Approval of Classification Societies, 47531-47533 [2011-19862]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 151 / Friday, August 5, 2011 / Proposed Rules
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also include the establishment of a twoway route for Montauk Channel.
B. Conduct of this PARS: We
announced the PARS in a notice
published in the Federal Register on
July 1, 2005 (70 FR 38061). We will
complete the PARS after review of any
comments received in response to this
notice.
C. Data used by the Coast Guard to
conduct the PARS: We reviewed various
studies and data collected both in-house
and by other waterway users on various
traffic patterns in Block Island Sound.
No comments were received during the
Notice of Study request for comments
and no public meetings were requested
or held. Since no comments or
recommendations were received the
Coast Guard established a navigation
working group. The make-up of the
navigation working group included the
New York and Connecticut Pilots, the
Coast Guard, and various Block Island
Sound maritime industry
representatives. The navigation working
group submitted preliminary
recommendations which are addressed
as described in paragraph III below.
D. Publishing these preliminary
recommendations: Because of the lack
of comments to the original notice and
our strong desire to engage the public in
the study process, we decided to ask for
comments on the recommendations
presented by the navigation working
group. The primary rationale was to
allow the public to help us refine these
recommendations through constructive
comments.
III. Study Recommendations
From the information examined and
the input provided by the navigation
working group, we identified three
recommendations that could be
realized. Comments are particularly
solicited with respect to these
recommendations. A navigation chart
with the proposed recommendations
plotted is included in the docket at
https://www.regulations.gov.
Recommendation 1: Remove the
existing Recommended Route from the
Race to the western edge of the
Narragansett Bay Traffic Separation
Scheme (TSS).
Recommendation 2: A Recommended
Two Way Route for the Approaches to
Block Island Sound should be
established between the following
geographical positions:
Latitude
41°00′51.30″
41°10′10.04″
41°10′20.42″
41°00′51.30″
VerDate Mar<15>2010
Longitude
N
N
N
N
071°42′09.05″
071°42′09.05″
071°41′21.91″
071°41′21.91″
14:53 Aug 04, 2011
W
W
W
W
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A Recommended Two Way Route for
northwest and southeast bound traffic
should be established between the
following geographic positions:
Latitude
41°13′29.27″
41°13′44.08″
41°10′44.76″
41°10′10.04″
Longitude
N
N
N
N
072°02′54.82″
072°00′40.34″
071°41′58.95″
072°42′09.05″
W
W
W
W
A Recommended Two Way Route for
entrance into and exit from Long Island
Sound should be established between
the following geographic positions:
Latitude
41°15′01.49″
41°14′04.56″
41°13′29.27″
41°14′34.40″
Longitude
N
N
N
N
072°04′07.69″
072°02′37.42″
072°02′54.82″
072°04′37.91″
W
W
W
W
47531
IV. Future Actions
Upon receipt of any comments
concerning this notice of preliminary
study results, we will analyze them and
publish a notice of study results in the
Federal Register. Any recommended
changes to the Code of Federal
Regulations will require that a notice of
proposed rulemaking (NPRM) be
published in the Federal Register. In
addition, any changes to the vessel
routing system, i.e., TSS, ATBA, and
precautionary areas, will be submitted
to the International Maritime
Organization for adoption and
implementation.
Dated: July 12, 2011.
Daniel A. Neptun,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander,
First Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2011–19859 Filed 8–4–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–04–P
An east/west Recommended Two
Way Route for coastwise traffic should
be established between the following
geographic positions:
Latitude
41°14′04.56″
41°17′21.88″
41°16′42.03″
41°13′44.08″
Longitude
N
N
N
N
072°02′37.42″
071°37′48.80″
071°38′17.44″
072°00′40.34″
W
W
W
W
A Recommended Two Way Route for
northeast and southwest bound traffic
should be established between the
following geographic positions:
Latitude
41°10′44.76″
41°16′42.03″
41°16′49.55″
41°10′20.42″
Longitude
N
N
N
N
071°41′58.95″
071°38′17.44″
071°37′20.65″
071°41′21.91″
W
W
W
W
This northeast/southwest route would
be marked with a note reading
‘‘Recommended Vessel Tracks for deep
draft vessels (including tugs and barges).
While not mandatory, deep draft
commercial vessels (including tugs and
barges) are requested to follow
designated routes at the master’s
discretion. Other vessels while not
excluded from these routes, should
exercise caution in and around these
areas and monitor VHF channel 16 or 13
for information concerning deep draft
vessels (including tugs and barges)
transiting these routes’’.
Recommendation 3: Move Montauk
Point Lighted Whistle Buoy MP (LLNR
655) to the geographic position 41°
00.47′ N, 071°41.44′ W to mark the
middle of the Two Way Route for the
Approaches to Block Island Sound.
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Coast Guard
46 CFR Part 2
[Docket No. USCG–2007–27668]
RIN 1625–AB35
Approval of Classification Societies
Coast Guard, DHS.
Proposed rule; reopening of
comment period.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Coast Guard is reopening
the comment period before issuing a
final rule regarding the Approval of
Classification Societies (USCG–2007–
27668). We previously published a
notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)
proposing application procedures and
performance standards that
classification societies must meet in
order to obtain approval by the Coast
Guard before conducting work in the
United States. We published the
proposed regulations to implement the
requirements imposed by the Coast
Guard and Maritime Transportation Act
of 2004, but before the publication of
the final rule, the Coast Guard
Authorization Act of 2010 changed the
applicability to require that all
classification societies be approved by
the Coast Guard prior to conducting any
work on a vessel in the United States.
The published NPRM proposed
allowing full members of the
International Association of
Classification Societies (IACS) to be
exempt from Coast Guard approval prior
to working in the United States. Because
SUMMARY:
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47532
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 151 / Friday, August 5, 2011 / Proposed Rules
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of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of
2010, we are reopening the comment
period to allow for any additional or
updated comments from the public
before publishing the final rule.
DATES: Comments and related material
must either be submitted to our online
docket via https://www.regulations.gov
on or before September 6, 2011 or reach
the Docket Management Facility by that
date.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
identified by docket number USCG–
2007–27668 using any one of the
following methods:
(1) Federal eRulemaking Portal:
https://www.regulations.gov.
(2) Fax: 202–493–2251.
(3) 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–
0001.
(4) Hand delivery: Same as mail
address above, between 9 a.m. and
5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays. The telephone number
is 202–366–9329.
To avoid duplication, please use only
one of these four methods. See the
‘‘Public Participation and Request for
Comments’’ portion of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
below for instructions on submitting
comments.
Viewing incorporation by reference
material: You may inspect the material
proposed for incorporation by reference
at Room 2100, U.S. Coast Guard
Headquarters, 2100 Second Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20593–0001 between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. The
telephone number is 202–267–6716.
Copies of the material are available as
indicated in the ‘‘Incorporation by
Reference’’ section of this preamble.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If
you have questions on this proposed
rule, call or e-mail LT Alfred Giordano,
Coast Guard; telephone 202–372–1362,
e-mail Alfred.J.Giordano@uscg.mil. 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:
I. Public Participation and Request for
Comments
We encourage you to participate in
this rulemaking by submitting
comments and related materials. All
comments received will be posted
without change to https://
www.regulations.gov and will include
VerDate Mar<15>2010
14:53 Aug 04, 2011
Jkt 223001
any personal information you have
provided.
A. Submitting Comments
If you submit a comment, please
include the docket number for this
rulemaking (USCG–2007–27668),
indicate the specific section of this
document to which each comment
applies, and provide a reason for each
suggestion or recommendation. You
may submit your comments and
material online or by fax, mail, or hand
delivery, but please use only one of
these means. We recommend that you
include your name and a mailing
address, an e-mail address, or a phone
number in the body of your document
so that we can contact you if we have
questions regarding your submission.
To submit your comment online, go to
https://www.regulations.gov, click on the
‘‘submit a comment’’ box, which will
then become highlighted in blue. In the
‘‘Document Type’’ drop down menu
select ‘‘Proposed Rule’’ and insert
‘‘USCG–2007–27668’’ in the ‘‘Keyword’’
box. Click ‘‘Search’’ then click on the
balloon shape in the ‘‘Actions’’ column.
If you submit your comments by mail or
hand delivery, submit them in an
unbound format, no larger than 81⁄2 by
11 inches, suitable for copying and
electronic filing. If you submit
comments by mail and would like to
know that they reached the Facility,
please enclose a stamped, self-addressed
postcard or envelope.
We will consider all comments and
material received during the comment
period and may change this proposed
rule based on your comments.
B. Viewing Comments and Documents
To view comments, as well as
documents mentioned in this preamble
as being available in the docket, go to
https://www.regulations.gov, click on the
‘‘read comments’’ box, which will then
become highlighted in blue. In the
‘‘Keyword’’ box insert ‘‘USCG–2007–
27668’’ and click ‘‘Search.’’ Click the
‘‘Open Docket Folder’’ in the ‘‘Actions’’
column. If you do not have access to the
Internet, you may view the docket
online by visiting the Docket
Management Facility in Room W12–140
on the ground floor of the Department
of Transportation West Building, 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington,
DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. We have an agreement with
the Department of Transportation to use
the Docket Management Facility.
C. Privacy Act
Anyone can search the electronic
form of comments received into any of
PO 00000
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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 notice regarding our public dockets
in the January 17, 2008, issue of the
Federal Register (73 FR 3316).
D. Public Meeting
We do not now plan to hold a public
meeting. But you may submit a request
for one to the docket using one of the
methods specified under ADDRESSES. In
your request, explain why you believe a
public meeting would be beneficial. If
we determine that one would aid this
rulemaking, we will hold one at a time
and place announced by a later notice
in the Federal Register.
II. Background
We published a notice of policy and
a request for comments that outlined the
procedures by which classification
societies could apply for approval with
the Coast Guard. See 69 FR 63548
(November 2, 2004). This notice of
policy was based on the August 9, 2004
enactment of Section 413 of the Coast
Guard and Maritime Transportation Act
of 2004 (the ‘‘2004 Act’’) (Pub. L. 108–
293). The 2004 Act amended 46 U.S.C.
3316 by adding paragraph (c), which
prohibits certain activities of
classification societies on a vessel in the
United States that are not approved by
the Coast Guard. The 2004 Act
mandated that, after December 31, 2004,
a classification society, including an
employee or agent of that society, may
not review, examine, survey, or certify
the construction, repair, or alteration of
a vessel in the United States unless the
classification society is either approved
by the Coast Guard or is a full member
of the International Association of
Classification Societies (IACS).
After publication of the notice of
policy, we received questions from the
public that were addressed in a notice
of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)
published in the Federal Register on
April 23, 2010. The NPRM, titled
‘‘Approval of Classification Societies’’
(75 FR 21212), outlined the procedures
and criteria we would use to evaluate
classification societies. The comment
period closed on July 22, 2010, and we
received no comments on the proposed
rule. No public meeting was requested
and none was held.
Before the publication of the final
rule, on October 15, 2010, the enactment
of section 622 of the Coast Guard
Authorization Act of 2010 (the ‘‘2010
Act’’) (Pub. L. 111–281) amended 46
U.S.C. 3316(c). The 2010 Act changed
the applicability to require that all
E:\FR\FM\05AUP1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 151 / Friday, August 5, 2011 / Proposed Rules
classification societies, including IACS
members, be approved by the Coast
Guard prior to conducting any work on
a vessel in the United States.
III. Discussion
In this notice, we are reopening the
comment period for the NPRM to allow
comments from all interested parties.
The 2010 Act changed the applicability
to require that all classification societies
be approved by the Coast Guard prior to
conducting any work on a vessel in the
United States. Accordingly, in §§ 2.45–
10(a), 2.45–15(a), and 2.45–30 of the
proposed rule, we plan to delete all
references to IACS members, in order to
comply with our revised statutory
authority. The 2010 Authorization Act
requires IACS members to apply to the
Coast Guard for approval under Title 46,
United States Code, Section 3316(c), if
they wish to continue performing work
related to the certification of
construction, repair, or alteration of
vessels within the United States.
Dated: August 1, 2011.
J.G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and
Standards, U.S. Coast Guard.
[FR Doc. 2011–19862 Filed 8–4–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–04–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 101119575–1397–01]
RIN 0648–BA46
Fisheries of the Northeastern United
States; Monkfish; Framework
Adjustment 7
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule; request for
comments.
AGENCY:
NMFS proposes regulations to
implement measures in Framework
Adjustment 7 (Framework 7) to the
Monkfish Fishery Management Plan
(Monkfish FMP). The New England
Fishery Management Council and MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council
(Councils) developed Framework 7 to
adjust the annual catch target (ACT) for
the Northern Fishery Management Area
(NFMA) to be consistent with the most
recent scientific advice regarding the
acceptable biological catch (ABC) for
monkfish. The New England Council’s
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SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
14:53 Aug 04, 2011
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Scientific and Statistical Committee
(SSC) has recommended a revision to
the ABC based on information from a
2010 stock assessment (50th Northeast
Regional Stock Assessment Review
Committee (SARC 50)). Framework 7
would also specify a new day-at-sea
(DAS) allocation and trip limits for the
NFMA commensurate with the new
ACT, and Framework 7 and would also
adopt revised biomass reference points
for the NFMA and Southern Fishery
Management Area (SFMA), based on the
recommendations of SARC 50 and the
SSC.
Public comments must be
received no later than 5 p.m., eastern
standard time, on September 6, 2011.
ADDRESSES: An environmental
assessment (EA) was prepared for
Framework 7 that describes the
proposed action and other considered
alternatives, and provides a thorough
analysis of the impacts of the proposed
measures and alternatives. Copies of
Framework 7, including the EA and the
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
(IRFA), are available on request from
Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, New
England Fishery Management Council
(Council), 50 Water Street,
Newburyport, MA 01950. These
documents are also available online at
https://www.nefmc.org.
You may submit comments, identified
by 0648–BA46, by any one of the
following methods:
• Electronic Submissions: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov.
• Fax: (978) 281–9135, Attn: Jason
Berthiaume.
• Mail: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast
Regional Office, 55 Great Republic
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the
outside of the envelope, ‘‘Comments on
Monkfish Framework 7 Proposed Rule.’’
Instructions: All comments received
are part of the public record and will
generally be posted to https://
www.regulations.gov without change.
All personal identifying information (for
example, name, address, etc.)
voluntarily submitted by the commenter
may be publicly accessible. Do not
submit confidential business
information or otherwise sensitive or
protected information.
NMFS will accept anonymous
comments (enter N/A in the required
fields, if you wish to remain
anonymous). You may submit
attachments to electronic comments in
Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or
Adobe PDF file formats only.
DATES:
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47533
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jason Berthiaume, Fisheries
Management Specialist, (978) 281–9177;
fax: (978) 281–9135.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The monkfish fishery is jointly
managed by the Councils, with the New
England Council having the
administrative lead. The fishery extends
from Maine to North Carolina, and is
divided into two management units:
The NFMA and the SFMA. Details on
the background and need for
Amendment 5 and this framework are
contained in the amendment and the
preambles for the proposed (76 FR
11737; March 3, 2011) and final rules
(76 FR 30265; May 25, 2011) for
Amendment 5, and are not repeated
here.
Amendment 5, which was partially
approved by NMFS on April 28, 2011,
was intended to bring the Monkfish
FMP into compliance with the
requirements of the reauthorized
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
(Magnuson-Stevens Act). The
Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that all
fishery management plans contain
annual catch limits (ACL) to prevent
overfishing, and measures to ensure
accountability. Among other measures,
Amendment 5 implemented
accountability measures (AMs) and
ACLs, established biological and
management reference points and
control rules, and specified an ACT,
DAS and trip limits for the SFMA.
However, NMFS disapproved
Amendment 5’s proposed ACT for the
NFMA, and specification of DAS and
trip limits to achieve that ACT.
Amendment 5 proposed an ACT for the
NFMA of 10,750 mt, an allocation of 40
DAS, and trip limits of 1,250 lb (567 kg)
tail wt. per DAS for Category A and C
vessels, and 800 lb (363 kg) tail wt. per
DAS for Category B and D vessels based
on the 2007 Data Poor Working Group
(DPWG) Assessment, which were
considered to be the best scientific
information available at the time the
Amendment 5 document was finalized
by the Councils. Subsequent to the
Councils taking final action on
Amendment 5, the results of SARC 50
became available, which revealed new
scientific information that, when
included in the Councils’ interim ABC
approach, reduced the monkfish NFMA
ABC. In response to the new
assessment, the SSC revisited its
previous ABC recommendation at a
meeting in August 2010. The SSC, after
much discussion concerning the
uncertainty with the new assessment
E:\FR\FM\05AUP1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 151 (Friday, August 5, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 47531-47533]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-19862]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
46 CFR Part 2
[Docket No. USCG-2007-27668]
RIN 1625-AB35
Approval of Classification Societies
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is reopening the comment period before issuing
a final rule regarding the Approval of Classification Societies (USCG-
2007-27668). We previously published a notice of proposed rulemaking
(NPRM) proposing application procedures and performance standards that
classification societies must meet in order to obtain approval by the
Coast Guard before conducting work in the United States. We published
the proposed regulations to implement the requirements imposed by the
Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004, but before the
publication of the final rule, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of
2010 changed the applicability to require that all classification
societies be approved by the Coast Guard prior to conducting any work
on a vessel in the United States. The published NPRM proposed allowing
full members of the International Association of Classification
Societies (IACS) to be exempt from Coast Guard approval prior to
working in the United States. Because
[[Page 47532]]
of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, we are reopening the
comment period to allow for any additional or updated comments from the
public before publishing the final rule.
DATES: Comments and related material must either be submitted to our
online docket via https://www.regulations.gov on or before September 6,
2011 or reach the Docket Management Facility by that date.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2007-27668 using any one of the following methods:
(1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
(2) Fax: 202-493-2251.
(3) 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 20590-0001.
(4) Hand delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone
number is 202-366-9329.
To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods.
See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for instructions on
submitting comments.
Viewing incorporation by reference material: You may inspect the
material proposed for incorporation by reference at Room 2100, U.S.
Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street, SW., Washington, DC
20593-0001 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays. The telephone number is 202-267-6716. Copies of the
material are available as indicated in the ``Incorporation by
Reference'' section of this preamble.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this proposed
rule, call or e-mail LT Alfred Giordano, Coast Guard; telephone 202-
372-1362, e-mail Alfred.J.Giordano@uscg.mil. 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:
I. Public Participation and Request for Comments
We encourage you to participate in this rulemaking by submitting
comments and related materials. All comments received will be posted
without change to https://www.regulations.gov and will include any
personal information you have provided.
A. Submitting Comments
If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this
rulemaking (USCG-2007-27668), indicate the specific section of this
document to which each comment applies, and provide a reason for each
suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and material
online or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but please use only one of
these means. We recommend that you include your name and a mailing
address, an e-mail address, or a phone number in the body of your
document so that we can contact you if we have questions regarding your
submission.
To submit your comment online, go to https://www.regulations.gov,
click on the ``submit a comment'' box, which will then become
highlighted in blue. In the ``Document Type'' drop down menu select
``Proposed Rule'' and insert ``USCG-2007-27668'' in the ``Keyword''
box. Click ``Search'' then click on the balloon shape in the
``Actions'' column. If you submit your comments by mail or hand
delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11
inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing. If you submit
comments by mail and would like to know that they reached the Facility,
please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope.
We will consider all comments and material received during the
comment period and may change this proposed rule based on your
comments.
B. Viewing Comments and Documents
To view comments, as well as documents mentioned in this preamble
as being available in the docket, go to https://www.regulations.gov,
click on the ``read comments'' box, which will then become highlighted
in blue. In the ``Keyword'' box insert ``USCG-2007-27668'' and click
``Search.'' Click the ``Open Docket Folder'' in the ``Actions'' column.
If you do not have access to the Internet, you may view the docket
online by visiting the Docket Management Facility in Room W12-140 on
the ground floor of the Department of Transportation West Building,
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. We have an
agreement with the Department of Transportation to use the Docket
Management Facility.
C. 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 notice
regarding our public dockets in the January 17, 2008, issue of the
Federal Register (73 FR 3316).
D. Public Meeting
We do not now plan to hold a public meeting. But you may submit a
request for one to the docket using one of the methods specified under
ADDRESSES. In your request, explain why you believe a public meeting
would be beneficial. If we determine that one would aid this
rulemaking, we will hold one at a time and place announced by a later
notice in the Federal Register.
II. Background
We published a notice of policy and a request for comments that
outlined the procedures by which classification societies could apply
for approval with the Coast Guard. See 69 FR 63548 (November 2, 2004).
This notice of policy was based on the August 9, 2004 enactment of
Section 413 of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004
(the ``2004 Act'') (Pub. L. 108-293). The 2004 Act amended 46 U.S.C.
3316 by adding paragraph (c), which prohibits certain activities of
classification societies on a vessel in the United States that are not
approved by the Coast Guard. The 2004 Act mandated that, after December
31, 2004, a classification society, including an employee or agent of
that society, may not review, examine, survey, or certify the
construction, repair, or alteration of a vessel in the United States
unless the classification society is either approved by the Coast Guard
or is a full member of the International Association of Classification
Societies (IACS).
After publication of the notice of policy, we received questions
from the public that were addressed in a notice of proposed rulemaking
(NPRM) published in the Federal Register on April 23, 2010. The NPRM,
titled ``Approval of Classification Societies'' (75 FR 21212), outlined
the procedures and criteria we would use to evaluate classification
societies. The comment period closed on July 22, 2010, and we received
no comments on the proposed rule. No public meeting was requested and
none was held.
Before the publication of the final rule, on October 15, 2010, the
enactment of section 622 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010
(the ``2010 Act'') (Pub. L. 111-281) amended 46 U.S.C. 3316(c). The
2010 Act changed the applicability to require that all
[[Page 47533]]
classification societies, including IACS members, be approved by the
Coast Guard prior to conducting any work on a vessel in the United
States.
III. Discussion
In this notice, we are reopening the comment period for the NPRM to
allow comments from all interested parties. The 2010 Act changed the
applicability to require that all classification societies be approved
by the Coast Guard prior to conducting any work on a vessel in the
United States. Accordingly, in Sec. Sec. 2.45-10(a), 2.45-15(a), and
2.45-30 of the proposed rule, we plan to delete all references to IACS
members, in order to comply with our revised statutory authority. The
2010 Authorization Act requires IACS members to apply to the Coast
Guard for approval under Title 46, United States Code, Section 3316(c),
if they wish to continue performing work related to the certification
of construction, repair, or alteration of vessels within the United
States.
Dated: August 1, 2011.
J.G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, U.S. Coast Guard.
[FR Doc. 2011-19862 Filed 8-4-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
