Policy Letter: Guidance for Training of Deck Officers on Vessels Subject to the International Code for Ships Operating in the Polar Waters, 7552-7553 [2016-02890]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 29 / Friday, February 12, 2016 / Notices
Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes
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Room 4234, MSC 9550, Bethesda, MD 20892,
301–443–9511, jrao@nida.nih.gov.
(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance
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Institutes of Health, HHS)
Dated: February 8, 2016.
Natasha M. Copeland,
Program Analyst, Office of Federal Advisory
Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. 2016–02849 Filed 2–11–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
Dated: February 8, 2016.
Melanie J. Gray,
Program Analyst, Office of Federal Advisory
Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. 2016–02851 Filed 2–11–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG–2016–0017]
Policy Letter: Guidance for Training of
Deck Officers on Vessels Subject to
the International Code for Ships
Operating in the Polar Waters
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Coast Guard, DHS.
Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
National Institutes of Health
ACTION:
National Institute of General Medical
Sciences; Notice of Closed Meeting
SUMMARY:
asabaliauskas on DSK9F6TC42PROD with NOTICES2
Pursuant to section 10(d) of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, as
amended (5 U.S.C. App.), notice is
hereby given of the following meeting.
The meeting will be closed to the
public in accordance with the
provisions set forth in sections
552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C.,
as amended. The grant applications and
the discussions could disclose
confidential trade secrets or commercial
property such as patentable material,
and personal information concerning
individuals associated with the grant
applications, the disclosure of which
would constitute a clearly unwarranted
invasion of personal privacy.
Name of Committee: NIGMS Initial Review
Group; Training and Workforce Development
Subcommittee—C.
Date: March 7, 2016.
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 1700 Tysons
Boulevard, McLean, VA 22102.
Contact Person: Mona R. Trempe, Ph.D.,
Scientific Review Officer, Office of Scientific
Review, National Institute of General Medical
Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 45
Center Drive, Room 3AN12, Bethesda, MD
20892, 301–594–3998, trempemo@
mail.nih.gov.
(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program Nos. 93.375, Minority Biomedical
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Biophysics Research; 93.859, Pharmacology,
Physiology, and Biological Chemistry
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Special Minority Initiatives; 93.859,
Biomedical Research and Research Training,
National Institutes of Health, HHS)
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:38 Feb 11, 2016
Jkt 238001
The Coast Guard announces
the availability, in the docket, of a
policy letter which provides voluntary
guidance for the training of deck officers
on vessels operating in polar waters. It
recommends training measures that will
achieve a higher level of safety for
mariners working in this specialized
polar environment. It is applicable to
SOLAS vessels operating outside the
boundary line and subject to the
International Code for Ships Operating
in Polar Waters (Polar Code). The draft
policy letter and voluntary guidance
would not apply to vessels on voyages
that do not operate in areas subject to
the Polar Code.
DATES: This policy letter is effective on
February 12, 2016.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If
you have questions about this
document, contact Cathleen Mauro,
Marine Personnel Qualifications
Division (CG–OES–1), U.S. Coast Guard;
telephone 202–372–1449, or
Cathleen.B.Mauro@uscg.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Viewing Materials in the Docket
The policy letter is available in the
docket and can be viewed by going to
www.regulations.gov, inserting USCG–
2016–0017 in the ‘‘Keyword’’ box, and
then clicking ‘‘Search.’’
Background and Purpose
Current shipping trends show an
increase in the number of vessels
regularly transiting remote polar areas.
Vessels in polar waters experience
unpredictable and poor weather
conditions, degraded navigation tools,
threats to operating equipment and
increased stability concerns. In response
to the challenges faced by these vessels
and the concern for their safe operation,
PO 00000
Frm 00056
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the International Maritime Organization
(IMO) has adopted a mandatory code,
the International Code for Ships
Operating in Polar Waters, commonly
referred to as the Polar Code. The Polar
Code addresses safety and
environmental requirements for vessels,
as well as the level of training required
for deck officers, and is expected to
come into force on January 1, 2017.
In order to obtain input from U.S.
stakeholders and to facilitate the
development of the U.S. position at the
IMO on the training requirements
needed to support the Polar Code, the
Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory
Committee (MERPAC) chartered a
working group in 2013 to address
mariner training in support of the polar
code. The working group developed a
proposal that included the training
competencies for U.S. mariners serving
on ships operating in polar waters. The
working group held multiple meetings
and provided recommendations on
minimum standards of competence, sea
service, and recency requirements for
polar training at the basic and advanced
levels. The group also developed
recommendations on how existing
mariners with experience operating in
polar waters would be grandfathered
under the new requirements. MERPAC
adopted the working group’s
recommendations, which provided the
basis of the U.S. position regarding the
relevant amendments to the
International Convention on Standards
of Training, Certification and
Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW
Convention), 1978, as amended, and the
Seafarers’ Training, Certification and
Watchkeeping Code (STCW Code). The
STCW Convention and Code provide
the international standards for seafarers.
Through the work of the IMO’s Subcommittee on Human Element, Training
and Watchkeeping (HTW), amendments
to the STCW Convention and Code were
developed to define the training
requirements needed to support the
implementation of the Polar Code.
These amendments were approved by
the Maritime Safety Committee on its
Ninety Fifth Session (MSC 95), and are
expected to be adopted by the IMO in
July of 2016. The amendments are
expected to enter into force on January
1, 2018.
Cognizant that there is a gap between
the time the Polar Code enters into force
on January 1, 2017 and the adoption of
the amendments to the STCW
Convention by IMO in July of 2016, the
Coast Guard has developed a policy
letter that recommends training
guidelines for deck officers on vessels
operating in polar waters. The Coast
Guard is providing this guidance to
E:\FR\FM\12FEN1.SGM
12FEN1
7553
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 29 / Friday, February 12, 2016 / Notices
asabaliauskas on DSK9F6TC42PROD with NOTICES2
ensure there are sufficiently trained
mariners by the time the Polar Code
enters into force.
Discussion
Recognizing that the operation of
ships sailing in polar waters calls for
specific education, training, experience
and related qualifications for officers,
Resolution 11 of the 2010 amendments
to the STCW Convention included nonmandatory guidance on training for
deck and engineer officers serving on
ships operating in polar waters. The
guidance is contained in Section
B–V/g of the STCW Code. The training
requirements of the Polar Code,
however, go beyond what is addressed
in Section B–V/g of the STCW Code, by
utilizing a risk-assessment to addresses
the applicability of different levels of
training required for deck officers
engaged on ships operating in polar
waters. Chapter 12 of The Polar Code
identifies the level of training required
for deck officers on ships subject to the
Polar Code taking into account the type
of vessel and the ice conditions in the
operating area. The levels of training are
either Basic or Advanced Training for
Ships Operating in Polar Waters. The
interim guidance in this policy is based
upon the amendments to the STCW
Convention and Code supporting the
mandatory training requirements in
Chapter 12 of the Polar Code.
The requirements to meet the
standards of competence for Basic or
Advanced Training for Ships Operating
in Polar Waters are defined in the STCW
amendments supporting the Polar Code.
A mariner may satisfy the standard of
competence for Basic or Advanced
Training in Polar Code Operations by
meeting the respective sea service and
training requirements prescribed in
Enclosure (1) of the Policy Letter.
By meeting the basic or advanced
training standard required by the Polar
Code, mariners are also meeting the
familiarization requirements of 46 CFR
15.405, which states that each
credentialed mariner must be familiar
with the relevant characteristics of the
vessel appropriate to his or her duties
and responsibilities prior to assuming
those duties and responsibilities. On
board a seagoing vessel, this
responsibility rests with both the
mariner and the employer as set forth in
46 CFR 15.1105, which requires
mariners subject to STCW to complete
familiarization training before
performing any duty or being assigned
any responsibility unless they are
familiar with those duties and
responsibilities and with all of the
vessel’s arrangements, installations,
equipment, procedures, and
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:38 Feb 11, 2016
Jkt 238001
characteristics relevant to his or her
routine and emergency duties or
responsibilities.
If training regulations are published,
training completed to meet the
requirements described in the policy
letter may be evaluated on a case by
case basis, and considered to meet part
of the transitional provisions of the
training requirements for Basic or
Advanced Polar Waters Operations.
Voluntary Policy
The guidance provided in this policy
letter is voluntary, except where
existing regulatory requirements are
discussed. Although it may assist the
industry, public, Coast Guard, and other
Federal and State regulators in applying
existing statutory and regulatory
requirements, the policy letter and
guidance it contains are not a substitute
for applicable legal requirements nor are
they regulations themselves. We note
the ongoing work of the IMO in this
area, in particular regarding training of
personnel engaged in polar waters.
Developments within this body will be
taken into account during possible
future revisions of the draft policy letter.
During the course of local operations,
each Coast Guard Captain of the Port
(COTP) has discretionary authority on
how best to address specific safety and
security concerns within his or her area
of responsibility consistent with 33 CFR
1.01–30. Nothing in the policy letter or
the guidance it contains is meant to
override or limit the discretion of the
COTP when addressing the unique
safety concerns of vessels operating in
polar waters.
This notice is issued under authority
of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).
Dated: February 8, 2016.
J.G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and
Standards, U.S. Coast Guard.
Notice is hereby given,
pursuant to CBP regulations, that
AmSpec Services, LLC, has been
approved to gauge petroleum and
certain petroleum products and
accredited to test petroleum and certain
petroleum products for customs
purposes for the next three years as of
August 12, 2015.
DATES: Effective Dates: The
accreditation and approval of AmSpec
Services, LLC, as commercial gauger
and laboratory became effective on
August 12, 2015. The next triennial
inspection date will be scheduled for
August 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Approved Gauger and Accredited
Laboratories Manager, Laboratories and
Scientific Services Directorate, U.S.
Customs and Border Protection, 1300
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Suite
1500N, Washington, DC 20229, tel. 202–
344–1060.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is
hereby given pursuant to 19 CFR 151.12
and 19 CFR 151.13, that AmSpec
Services, LLC, 100–B Redoubt Rd.,
Yorktown, VA 23692, has been
approved to gauge petroleum and
certain petroleum products and
accredited to test petroleum and certain
petroleum products for customs
purposes, in accordance with the
provisions of 19 CFR 151.12 and 19 CFR
151.13. AmSpec Services, LLC is
approved for the following gauging
procedures for petroleum and certain
petroleum products from the American
Petroleum Institute (API):
SUMMARY:
API
Chapters
3 ..............
7 ..............
8 ..............
9 ..............
12 ............
17 ............
Title
Tank Gauging.
Temperature Determination.
Sampling.
Density Determinations.
Calculations.
Maritime Measurement.
[FR Doc. 2016–02890 Filed 2–11–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–04–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Accreditation and Approval of AmSpec
Services, Llc, as a Commercial Gauger
and Laboratory
U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, Department of Homeland
Security.
AGENCY:
Notice of accreditation and
approval of AmSpec Services, LLC, as a
commercial gauger and laboratory.
ACTION:
PO 00000
Frm 00057
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
AmSpec Services, LLC is accredited
for the following laboratory analysis
procedures and methods for petroleum
and certain petroleum products set forth
by the U.S. Customs and Border
Protection Laboratory Methods (CBPL)
and American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM): Anyone wishing to
employ this entity to conduct laboratory
analyses and gauger services should
request and receive written assurances
from the entity that it is accredited or
approved by the U.S. Customs and
Border Protection to conduct the
specific test or gauger service requested.
Alternatively, inquiries regarding the
specific test or gauger service this entity
is accredited or approved to perform
E:\FR\FM\12FEN1.SGM
12FEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 29 (Friday, February 12, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7552-7553]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-02890]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2016-0017]
Policy Letter: Guidance for Training of Deck Officers on Vessels
Subject to the International Code for Ships Operating in the Polar
Waters
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability, in the docket, of
a policy letter which provides voluntary guidance for the training of
deck officers on vessels operating in polar waters. It recommends
training measures that will achieve a higher level of safety for
mariners working in this specialized polar environment. It is
applicable to SOLAS vessels operating outside the boundary line and
subject to the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters
(Polar Code). The draft policy letter and voluntary guidance would not
apply to vessels on voyages that do not operate in areas subject to the
Polar Code.
DATES: This policy letter is effective on February 12, 2016.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this
document, contact Cathleen Mauro, Marine Personnel Qualifications
Division (CG-OES-1), U.S. Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-1449, or
Cathleen.B.Mauro@uscg.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Viewing Materials in the Docket
The policy letter is available in the docket and can be viewed by
going to www.regulations.gov, inserting USCG-2016-0017 in the
``Keyword'' box, and then clicking ``Search.''
Background and Purpose
Current shipping trends show an increase in the number of vessels
regularly transiting remote polar areas. Vessels in polar waters
experience unpredictable and poor weather conditions, degraded
navigation tools, threats to operating equipment and increased
stability concerns. In response to the challenges faced by these
vessels and the concern for their safe operation, the International
Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted a mandatory code, the
International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters, commonly
referred to as the Polar Code. The Polar Code addresses safety and
environmental requirements for vessels, as well as the level of
training required for deck officers, and is expected to come into force
on January 1, 2017.
In order to obtain input from U.S. stakeholders and to facilitate
the development of the U.S. position at the IMO on the training
requirements needed to support the Polar Code, the Merchant Marine
Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC) chartered a working group in 2013
to address mariner training in support of the polar code. The working
group developed a proposal that included the training competencies for
U.S. mariners serving on ships operating in polar waters. The working
group held multiple meetings and provided recommendations on minimum
standards of competence, sea service, and recency requirements for
polar training at the basic and advanced levels. The group also
developed recommendations on how existing mariners with experience
operating in polar waters would be grandfathered under the new
requirements. MERPAC adopted the working group's recommendations, which
provided the basis of the U.S. position regarding the relevant
amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training,
Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention), 1978,
as amended, and the Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping
Code (STCW Code). The STCW Convention and Code provide the
international standards for seafarers.
Through the work of the IMO's Sub-committee on Human Element,
Training and Watchkeeping (HTW), amendments to the STCW Convention and
Code were developed to define the training requirements needed to
support the implementation of the Polar Code. These amendments were
approved by the Maritime Safety Committee on its Ninety Fifth Session
(MSC 95), and are expected to be adopted by the IMO in July of 2016.
The amendments are expected to enter into force on January 1, 2018.
Cognizant that there is a gap between the time the Polar Code
enters into force on January 1, 2017 and the adoption of the amendments
to the STCW Convention by IMO in July of 2016, the Coast Guard has
developed a policy letter that recommends training guidelines for deck
officers on vessels operating in polar waters. The Coast Guard is
providing this guidance to
[[Page 7553]]
ensure there are sufficiently trained mariners by the time the Polar
Code enters into force.
Discussion
Recognizing that the operation of ships sailing in polar waters
calls for specific education, training, experience and related
qualifications for officers, Resolution 11 of the 2010 amendments to
the STCW Convention included non-mandatory guidance on training for
deck and engineer officers serving on ships operating in polar waters.
The guidance is contained in Section B-V/g of the STCW Code. The
training requirements of the Polar Code, however, go beyond what is
addressed in Section B-V/g of the STCW Code, by utilizing a risk-
assessment to addresses the applicability of different levels of
training required for deck officers engaged on ships operating in polar
waters. Chapter 12 of The Polar Code identifies the level of training
required for deck officers on ships subject to the Polar Code taking
into account the type of vessel and the ice conditions in the operating
area. The levels of training are either Basic or Advanced Training for
Ships Operating in Polar Waters. The interim guidance in this policy is
based upon the amendments to the STCW Convention and Code supporting
the mandatory training requirements in Chapter 12 of the Polar Code.
The requirements to meet the standards of competence for Basic or
Advanced Training for Ships Operating in Polar Waters are defined in
the STCW amendments supporting the Polar Code. A mariner may satisfy
the standard of competence for Basic or Advanced Training in Polar Code
Operations by meeting the respective sea service and training
requirements prescribed in Enclosure (1) of the Policy Letter.
By meeting the basic or advanced training standard required by the
Polar Code, mariners are also meeting the familiarization requirements
of 46 CFR 15.405, which states that each credentialed mariner must be
familiar with the relevant characteristics of the vessel appropriate to
his or her duties and responsibilities prior to assuming those duties
and responsibilities. On board a seagoing vessel, this responsibility
rests with both the mariner and the employer as set forth in 46 CFR
15.1105, which requires mariners subject to STCW to complete
familiarization training before performing any duty or being assigned
any responsibility unless they are familiar with those duties and
responsibilities and with all of the vessel's arrangements,
installations, equipment, procedures, and characteristics relevant to
his or her routine and emergency duties or responsibilities.
If training regulations are published, training completed to meet
the requirements described in the policy letter may be evaluated on a
case by case basis, and considered to meet part of the transitional
provisions of the training requirements for Basic or Advanced Polar
Waters Operations.
Voluntary Policy
The guidance provided in this policy letter is voluntary, except
where existing regulatory requirements are discussed. Although it may
assist the industry, public, Coast Guard, and other Federal and State
regulators in applying existing statutory and regulatory requirements,
the policy letter and guidance it contains are not a substitute for
applicable legal requirements nor are they regulations themselves. We
note the ongoing work of the IMO in this area, in particular regarding
training of personnel engaged in polar waters. Developments within this
body will be taken into account during possible future revisions of the
draft policy letter. During the course of local operations, each Coast
Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) has discretionary authority on how
best to address specific safety and security concerns within his or her
area of responsibility consistent with 33 CFR 1.01-30. Nothing in the
policy letter or the guidance it contains is meant to override or limit
the discretion of the COTP when addressing the unique safety concerns
of vessels operating in polar waters.
This notice is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).
Dated: February 8, 2016.
J.G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, U.S. Coast Guard.
[FR Doc. 2016-02890 Filed 2-11-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
