this section. The Docket contains previous notices imposing or removing conditions of entry on vessels arriving from certain countries and those conditions of entry and the countries they pertain to remain in effect unless modified by this notice. The Coast Guard has determined that ports in Cuba are not maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures. Inclusive to this determination is an assessment that Cuba presents significant risk of introducing instruments of terror into international maritime commerce. Accordingly, effective April 18, 2008 the Coast Guard will impose the following conditions of entry on vessels that visited ports in Cuba during their last five port calls. Vessels must: • Implement measures per the ship’s security plan equivalent to Security Level 2 while in a port in Cuba; • Ensure that each access point to the ship is guarded and that the guards have PO 00000 Frm 00057 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 total visibility of the exterior (both landside and waterside) of the vessel while the vessel is in ports in Cuba. Guards may be provided by the ship’s crew, however additional crewmembers should be placed on the ship if necessary to ensure that limits on maximum hours of work are not exceeded and/or minimum hours of rest are met, or provided by outside security forces approved by the ship’s master and Company Security Officer; • Attempt to execute a Declaration of Security while in port in Cuba; • Log all security actions in the ship’s log; • Report actions taken to the cognizant U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port prior to arrival into U.S. waters; and • Ensure that each access point to the ship is guarded by armed, private security guards and that they have total visibility of the exterior (both landside and waterside) of the vessel while in U.S. ports. The number and position of the guards has to be acceptable to the cognizant Coast Guard Captain of the Port. With this notice, the current list of countries not maintaining effective antiterrorism measures is as follows: Cameroon, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Liberia, Mauritania and Syria. Dated: March 28, 2008. Rear Admiral David Pekoske, USCG, Assistant Commandant For Operations. [FR Doc. E8–6985 Filed 4–3–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–15–P DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA–3284–EM] Texas; Amendment No. 1 to Notice of an Emergency Declaration Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: This notice amends the notice of an emergency declaration for the State of Texas (FEMA–3284–EM), dated March 14, 2008, and related determinations. EFFECTIVE DATE: March 24, 2008. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peggy Miller, Disaster Assistance Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646–2705. E:\FR\FM\04APN1.SGM 04APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 66 (Friday, April 4, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18545-18546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-6986]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[USCG-2007-0041]


Application for the Integrated Tug and Barge MOKU PAHU, Review 
for Inclusion in the Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program; Draft 
Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for public comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of the Draft 
Environmental Assessment (DEA) for the integrated tug and barge MOKU 
PAHU. The DEA describes the MOKU PAHU's application for the Shipboard 
Technology Evaluation Program (STEP) Ballast Water Treatment System 
demonstration initiative. The DEA for the MOKU PAHU also addresses 
effects on the human and natural environments from installing, testing, 
and using the Ecochlor Inc. ballast water treatment system as the 
vessel operates in U.S. waters.

DATES: Comments and related materials must reach the Docket Management 
Facility on or before June 3, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket 
number USCG-2007-0041 to the Docket Management Facility at the U.S. 
Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use only one 
of the following methods:
    (1) Online: https://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
    (3) Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 on the Ground Floor of the West 
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The 
telephone number is 202-366-9329.
    (4) Fax: 202-493-2251.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on the Draft 
Environmental Assessment (DEA) or would like a copy of the DEA, please 
contact LCDR Brian Moore, telephone 202-372-1434 or e-mail: 
brian.e.moore@uscg.mil. If you have questions on viewing or submitting 
material to the docket, please call Ms. Renee V. Wright, Program 
Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Request for Comments

    We encourage you to submit comments and related materials about the 
Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) described in this notice. Persons 
submitting comments should include their names and addresses, the 
docket number for this notice (USCG-2007-0041), and the reasons for 
each comment. You may submit your comments and materials by mail, hand 
delivery, fax, or electronic means to the Docket Management Facility 
listed under ADDRESSES. If you choose to submit them by mail or hand 
delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no longer than 8\1/2\ by 11 
inches, and suitable for copying and electronic filing. If you submit 
them by mail and would like to know if they reached the Facility, 
please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will 
consider all comments and materials received during the comment period.

Public Meetings

    We do not intend to hold any public meetings in association with 
this DEA.

Legislative and Regulatory History

    In the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 
1990, as reauthorized, and as amended by the National Invasive Species 
Act of 1996, Public Law 101-646 and Public Law 104-332, respectively, 
Congress directed the Coast Guard to prevent introduction of aquatic 
nonindigenous species (NIS) from ballast water discharged by ships. 16 
U.S.C. 4711. To achieve this objective, the Coast Guard wrote new 
regulations in 33 CFR 151, subparts C and D. 58 FR 18330, April 8, 
1993, and 69 FR 44952, July 28, 2004, respectively.
    On December 8, 2004, the Coast Guard published a notice in the 
Federal Register announcing its Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program 
(STEP) for experimental shipboard ballast water treatment systems. 69 
FR 1802. The

[[Page 18546]]

program goal is to promote development of alternatives to ballast water 
exchange as a means of preventing invasive species entering U.S. waters 
through ships' ballast water. The comments we received support testing 
prototype treatment equipment and developing effective and practicable 
standards for approving this equipment.
    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(Section 102(2)(c)), as implemented by the Council of Environment 
Quality regulations in 40 CFR parts 1500-1508 and Coast Guard 
Commandant Instruction M16475.1D, ``National Environmental Policy Act 
Implementing Procedures and Policy for Considering Environmental 
Impacts'', the Coast Guard prepared a Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment (PEA) for the STEP to evaluate the environmental impacts 
from installing and operating a limited number of prototype ballast 
water treatment systems. 69 FR 71068. The PEA can be found in docket 
USCG-2001-9267. That PEA addresses potential effects to the natural and 
human environments including fish, marine mammals, invertebrates, 
microorganisms and plankton, submerged and emergent species, threatened 
and endangered species, and essential fish habitat. It also requires 
each system to be evaluated for localized affects on the ports and 
waterways where a vessel involved in the program operates.We request 
your comments on the potential impacts of installing, using, and 
testing the Echoclor, Inc. ballast water treatment system on the cruise 
ship MOKU PAHU, as analyzed in the DEA. We also request your comments 
on sources of data, reference material, or other information not 
included in the DEA. Your comments will be considered in preparing a 
Final Environmental Assessment for the MOKU PAHU.

    Dated: March 25, 2008.
J.G. Lantz,
U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards.
 [FR Doc. E8-6986 Filed 4-3-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P
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