Draft Revisions to the Marine Safety Manual, Volume III, Chapters 20-26, 14714-14715 [2014-05725]

Download as PDF 14714 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 51 / Monday, March 17, 2014 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration National Advisory Council on Migrant Health; Notice of Meeting In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463), notice is hereby given of the following meeting: Name: National Advisory Council on Migrant Health Dates and Times: April 8, 2014, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. April 9, 2014, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Place: Health Resources and Services Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 14–09, Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: 301–594–0367, Fax: 301–443– 9477. Status: The meeting will be open to the public. Purpose: The purpose of the meeting is to discuss services and issues related to the health of migratory and seasonal agricultural workers and their families, and to formulate recommendations for the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Agenda: The agenda includes an overview of the Council’s general business activities. The Council will also hear presentations from experts on agricultural worker issues, including the status of agricultural worker health at the local and national levels. Agenda items are subject to change as priorities indicate. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gladys Cate, Office of National Assistance and Special Populations, Bureau of Primary Health Care, Health Resources and Services Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 6–57, Maryland 20857; telephone (301) 594– 0367. Dated: March 11, 2014. Jackie Painter, Deputy Director, Division of Policy and Information Coordination. [FR Doc. 2014–05770 Filed 3–14–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4165–15–P DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard [Docket No. USCG–2013–0240] tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Draft Revisions to the Marine Safety Manual, Volume III, Chapters 20–26 Coast Guard, DHS. Supplemental notice of availability with request for comments. AGENCY: ACTION: This is a supplemental notice to the August 9, 2013 request for comments on the draft changes to the SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:45 Mar 14, 2014 Jkt 232001 Marine Safety Manual (MSM), Volume III, Marine Industry Personnel. The draft revision will be available in the docket for this notice. The primary reasons for this supplemental notice are to announce the incorporation in Volume III of the 2010 amendments to the STCW Convention, and to address the public comments received from the initial solicitation as well as input from the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee. Additionally, chapters 20 through 26 of Volume III have been reformatted, and are now presented as Volume III Part B, chapters 1 through 7. In the draft revision, these proposed revisions since the initial request for comments, including other changes necessary to reorganize and clarify Volume III, are highlighted in yellow. The Coast Guard will consider comments on this draft revision before issuing a final version of this manual. DATES: Documents discussed in this notice should be available in the online docket within three business days of today’s publication. Comments and related material must either be submitted to the online docket via https://www.regulations.gov or be received by the Coast Guard on or before May 16, 2014. ADDRESSES: To view the documents mentioned in this notice, go to https:// www.regulations.gov and use ‘‘USCG– 2013–0240’’ as your search term. Locate this notice in the search results, and use the filters on the left side of the page to locate specific documents by type. 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. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, call or email Lieutenant Corydon Heard, Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance, U.S. Coast Guard; telephone 202–372–1208, email Corydon.F.Heard@uscg.mil. If you have questions on viewing material in the docket, call Docket Operations at 202– 366–9826. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background and Purpose Volume III of the Marine Safety Manual (MSM) provides information and interpretations on international conventions and U.S. statutory and PO 00000 Frm 00057 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 regulatory issues relating to marine industry personnel. The last revisions to Volume III of the MSM were released on May 27, 1999. This supplemental notice announces updates to portions of legacy chapters 20 through 26. On August 9, 2013, the Coast Guard published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of a draft update to MSM Volume III and requested public comments on the draft (See 78 FR 48696). Specifically, the substantive changes announced in that notice included: (1) updated provisions for vessel manning, including guidance for the issuing of safe manning documents; (2) clarified roles, responsibilities, and facilitation of communications with the appropriate offices at Coast Guard Headquarters in alignment with current Coast Guard organization; and (3) revised discussion on the impact of multiple international standards, including the Officer’s Competency Certificates Convention (OCCC) 1936, the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), and the Principles of Minimum Safe Manning (IMO Resolution A.1047(27)). Additionally, the draft clarified the applicability of tonnage measurement systems to U.S. flag vessels, and included changes resulting from the consolidation of merchant mariner qualification credentials, including the removal of references to the operated uninspected towing vessel endorsement. We received fifteen public comment responses to the August 9, 2013 Federal Register notice. These comment responses contained a total of approximately 130 specific recommendations, suggestions, and other comments. We have created a document that provides a summary of each comment and the corresponding Coast Guard response, as well as internal Coast Guard comments and changes made to incorporate the STCW Final Rule. A copy of this public comment matrix is available for viewing in the public docket for this notice. For more detailed information, please consult the actual public comment letters in the docket. You may access the docket going to https:// www.regulations.gov, using ‘‘USCG– 2013–0240’’ as your search term, and following the instructions in the ADDRESSES section above. The basic ideas and principles encompassed in the initial draft change remain. Some commenters raised concerns and objections over several proposed revisions to the MSM. In response to these comments, the Coast Guard has made some additional E:\FR\FM\17MRN1.SGM 17MRN1 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 51 / Monday, March 17, 2014 / Notices revisions. The Coast Guard notes, however, that the MSM (and any revisions made to the MSM) reflect current law and regulation and are intended to provide guidance and information to marine industry personnel. A brief discussion of the most important changes is included below. For a more in-depth discussion of the individual comments submitted, please visit the docket for this notice to view submitted comments and the public comment matrix. (1) We received several comments on what was generally perceived to be an increase in vessel manning, beyond that required by law or regulation. This was not the intention of this change and these sections have been clarified. (2) Several commenters expressed concern over how an owner’s decision to increase manning may be perceived by the Coast Guard and that the guidance provided did not adequately address when manning would warrant an additional review and modifications. To address this concern, these sections have been revised to focus on watchkeeping provisions, rest requirements, and the performance of maintenance. (3) Other commenters suggested that certain tables and scales be deleted or revised in their entirety and that the tables for uninspected towing vessels be replaced with those recommended by Towing Vessel Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC). We disagree. Although certain tables have been amended in response to various comments, they reflect the current laws and regulations pertaining to the manning levels for various vessel types, including uninspected towing vessels. The Coast Guard has engaged with TSAC to develop sample manning scales, however this tasking and recommendation pertains to inspected towing vessels, in preparation for future regulation. Once finalized, the TSAC recommendation will be taken under consideration for future inclusion in MSM Volume III. (4) A number of commenters urged the Coast Guard to consider, and include in this revision, the final agency action on pending appeals regarding when mariner credentials are required for persons in addition to the crew. We disagree. Decisions on appeal impacting requirements for certain persons in addition to the crew are being evaluated and will be addressed in the future. (5) Multiple commenters noted that although the Coast Guard usually discusses manning changes with management, specific language should be added to that end. We agree and revisions have been incorporated to VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:45 Mar 14, 2014 Jkt 232001 specifically mention the master as well as to include provisions for manning modifications to be discussed with the owner/operator. Additional substantive revisions include: (1) the consolidation of existing Coast Guard Policy Letters into the Manual; (2) context on the allowable employment and conditions of a twowatch system for specific vessel types; and (3) policy updates reflecting the implementation of the 2010 amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). These revisions are presented in a new format, where MSM Volume III has been split into two distinct parts; Part A, Mariner Credentialing (Chapters 1–19) and Part B, Vessel Manning (legacy Chapters 20– 26 are now Chapters 1–7). It should be noted that the proposed revisions in this draft change are not intended to preempt or take the place of separate policy initiatives regarding specific decisions on appeal or future regulations. Future changes to the MSM may be released if the Coast Guard promulgates new regulations or appeal decisions, which may affect the guidance and information contained within the MSM. This notice is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a). Dated: March 10, 2014. Jonathan C. Burton, Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Director, Inspections and Compliance. [FR Doc. 2014–05725 Filed 3–14–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 9110–04–P DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA–2013–0043; OMB No. 1660–0002] Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Disaster Assistance Registration Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a revision of a currently approved information collection. In accordance with the Paperwork SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00058 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 14715 Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning the Disaster Assistance Registration process. DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 16, 2014. ADDRESSES: To avoid duplicate submissions to the docket, please use only one of the following means to submit comments: (1) Online. Submit comments at www.regulations.gov under Docket ID FEMA–2013–0043. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. (2) Mail. Submit written comments to Docket Manager, Office of Chief Counsel, DHS/FEMA, 500 C Street SW., Room 8NE, Washington, DC 20472– 3100. (3) Facsimile. Submit comments to (703) 483–2999. All submissions received must include the agency name and Docket ID. Regardless of the method used for submitting comments or material, all submissions will be posted, without change, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.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 via the link in the footer of www.regulations.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Elizabeth McDowell, Supervisory Program Specialist, FEMA, Recovery Directorate, at (540) 686–3630 for further information. You may contact the Records Management Division for copies of the proposed collection of information at facsimile number (202) 646–3347 or email address: FEMA-Information-CollectionsManagement@dhs.gov.. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Pub. L. 93– 288) (the Stafford Act), as amended, is the legal basis for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide financial assistance and services to individuals who apply for disaster assistance benefits in the event of a federally declared disaster. Regulations in title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Subpart D, ‘‘Federal Assistance to Individuals and Households,’’ implement the policy and procedures set forth in section 408 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5174, as amended. This program provides financial assistance and, if necessary, direct assistance to eligible individuals and households who, as a direct result of a major disaster or emergency, have uninsured or under-insured, damage, necessary expenses, and serious needs E:\FR\FM\17MRN1.SGM 17MRN1

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[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 51 (Monday, March 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14714-14715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05725]


=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2013-0240]


Draft Revisions to the Marine Safety Manual, Volume III, Chapters 
20-26

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Supplemental notice of availability with request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: This is a supplemental notice to the August 9, 2013 request 
for comments on the draft changes to the Marine Safety Manual (MSM), 
Volume III, Marine Industry Personnel. The draft revision will be 
available in the docket for this notice. The primary reasons for this 
supplemental notice are to announce the incorporation in Volume III of 
the 2010 amendments to the STCW Convention, and to address the public 
comments received from the initial solicitation as well as input from 
the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee. Additionally, 
chapters 20 through 26 of Volume III have been reformatted, and are now 
presented as Volume III Part B, chapters 1 through 7. In the draft 
revision, these proposed revisions since the initial request for 
comments, including other changes necessary to reorganize and clarify 
Volume III, are highlighted in yellow. The Coast Guard will consider 
comments on this draft revision before issuing a final version of this 
manual.

DATES: Documents discussed in this notice should be available in the 
online docket within three business days of today's publication. 
Comments and related material must either be submitted to the online 
docket via https://www.regulations.gov or be received by the Coast Guard 
on or before May 16, 2014.

ADDRESSES: To view the documents mentioned in this notice, go to https://www.regulations.gov and use ``USCG-2013-0240'' as your search term. 
Locate this notice in the search results, and use the filters on the 
left side of the page to locate specific documents by type. 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, 
call or email Lieutenant Corydon Heard, Office of Commercial Vessel 
Compliance, U.S. Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-1208, email 
Corydon.F.Heard@uscg.mil. If you have questions on viewing material in 
the docket, call Docket Operations at 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background and Purpose

    Volume III of the Marine Safety Manual (MSM) provides information 
and interpretations on international conventions and U.S. statutory and 
regulatory issues relating to marine industry personnel. The last 
revisions to Volume III of the MSM were released on May 27, 1999. This 
supplemental notice announces updates to portions of legacy chapters 20 
through 26.
    On August 9, 2013, the Coast Guard published a notice in the 
Federal Register announcing the availability of a draft update to MSM 
Volume III and requested public comments on the draft (See 78 FR 
48696). Specifically, the substantive changes announced in that notice 
included: (1) updated provisions for vessel manning, including guidance 
for the issuing of safe manning documents; (2) clarified roles, 
responsibilities, and facilitation of communications with the 
appropriate offices at Coast Guard Headquarters in alignment with 
current Coast Guard organization; and (3) revised discussion on the 
impact of multiple international standards, including the Officer's 
Competency Certificates Convention (OCCC) 1936, the International 
Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the Global Maritime 
Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), and the Principles of Minimum Safe 
Manning (IMO Resolution A.1047(27)). Additionally, the draft clarified 
the applicability of tonnage measurement systems to U.S. flag vessels, 
and included changes resulting from the consolidation of merchant 
mariner qualification credentials, including the removal of references 
to the operated uninspected towing vessel endorsement.
    We received fifteen public comment responses to the August 9, 2013 
Federal Register notice. These comment responses contained a total of 
approximately 130 specific recommendations, suggestions, and other 
comments. We have created a document that provides a summary of each 
comment and the corresponding Coast Guard response, as well as internal 
Coast Guard comments and changes made to incorporate the STCW Final 
Rule. A copy of this public comment matrix is available for viewing in 
the public docket for this notice. For more detailed information, 
please consult the actual public comment letters in the docket. You may 
access the docket going to https://www.regulations.gov, using ``USCG-
2013-0240'' as your search term, and following the instructions in the 
ADDRESSES section above.
    The basic ideas and principles encompassed in the initial draft 
change remain. Some commenters raised concerns and objections over 
several proposed revisions to the MSM. In response to these comments, 
the Coast Guard has made some additional

[[Page 14715]]

revisions. The Coast Guard notes, however, that the MSM (and any 
revisions made to the MSM) reflect current law and regulation and are 
intended to provide guidance and information to marine industry 
personnel. A brief discussion of the most important changes is included 
below. For a more in-depth discussion of the individual comments 
submitted, please visit the docket for this notice to view submitted 
comments and the public comment matrix.
    (1) We received several comments on what was generally perceived to 
be an increase in vessel manning, beyond that required by law or 
regulation. This was not the intention of this change and these 
sections have been clarified.
    (2) Several commenters expressed concern over how an owner's 
decision to increase manning may be perceived by the Coast Guard and 
that the guidance provided did not adequately address when manning 
would warrant an additional review and modifications. To address this 
concern, these sections have been revised to focus on watchkeeping 
provisions, rest requirements, and the performance of maintenance.
    (3) Other commenters suggested that certain tables and scales be 
deleted or revised in their entirety and that the tables for 
uninspected towing vessels be replaced with those recommended by Towing 
Vessel Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC). We disagree. Although certain 
tables have been amended in response to various comments, they reflect 
the current laws and regulations pertaining to the manning levels for 
various vessel types, including uninspected towing vessels. The Coast 
Guard has engaged with TSAC to develop sample manning scales, however 
this tasking and recommendation pertains to inspected towing vessels, 
in preparation for future regulation. Once finalized, the TSAC 
recommendation will be taken under consideration for future inclusion 
in MSM Volume III.
    (4) A number of commenters urged the Coast Guard to consider, and 
include in this revision, the final agency action on pending appeals 
regarding when mariner credentials are required for persons in addition 
to the crew. We disagree. Decisions on appeal impacting requirements 
for certain persons in addition to the crew are being evaluated and 
will be addressed in the future.
    (5) Multiple commenters noted that although the Coast Guard usually 
discusses manning changes with management, specific language should be 
added to that end. We agree and revisions have been incorporated to 
specifically mention the master as well as to include provisions for 
manning modifications to be discussed with the owner/operator.
    Additional substantive revisions include: (1) the consolidation of 
existing Coast Guard Policy Letters into the Manual; (2) context on the 
allowable employment and conditions of a two-watch system for specific 
vessel types; and (3) policy updates reflecting the implementation of 
the 2010 amendments to the International Convention on Standards of 
Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). These 
revisions are presented in a new format, where MSM Volume III has been 
split into two distinct parts; Part A, Mariner Credentialing (Chapters 
1-19) and Part B, Vessel Manning (legacy Chapters 20-26 are now 
Chapters 1-7).
    It should be noted that the proposed revisions in this draft change 
are not intended to preempt or take the place of separate policy 
initiatives regarding specific decisions on appeal or future 
regulations. Future changes to the MSM may be released if the Coast 
Guard promulgates new regulations or appeal decisions, which may affect 
the guidance and information contained within the MSM.
    This notice is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).

    Dated: March 10, 2014.
Jonathan C. Burton,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Director, Inspections and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2014-05725 Filed 3-14-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
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