Offshore Patrol Cutter Acquisition Program; Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement, 52162-52166 [2021-20298]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 179 / Monday, September 20, 2021 / Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket Number USCG–2021–0738]
Offshore Patrol Cutter Acquisition
Program; Draft Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement/
Overseas Environmental Impact
Statement
Coast Guard, Department of
Homeland Security (DHS).
ACTION: Notice of availability of a Draft
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement/Overseas Environmental
Impact Statement; request for
comments.
AGENCY:
The United States (U.S.) Coast
Guard (Coast Guard), as the lead agency,
announces the availability of the Draft
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (PEIS)/Overseas
Environmental Impact Statement
(POEIS) for the Offshore Patrol Cutter
(OPC) Program’s Stage 2 acquisition of
up to 21 OPCs and for the operation of
up to 25 total OPCs. The complete OPC
Program of Record comprises 25 OPCs.
OPC Stage 1 is already under contract to
provide the first 4 OPCs. OPC Stage 2
is the focus of this PEIS/POEIS and will
provide the remaining 21 OPCs. This
PEIS/POEIS is being prepared in
compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act and the
regulations implemented by the Council
on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and
SUMMARY:
National Institutes of Health
National Institute on Minority Health
and Health Disparities; Notice of
Closed Meeting
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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.
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 179 / Monday, September 20, 2021 / Notices
the Executive order titled
‘‘Environmental Effects Abroad of Major
Federal Actions.’’ The Coast Guard has
determined that a PEIS/POEIS is the
most appropriate type of NEPA
document for this action because of the
scope and complexity of the proposed
acquisition and operation of up to 25
OPCs. This Notice of Availability (NOA)
announces the start of the public review
and comment period on this PEIS/
POEIS. After the Coast Guard addresses
comments provided, Coast Guard will
publish a final PEIS/POEIS.
DATES: Comments and related material
must be post-marked or received by the
Coast Guard on or before November 4,
2021.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may
access the Draft PEIS/POEIS using the
Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov. Search using
docket number USCG–2021–0738 to
access the Draft PEIS/POEIS.
Submitting Comments: You may
submit comments on the Draft PEIS/
POEIS by one of the following methods:
• Via the Web: You may submit
comments identified by docket number
USCG–2021–0738 using the Federal
eRulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov. See the ‘‘Public
Scoping Process’’ portion of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for
further instructions on submitting
comments.
• Via U.S. Mail: OPC Program
Manager (CG–9322), U.S. Coast Guard
Headquarters, 2703 Martin Luther King
Jr. Ave. SE, Stop 7800, Washington, DC
20593. Please note that mailed
comments must be postmarked on or
before the comment deadline of 45 days
following publication of this notice to
be considered.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information about this document
contact Andrew Haley, Chief, Office of
Environmental Management, Coast
Guard at HQS-SMB-OPC-EIS@uscg.mil
or 202–372–1821.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This NOA
briefly summarizes the proposed
project, including the purpose and need
and reasonable alternatives. As required
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by NEPA and CEQ implementing
regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through
1508, specifically § 1502.3), a Federal
agency must prepare an EIS if it is
proposing a major Federal action to
analyze the environmental
consequences of implementing each of
the alternatives, if carried forward for
full review, following public scoping, by
assessing the effects of each alternative
on the human environment.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed
Action
The Coast Guard’s current fleet of
Medium Endurance Cutters (MEC)
consists of 28 operational vessels
homeported in the Coast Guard’s Area
of Responsibility (AOR) in the Atlantic,
Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico. MECs
primarily operate outside the 12
nautical mile (nm) territorial seas and
within the 200 nm Exclusive Economic
Zone and primarily execute maritime
law enforcement and search and rescue
missions. Additional MEC operations
occur in the Gulf of Mexico, the
Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific between
California and Panama. Current
operational MECs have exceeded their
designed 30-year service life and can no
longer meet this need for the Coast
Guard. Therefore, the Coast Guard must
replace the aging MECs because they are
too old and costly to be operationally
effective. Some of the oldest MECs are
already more than 55 years old and do
not have sufficient hull life remaining to
justify any attempts to modernize them.
Therefore, the purpose of the Proposed
Action is the acquisition and operation
of up to 25 OPCs to replace the
capabilities of the current operational
MECs. OPCs have identical missions
and operational characteristics as the
MECs they replace. OPC differences
include increased length to
accommodate a fixed hanger for
assigned aircraft, larger flight deck,
greater at-sea endurance, an increased
number of cutter boats, and modernized
Command, Control, Computers,
Navigation, and Combat systems. OPCs
also feature enhanced environmental
standards for clean air, noise, sewage,
trash, and ballast.
Proposed Action and Alternative
Coast Guard has identified and
analyzed three action alternatives and
the No Action Alternative in the PEIS/
POEIS for public review and comment.
Proposed Action (Alternative 1,
Preferred Alternative): Under the
Proposed Action, the Coast Guard
would acquire and operate up to 25
OPCs with planned design lives of 30
years to fulfill mission requirements in
the proposed action areas in the Atlantic
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Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean
Sea, and Pacific Ocean, including the
ice-free waters of Alaska, Hawaii, and
Pacific Islands. Similar to the current
fleet’s operations, the Proposed Action
would include vessel and aircraft
operations as well as shipboard training
exercises to meet the Coast Guard’s
mission responsibilities. OPCs would
support the Coast Guard’s missions that
generally occur more than 50 nm (92
km) from shore and require long transit
time to reach the farthest extent of the
Coast Guard’s AORs, forward
deployment of forces with the U.S. Navy
for National Defense, and an extended
on-scene vessel presence.
An OPC’s typical deployment
schedule would be to perform law
enforcement activities, which include
interdicting any vessel suspected of
illegal or unsafe activity in U.S. waters
(e.g., fishing without appropriate
permits, carrying excessive passengers,
or transporting contraband). However,
the OPC would be expected to perform
other federally-mandated emergent (e.g.,
hurricane disaster response) or nonemergent missions, typically without
sufficient time to return to port for
additional provisions or reconfiguration.
These missions include Ports,
Waterways, and Coastal Security,
Search and Rescue, Drug Interdiction,
Migrant Interdiction, Living Marine
Resource, Other Law Enforcement, and
Defense Readiness. The OPC would also
be required to enforce maritime
environmental laws and regulations,
escort vessels to protect national
security, and to ensure safe maritime
navigation. Coast Guard mandated
missions are covered under Title 14
U.S.C. and 6 U.S.C. 468.
OPCs would carry up to three small,
rigid-hull inflatable Over the Horizon
(OTH) boats, but only one to two OTH
boats would be launched at any one
time in support of OPC operations.
Operations with OTH boats would
enhance operational effectiveness by
allowing for simultaneous boarding,
inspecting, seizing, and neutralizing of
surface targets of interest (i.e., civilians
suspected of breaking the law or
requiring assistance). The OTH boats
would also perform in situations and
areas where it is either physically
impossible or dangerous for the OPC to
navigate. OTH boats would support
activities such as vessel boarding,
passenger transfer, and rescue of
persons in distress.
All OPCs would be flight deckequipped with the ability to launch,
recover, hangar, and maintain
helicopters. The flight deck of the OPC
would be capable of launching and
recovering all variants of helicopters up
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to equivalent weight of a Sikorsky S–92.
In general, helicopters supporting an
OPC would either be from an embarked
aviation detachment, or would fly from
an established airstrip on shore either to
the OPC or from the OPC to shore.
Helicopter flights associated with the
Proposed Action would occur in all
Coast Guard AORs, and could be used
for transport of personnel and
equipment and for conducting training
(e.g., landing qualifications), in addition
to supporting all OPC missions. All
aircraft would follow the Coast Guard’s
Air Operations Manual (COMDTINST
M3710.1H, October 2018).
All OPCs would also have the ability
to launch, recover, hangar, and maintain
an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).
Depending on available space, multiple
UAS may be utilized. The OPC would
have the capability to operate videoequipped UAS that would extend the
visual capability of the OPC when
conducting operations. The UAS would
be deployed and recovered from the
OPC. At this time, the specific type of
UAS that would be deployed from the
OPC is not known because the Coast
Guard would acquire the most current
UAS technology available after the
OPCs are operational. Coast Guard UAS
Division sets policies and Standard
Operating Procedures specific to UAS
operations, including regulations that
differ from those governing manned
flight operations.
Every 18–24 months, the OPC crew
would undergo 3–4 weeks of training
and evaluation, including over 100
drills and exercises in different
scenarios (e.g., flooding, combat, fires,
refueling at sea, towing, active shooter)
to demonstrate the crew’s abilities to
safely and effectively run the ship.
During this training evaluation, a
significant administrative portion is
dedicated to ensure the ship’s
compliance with applicable laws,
regulations, and policies. Some of the
activities are integral to Coast Guard
emergency response. Although
emergency response is not a part of the
Proposed Action, training is required.
Therefore, training on an OPC for an
emergency response is considered part
of the Proposed Action. Training would
entail practicing response to a simulated
emergency while continuing the safe
operation and navigation of the OPC.
Gunnery training may occur up to
four times per year on each OPC vessel
and would only occur in ranges
authorized by the Coast Guard and
when possible, in established Navy
ranges, particularly when live
ammunition is used. Areas with
sensitive marine resources would not be
used for gunnery training.
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Vessel performance testing would
occur up to annually and would
typically occur near that vessel’s
homeport similar to testing currently
conducted for MECs.
Coast Guard OPC operations and
training would occur after delivery of
each OPC from the shipbuilder to the
Coast Guard. For example, OPC–1
delivery to the Coast Guard is expected
in 2023 and would undergo
approximately one year of training to
become ‘‘Ready for Operations.’’ OPC–1
would then become operational in 2024.
The last OPC (i.e., OPC–25) is expected
to be delivered in 2037 and would then
become operational in 2038.
Alternative 2, Reduced Acquisition:
The Coast Guard would explore the
acquisition of fewer OPCs after the
completion of OPC–1 through OPC–4
which are under contract. The Coast
Guard would consider five, ten, or
fifteen OPCs via a re-competition of the
original OPC contract as replacements
for a corresponding number of inservice MECs. The Coast Guard would
then need to replace the remaining
MECs on a one-for-one basis, using
whatever replacement hulls the Coast
Guard could obtain when deterioration
or obsolescence requires
decommissioning. The life cycle
training and logistical costs of
maintaining several unique hulls would
exceed the corresponding costs of
maintaining a class of 25 cutters that
would be built specifically to conduct
missions in the Coast Guard’s AORs.
Costs and challenges are similar to what
is described under Alternative 3.
Operations and training using OPCs
acquired under Alternative 2 are the
same as for Alternative 1.
Alternative 3, Purchase, Lease, and
Inherit: The Coast Guard would explore
various forms of cutter purchase or
lease, or inherit vessels from the U.S.
Navy, as the need arises. This would
mean that as a MEC reaches or surpasses
the end of its economic service life, that
cutter would not necessarily be replaced
with the same type of asset or by an
asset with similar capabilities. One-forone MEC replacement cost would
increase more per replacement hull
because it eliminates any workforce
savings associated with ship capabilities
designed specifically to conduct Coast
Guard missions in areas that may
exceed 50 nm (93 km) from shore. The
purchase, lease, and inherit alternative
include the lack of an existing domestic
commercial vessel capable of meeting
available options to Purchase and Buildto-Lease. This approach would not
properly integrate Coast Guard systems,
limiting ability of assets to communicate
in real time and resulting in decreased
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efficiency throughout the system, as
well as higher maintenance costs.
Operations and training using OPCs
acquired under Alternative 2 are the
same as for Alternative 1.
No Action Alternative: The evaluation
of a No Action Alternative is required
by the regulations implementing NEPA.
Under the No Action Alternative, the
Coast Guard would acquire OPC–1
through OPC–4, then would fulfill its
missions in the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans and Gulf of Mexico using
existing assets, which are reaching the
end of their service lives. The existing
assets would continue to age, causing a
decrease in efficiency of machinery as
well as an increased risk of equipment
failure or damage, and would not be
considered reliable for immediate
emergency response. In addition, it
would become more difficult for an
ageing fleet to remain in compliance
with environmental laws and
regulations and standards for safe
operation. Further Service Life
Extensions become more challenging as
significant systems and parts are no
longer available, which requires
contracting for systems or parts to be
made specifically for the vessel.
Therefore, the No Action Alternative
would not meet the Coast Guard’s
statutory mission requirements in the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and Gulf of
Mexico to provide air, surface, and
shore-side presence in those areas.
The Coast Guard also enforces the
Marine Mammal Protection Act
(MMPA) and Endangered Species Act
(ESA), and without reliable Coast Guard
presence, enforcement of these laws
would be significantly reduced. As
such, the No Action Alternative does
not meet the purpose and need.
Summary of Expected Impacts
While the Coast Guard must work
toward environmental compliance
during the design and acquisition of
OPCs, each vessel is not expected to
impact the environment or biological
resources until it is operational. In
addition, vessel construction in
commercial shipyards is not expected to
impact any physical or biological
resources.
Although the total number of OPCs
may be subject to change, Congressional
Authorization is for no more than 25.
Therefore, the PEIS/POEIS analyzes the
potential impact associated with the
proposed acquisition and operation of
up to 25 OPCs, as this would be the
highest number projected to be
operational in the Coast Guard’s AORs.
Acoustic and physical stressors
associated with the Proposed Action
may potentially impact the physical and
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biological environment in the AORs.
Potential acoustic stressors include: The
fathometer and Doppler speed log noise
(navigation system), vessel noise,
aircraft noise, and gunnery noise.
Potential physical stressors include:
Vessel movement, aircraft movement
(helicopters, UAS), and marine
expended materials (MEM).
Since the OPC AORs cover a broad
geographic area, stressors associated
with the Proposed Action are assessed
to determine if they potentially impact
air quality, ambient sound, biological
resources (including critical habitat),
and socioeconomic resources.
The PEIS/POEIS evaluates the
likelihood that a resource would be
exposed to or encounter a stressor and
identify the potential impact associated
with that exposure or encounter. The
likelihood of an exposure or encounter
is based on the stressor, location, and
timing relative to the spatial and
temporal distribution of each biological
resource or critical habitat. No
significant impacts to environmental
resources were identified.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
The Proposed Action is programmatic
in nature and each OPC would have a
design service life of 30 years. As such,
potential permits and authorizations are
identified in the PEIS/POEIS. Certain
approvals may be completed as part of
the PEIS/POEIS, but specific permits
and authorizations under the laws listed
below will be determined through
consultations with the appropriate
regulatory agencies, and would not
necessarily be issued until an OPC is
operational in a specific geographic
area. Implementation of all alternatives
will ultimately require compliance with
the following laws and regulations
through issuance of permits and/or
authorizations:
The Coastal Zone Management Act
(CZMA; 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) was
enacted to protect the coastal
environment from demands associated
with residential, recreational, and
commercial uses. The Coast Guard
would determine the impact of the
Proposed Action and provide a Coastal
Consistency Determination or Negative
Determination to the appropriate state
agency for anticipated concurrence once
the homeports are selected for the OPCs.
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of
1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) provides
for the conservation of endangered and
threatened species and the ecosystems
on which they depend. The Coast Guard
anticipates engaging with the National
Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, pursuant to
Section 7 of the ESA, which have
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jurisdiction over ESA-listed species and
critical habitat (50 CFR 402.14(a)).
The Marine Mammal Protection Act
(MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.)
regulates ‘‘take’’ of marine mammals in
U.S. waters. The term ‘‘take’’ as defined
in Section 3 (16 U.S.C. 1362) of the
MMPA, means ‘‘to harass, hunt, capture,
or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt,
capture, or kill any marine mammal.’’
‘‘Harassment’’ was further defined in
the 1994 amendments to the MMPA as
any act of pursuit, torment, or
annoyance which (i) has the potential to
injure a marine mammal or marine
mammal stock in the wild (i.e., Level A
Harassment); or (ii) has the potential to
disturb a marine mammal or marine
mammal stock in the wild by causing
disruption of behavioral patterns,
including, but not limited to, migration,
breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or
sheltering (i.e., Level B Harassment).
The Coast Guard anticipates engaging
with the National Marine Fisheries
Service and the U.S Fish and Wildlife
Service for potential Level B
Harassment of marine mammals under
their respective jurisdiction from
proposed action activities.
The National Historic Preservation
Act (NHPA; 16 U.S.C. 470, et seq.),
Section 106, requires that each Federal
agency identify and assess the effects its
actions may have on historic resources,
including potential effects on historic
structures, archaeological resources, and
tribal resources. The Coast Guard would
determine if any historic resources are
present in the project area, evaluate the
potential for the proposed action to
adversely affect these resources, and
consult with the appropriate state
agency and any interested or affected
Tribes to resolve any adverse effects by
developing and evaluating alternatives
or measures that could avoid, minimize,
or mitigate impacts.
The Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401, et
seq.) regulates emissions from both
stationary (industrial) sources and
mobile sources. The Coast Guard
evaluated the potential for increased
emissions during proposed action
activities to determine if the emissions
would be in conformity with the State
Implementation Plan for attainment of
National Ambient Air Quality
Standards.
Schedule for the Decision-Making
Process
Following the comment period
announced in this Notice of
Availability, and after consideration of
all comments received, Coast Guard will
prepare a Final PEIS/POEIS for the
acquisition of 21 OPCs and operation of
up to 25 OPCs. In meeting CEQ
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regulations requiring EISs to be
completed within 2 years the Coast
Guard anticipates the Final PEIS/POEIS
would be available in 2022. Availability
of the Final PEIS/POEIS would be
published in the Federal Register and
would be available for a 30-day waiting
period. Because new information may
become available after the completion of
the Draft or Final PEIS/POEIS,
supplemental NEPA documentation
may be prepared in support of new
information or changes in the Proposed
Action considered under the PEIS/
POEIS.
Public Scoping Process
The Coast Guard is seeking comments
on the potential environmental impacts
that may result from the Proposed
Action or preliminary Alternatives. The
Coast Guard is also seeking input on
relevant information, studies, or
analyses of any kind concerning impacts
potentially affecting the quality of the
human environment as a result of the
Proposed Action. NEPA requires
Federal agencies to consider
environmental impacts that may result
from a Proposed Action, to inform the
public of potential impacts and
alternatives, and to facilitate public
involvement in the assessment process.
The PEIS/POEIS includes, among other
topics, discussions of the purpose and
need for the Proposed Action, a
description of alternatives, a description
of the affected environment, and an
evaluation of the environmental impact
of the Proposed Action and alternatives.
E.O. 12114, Environmental Effects
Abroad of Major Federal Actions (44 FR
1957), directs Federal agencies to be
informed of and take account of
environmental considerations when
making decisions regarding major
Federal actions outside of the U.S., its
territories, and possessions. E.O. 12114
requires Federal agencies to assess the
effects of their actions outside the U.S.
that may significantly harm the physical
and natural environment. A PEIS/POEIS
would include, among other topics,
discussions of the purpose and need for
the Proposed Action, a description of
alternatives, a description of the affected
environment, and an evaluation of the
environmental impact of the Proposed
Action and alternatives. The Coast
Guard proposes to combine the PEIS
and POEIS into one document, as
permitted under NEPA and E.O. 12114,
to reduce duplication.
The Coast Guard intends to follow the
CEQ regulations implementing NEPA
(40 CFR parts 1500 through 1599) by
scoping through public comments.
Scoping, which is integral to the process
for implementing NEPA, provides a
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 179 / Monday, September 20, 2021 / Notices
process to ensure that (1) issues are
identified early and properly studied;
(2) issues of little significance do not
consume substantial time and effort; (3)
the Draft PEIS/POEIS is thorough and
balanced; and (4) delays caused by an
inadequate PEIS/POEIS are avoided.
Public scoping is a process for
determining the scope of issues to be
addressed in this PEIS/POEIS and for
identifying the issues related to the
Proposed Action that may have a
significant effect on the environment.
The scoping process began with
publication of the Notice of Intent to
prepare the PEIS/POEIS, published
November 18, 2020 (85 FR 73491). The
Coast Guard did not receive any
comments or input on alternatives,
information, or analysis relating to the
Proposed Action during the 45-day
public scoping period that began
November 18, 2020 and ended January
4, 2021. In this Notice of Availability,
the Coast Guard is providing the public
with the opportunity to comment on the
Draft PEIS/POEIS. After Coast Guard
considers those comments, the Final
PEIS/POEIS will be prepared and its
availability similarly announced to
solicit public review and comment.
Comments received during the Draft
PEIS/POEIS review period will be
available in the public docket and made
available in the Final PEIS/POEIS.
Pursuant to the CEQ regulations,
Coast Guard invites public participation
in the NEPA process. This notice
requests public comments, establishes a
public comment period, and provides
information on how to participate.
The 45-day public comment period
begins September 20, 2021 and ends
November 4, 2021. Comments and
related material submitted to the online
docket via https://www.regulations.gov/
must be received by the Coast Guard on
or before November 4, 2021, and mailed
submission, must be postmarked on or
before that same date.
We encourage you to submit specific,
timely, substantive, and relevant
comments through the Federal portal at
https://www.regulations.gov, on the site
provided when searching the above
docket number or searching for
‘‘Offshore Patrol Cutter.’’ If comments
cannot be submitted using https://
www.regulations.gov, contact the OPC
program manager at HQS-SMBOPCEIS@uscg.mil. If you cannot submit
comments electronically, written
comments can be sent to: OPC Program
Manager (CG–9322), U.S. Coast Guard
Headquarters, 2703 Martin Luther King
Jr. Ave. SE, Stop 7800, Washington, DC
20593.
In submissions, please include the
docket number for this Notice of
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:49 Sep 17, 2021
Jkt 253001
Availability and provide reasoning for
comments. To be considered timely,
comments must be received on or before
November 4, 2021 to be considered in
the Draft PEIS/POEIS. Comments mailed
to the contact above must be
postmarked by November 4, 2021. We
will consider all substantive and
relevant comments received during the
comment period.
We accept anonymous comments.
Comments posted to https://
www.regulations.gov will include any
personal information you have
provided. For more about privacy and
submissions in response to this
document, see DHS’s eRulemaking
System of Records notice (85 FR 14226,
March 11, 2020).
We review all comments received, but
we will only post comments that
address the topic of the notice. We may
choose not to post off-topic,
inappropriate, or duplicate comments
that we receive. Documents mentioned
in this Notice of Availability as being
available in the docket, and posted
public comments, will be in the online
docket at https://www.regulations.gov
and can be viewed by following that
website’s instructions.
Comments received in response to
this solicitation, including names and
addresses of those who comment, will
be part of the public record for this
Proposed Action.
Dated: September 15, 2021.
Andrew T. Pecora,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, OPC Program
Manager (CG–9322).
[FR Doc. 2021–20298 Filed 9–16–21; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–04–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Transportation Security Administration
Intent To Request Extension From
OMB of One Current Public Collection
of Information: TSA Airspace Waiver
Program
Transportation Security
Administration, Homeland Security
(DHS).
ACTION: 60-Day notice.
AGENCY:
The Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) invites public
comment on one currently approved
Information Collection Request (ICR),
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) control number 1652–0033, that
we will submit to OMB for an extension
in compliance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA). The ICR describes
the nature of the information collection
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00044
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
and its expected burden. The collection
of information allows TSA to conduct
security threat assessments on
individuals on board aircraft operating
in restricted airspace pursuant to an
airspace waiver or flight authorization.
DATES: Send your comments by
November 19, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be emailed
to TSAPRA@tsa.dhs.gov or delivered to
the TSA PRA Officer, Information
Technology (IT), TSA–11,
Transportation Security Administration,
6595 Springfield Center Drive,
Springfield, VA 20598–6011.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Christina A. Walsh at the above address,
or by telephone (571) 227–2062.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
In accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), an agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information
unless it displays a valid OMB control
number. The ICR documentation will be
available at https://www.reginfo.gov
upon its submission to OMB. Therefore,
in preparation for OMB review and
approval of the following information
collection, TSA is soliciting comments
to—
(1) Evaluate whether the proposed
information requirement is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions
of the agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including using
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Information Collection Requirement
OMB Control Number 1652–0033;
TSA Airspace Waiver Program. TSA is
seeking approval to extend this
collection of information. The airspace
waiver program allows U.S. and foreign
general aviation aircraft operators to
apply for approval to operate in U.S.
restricted airspace, including flying over
the United States and its territories. This
program includes both processing of
applications for airspace waivers and
flight authorizations for flights operating
under the Ronald Reagan Washington
National Airport (DCA) Access Standard
Security Program (see subpart B of 49
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 179 (Monday, September 20, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52162-52166]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20298]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket Number USCG-2021-0738]
Offshore Patrol Cutter Acquisition Program; Draft Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
ACTION: Notice of availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement; request for
comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The United States (U.S.) Coast Guard (Coast Guard), as the
lead agency, announces the availability of the Draft Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS)/Overseas Environmental Impact
Statement (POEIS) for the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Program's Stage
2 acquisition of up to 21 OPCs and for the operation of up to 25 total
OPCs. The complete OPC Program of Record comprises 25 OPCs. OPC Stage 1
is already under contract to provide the first 4 OPCs. OPC Stage 2 is
the focus of this PEIS/POEIS and will provide the remaining 21 OPCs.
This PEIS/POEIS is being prepared in compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act and the regulations implemented by the Council
on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and
[[Page 52163]]
the Executive order titled ``Environmental Effects Abroad of Major
Federal Actions.'' The Coast Guard has determined that a PEIS/POEIS is
the most appropriate type of NEPA document for this action because of
the scope and complexity of the proposed acquisition and operation of
up to 25 OPCs. This Notice of Availability (NOA) announces the start of
the public review and comment period on this PEIS/POEIS. After the
Coast Guard addresses comments provided, Coast Guard will publish a
final PEIS/POEIS.
DATES: Comments and related material must be post-marked or received by
the Coast Guard on or before November 4, 2021.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may access the Draft PEIS/POEIS using the
Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. Search using
docket number USCG-2021-0738 to access the Draft PEIS/POEIS.
Submitting Comments: You may submit comments on the Draft PEIS/
POEIS by one of the following methods:
Via the Web: You may submit comments identified by docket
number USCG-2021-0738 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. See the ``Public Scoping Process'' portion of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further instructions on
submitting comments.
Via U.S. Mail: OPC Program Manager (CG-9322), U.S. Coast
Guard Headquarters, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE, Stop 7800,
Washington, DC 20593. Please note that mailed comments must be
postmarked on or before the comment deadline of 45 days following
publication of this notice to be considered.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this document
contact Andrew Haley, Chief, Office of Environmental Management, Coast
Guard at [email protected] or 202-372-1821.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This NOA briefly summarizes the proposed
project, including the purpose and need and reasonable alternatives. As
required by NEPA and CEQ implementing regulations (40 CFR parts 1500
through 1508, specifically Sec. 1502.3), a Federal agency must prepare
an EIS if it is proposing a major Federal action to analyze the
environmental consequences of implementing each of the alternatives, if
carried forward for full review, following public scoping, by assessing
the effects of each alternative on the human environment.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The Coast Guard's current fleet of Medium Endurance Cutters (MEC)
consists of 28 operational vessels homeported in the Coast Guard's Area
of Responsibility (AOR) in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico.
MECs primarily operate outside the 12 nautical mile (nm) territorial
seas and within the 200 nm Exclusive Economic Zone and primarily
execute maritime law enforcement and search and rescue missions.
Additional MEC operations occur in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean
Sea, and the Pacific between California and Panama. Current operational
MECs have exceeded their designed 30-year service life and can no
longer meet this need for the Coast Guard. Therefore, the Coast Guard
must replace the aging MECs because they are too old and costly to be
operationally effective. Some of the oldest MECs are already more than
55 years old and do not have sufficient hull life remaining to justify
any attempts to modernize them. Therefore, the purpose of the Proposed
Action is the acquisition and operation of up to 25 OPCs to replace the
capabilities of the current operational MECs. OPCs have identical
missions and operational characteristics as the MECs they replace. OPC
differences include increased length to accommodate a fixed hanger for
assigned aircraft, larger flight deck, greater at-sea endurance, an
increased number of cutter boats, and modernized Command, Control,
Computers, Navigation, and Combat systems. OPCs also feature enhanced
environmental standards for clean air, noise, sewage, trash, and
ballast.
Proposed Action and Alternative
Coast Guard has identified and analyzed three action alternatives
and the No Action Alternative in the PEIS/POEIS for public review and
comment.
Proposed Action (Alternative 1, Preferred Alternative): Under the
Proposed Action, the Coast Guard would acquire and operate up to 25
OPCs with planned design lives of 30 years to fulfill mission
requirements in the proposed action areas in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf
of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and Pacific Ocean, including the ice-free
waters of Alaska, Hawaii, and Pacific Islands. Similar to the current
fleet's operations, the Proposed Action would include vessel and
aircraft operations as well as shipboard training exercises to meet the
Coast Guard's mission responsibilities. OPCs would support the Coast
Guard's missions that generally occur more than 50 nm (92 km) from
shore and require long transit time to reach the farthest extent of the
Coast Guard's AORs, forward deployment of forces with the U.S. Navy for
National Defense, and an extended on-scene vessel presence.
An OPC's typical deployment schedule would be to perform law
enforcement activities, which include interdicting any vessel suspected
of illegal or unsafe activity in U.S. waters (e.g., fishing without
appropriate permits, carrying excessive passengers, or transporting
contraband). However, the OPC would be expected to perform other
federally-mandated emergent (e.g., hurricane disaster response) or non-
emergent missions, typically without sufficient time to return to port
for additional provisions or reconfiguration. These missions include
Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security, Search and Rescue, Drug
Interdiction, Migrant Interdiction, Living Marine Resource, Other Law
Enforcement, and Defense Readiness. The OPC would also be required to
enforce maritime environmental laws and regulations, escort vessels to
protect national security, and to ensure safe maritime navigation.
Coast Guard mandated missions are covered under Title 14 U.S.C. and 6
U.S.C. 468.
OPCs would carry up to three small, rigid-hull inflatable Over the
Horizon (OTH) boats, but only one to two OTH boats would be launched at
any one time in support of OPC operations. Operations with OTH boats
would enhance operational effectiveness by allowing for simultaneous
boarding, inspecting, seizing, and neutralizing of surface targets of
interest (i.e., civilians suspected of breaking the law or requiring
assistance). The OTH boats would also perform in situations and areas
where it is either physically impossible or dangerous for the OPC to
navigate. OTH boats would support activities such as vessel boarding,
passenger transfer, and rescue of persons in distress.
All OPCs would be flight deck-equipped with the ability to launch,
recover, hangar, and maintain helicopters. The flight deck of the OPC
would be capable of launching and recovering all variants of
helicopters up
[[Page 52164]]
to equivalent weight of a Sikorsky S-92. In general, helicopters
supporting an OPC would either be from an embarked aviation detachment,
or would fly from an established airstrip on shore either to the OPC or
from the OPC to shore. Helicopter flights associated with the Proposed
Action would occur in all Coast Guard AORs, and could be used for
transport of personnel and equipment and for conducting training (e.g.,
landing qualifications), in addition to supporting all OPC missions.
All aircraft would follow the Coast Guard's Air Operations Manual
(COMDTINST M3710.1H, October 2018).
All OPCs would also have the ability to launch, recover, hangar,
and maintain an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). Depending on available
space, multiple UAS may be utilized. The OPC would have the capability
to operate video-equipped UAS that would extend the visual capability
of the OPC when conducting operations. The UAS would be deployed and
recovered from the OPC. At this time, the specific type of UAS that
would be deployed from the OPC is not known because the Coast Guard
would acquire the most current UAS technology available after the OPCs
are operational. Coast Guard UAS Division sets policies and Standard
Operating Procedures specific to UAS operations, including regulations
that differ from those governing manned flight operations.
Every 18-24 months, the OPC crew would undergo 3-4 weeks of
training and evaluation, including over 100 drills and exercises in
different scenarios (e.g., flooding, combat, fires, refueling at sea,
towing, active shooter) to demonstrate the crew's abilities to safely
and effectively run the ship. During this training evaluation, a
significant administrative portion is dedicated to ensure the ship's
compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies. Some of the
activities are integral to Coast Guard emergency response. Although
emergency response is not a part of the Proposed Action, training is
required. Therefore, training on an OPC for an emergency response is
considered part of the Proposed Action. Training would entail
practicing response to a simulated emergency while continuing the safe
operation and navigation of the OPC.
Gunnery training may occur up to four times per year on each OPC
vessel and would only occur in ranges authorized by the Coast Guard and
when possible, in established Navy ranges, particularly when live
ammunition is used. Areas with sensitive marine resources would not be
used for gunnery training.
Vessel performance testing would occur up to annually and would
typically occur near that vessel's homeport similar to testing
currently conducted for MECs.
Coast Guard OPC operations and training would occur after delivery
of each OPC from the shipbuilder to the Coast Guard. For example, OPC-1
delivery to the Coast Guard is expected in 2023 and would undergo
approximately one year of training to become ``Ready for Operations.''
OPC-1 would then become operational in 2024. The last OPC (i.e., OPC-
25) is expected to be delivered in 2037 and would then become
operational in 2038.
Alternative 2, Reduced Acquisition: The Coast Guard would explore
the acquisition of fewer OPCs after the completion of OPC-1 through
OPC-4 which are under contract. The Coast Guard would consider five,
ten, or fifteen OPCs via a re-competition of the original OPC contract
as replacements for a corresponding number of in-service MECs. The
Coast Guard would then need to replace the remaining MECs on a one-for-
one basis, using whatever replacement hulls the Coast Guard could
obtain when deterioration or obsolescence requires decommissioning. The
life cycle training and logistical costs of maintaining several unique
hulls would exceed the corresponding costs of maintaining a class of 25
cutters that would be built specifically to conduct missions in the
Coast Guard's AORs. Costs and challenges are similar to what is
described under Alternative 3. Operations and training using OPCs
acquired under Alternative 2 are the same as for Alternative 1.
Alternative 3, Purchase, Lease, and Inherit: The Coast Guard would
explore various forms of cutter purchase or lease, or inherit vessels
from the U.S. Navy, as the need arises. This would mean that as a MEC
reaches or surpasses the end of its economic service life, that cutter
would not necessarily be replaced with the same type of asset or by an
asset with similar capabilities. One-for-one MEC replacement cost would
increase more per replacement hull because it eliminates any workforce
savings associated with ship capabilities designed specifically to
conduct Coast Guard missions in areas that may exceed 50 nm (93 km)
from shore. The purchase, lease, and inherit alternative include the
lack of an existing domestic commercial vessel capable of meeting
available options to Purchase and Build-to-Lease. This approach would
not properly integrate Coast Guard systems, limiting ability of assets
to communicate in real time and resulting in decreased efficiency
throughout the system, as well as higher maintenance costs. Operations
and training using OPCs acquired under Alternative 2 are the same as
for Alternative 1.
No Action Alternative: The evaluation of a No Action Alternative is
required by the regulations implementing NEPA. Under the No Action
Alternative, the Coast Guard would acquire OPC-1 through OPC-4, then
would fulfill its missions in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and Gulf
of Mexico using existing assets, which are reaching the end of their
service lives. The existing assets would continue to age, causing a
decrease in efficiency of machinery as well as an increased risk of
equipment failure or damage, and would not be considered reliable for
immediate emergency response. In addition, it would become more
difficult for an ageing fleet to remain in compliance with
environmental laws and regulations and standards for safe operation.
Further Service Life Extensions become more challenging as significant
systems and parts are no longer available, which requires contracting
for systems or parts to be made specifically for the vessel. Therefore,
the No Action Alternative would not meet the Coast Guard's statutory
mission requirements in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and Gulf of
Mexico to provide air, surface, and shore-side presence in those areas.
The Coast Guard also enforces the Marine Mammal Protection Act
(MMPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA), and without reliable Coast
Guard presence, enforcement of these laws would be significantly
reduced. As such, the No Action Alternative does not meet the purpose
and need.
Summary of Expected Impacts
While the Coast Guard must work toward environmental compliance
during the design and acquisition of OPCs, each vessel is not expected
to impact the environment or biological resources until it is
operational. In addition, vessel construction in commercial shipyards
is not expected to impact any physical or biological resources.
Although the total number of OPCs may be subject to change,
Congressional Authorization is for no more than 25. Therefore, the
PEIS/POEIS analyzes the potential impact associated with the proposed
acquisition and operation of up to 25 OPCs, as this would be the
highest number projected to be operational in the Coast Guard's AORs.
Acoustic and physical stressors associated with the Proposed Action
may potentially impact the physical and
[[Page 52165]]
biological environment in the AORs. Potential acoustic stressors
include: The fathometer and Doppler speed log noise (navigation
system), vessel noise, aircraft noise, and gunnery noise. Potential
physical stressors include: Vessel movement, aircraft movement
(helicopters, UAS), and marine expended materials (MEM).
Since the OPC AORs cover a broad geographic area, stressors
associated with the Proposed Action are assessed to determine if they
potentially impact air quality, ambient sound, biological resources
(including critical habitat), and socioeconomic resources.
The PEIS/POEIS evaluates the likelihood that a resource would be
exposed to or encounter a stressor and identify the potential impact
associated with that exposure or encounter. The likelihood of an
exposure or encounter is based on the stressor, location, and timing
relative to the spatial and temporal distribution of each biological
resource or critical habitat. No significant impacts to environmental
resources were identified.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
The Proposed Action is programmatic in nature and each OPC would
have a design service life of 30 years. As such, potential permits and
authorizations are identified in the PEIS/POEIS. Certain approvals may
be completed as part of the PEIS/POEIS, but specific permits and
authorizations under the laws listed below will be determined through
consultations with the appropriate regulatory agencies, and would not
necessarily be issued until an OPC is operational in a specific
geographic area. Implementation of all alternatives will ultimately
require compliance with the following laws and regulations through
issuance of permits and/or authorizations:
The Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA; 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) was
enacted to protect the coastal environment from demands associated with
residential, recreational, and commercial uses. The Coast Guard would
determine the impact of the Proposed Action and provide a Coastal
Consistency Determination or Negative Determination to the appropriate
state agency for anticipated concurrence once the homeports are
selected for the OPCs.
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
provides for the conservation of endangered and threatened species and
the ecosystems on which they depend. The Coast Guard anticipates
engaging with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, pursuant to Section 7 of the ESA, which have
jurisdiction over ESA-listed species and critical habitat (50 CFR
402.14(a)).
The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.)
regulates ``take'' of marine mammals in U.S. waters. The term ``take''
as defined in Section 3 (16 U.S.C. 1362) of the MMPA, means ``to
harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or
kill any marine mammal.'' ``Harassment'' was further defined in the
1994 amendments to the MMPA as any act of pursuit, torment, or
annoyance which (i) has the potential to injure a marine mammal or
marine mammal stock in the wild (i.e., Level A Harassment); or (ii) has
the potential to disturb a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the
wild by causing disruption of behavioral patterns, including, but not
limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or
sheltering (i.e., Level B Harassment). The Coast Guard anticipates
engaging with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S Fish
and Wildlife Service for potential Level B Harassment of marine mammals
under their respective jurisdiction from proposed action activities.
The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA; 16 U.S.C. 470, et
seq.), Section 106, requires that each Federal agency identify and
assess the effects its actions may have on historic resources,
including potential effects on historic structures, archaeological
resources, and tribal resources. The Coast Guard would determine if any
historic resources are present in the project area, evaluate the
potential for the proposed action to adversely affect these resources,
and consult with the appropriate state agency and any interested or
affected Tribes to resolve any adverse effects by developing and
evaluating alternatives or measures that could avoid, minimize, or
mitigate impacts.
The Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401, et seq.) regulates emissions
from both stationary (industrial) sources and mobile sources. The Coast
Guard evaluated the potential for increased emissions during proposed
action activities to determine if the emissions would be in conformity
with the State Implementation Plan for attainment of National Ambient
Air Quality Standards.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
Following the comment period announced in this Notice of
Availability, and after consideration of all comments received, Coast
Guard will prepare a Final PEIS/POEIS for the acquisition of 21 OPCs
and operation of up to 25 OPCs. In meeting CEQ regulations requiring
EISs to be completed within 2 years the Coast Guard anticipates the
Final PEIS/POEIS would be available in 2022. Availability of the Final
PEIS/POEIS would be published in the Federal Register and would be
available for a 30-day waiting period. Because new information may
become available after the completion of the Draft or Final PEIS/POEIS,
supplemental NEPA documentation may be prepared in support of new
information or changes in the Proposed Action considered under the
PEIS/POEIS.
Public Scoping Process
The Coast Guard is seeking comments on the potential environmental
impacts that may result from the Proposed Action or preliminary
Alternatives. The Coast Guard is also seeking input on relevant
information, studies, or analyses of any kind concerning impacts
potentially affecting the quality of the human environment as a result
of the Proposed Action. NEPA requires Federal agencies to consider
environmental impacts that may result from a Proposed Action, to inform
the public of potential impacts and alternatives, and to facilitate
public involvement in the assessment process. The PEIS/POEIS includes,
among other topics, discussions of the purpose and need for the
Proposed Action, a description of alternatives, a description of the
affected environment, and an evaluation of the environmental impact of
the Proposed Action and alternatives.
E.O. 12114, Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions
(44 FR 1957), directs Federal agencies to be informed of and take
account of environmental considerations when making decisions regarding
major Federal actions outside of the U.S., its territories, and
possessions. E.O. 12114 requires Federal agencies to assess the effects
of their actions outside the U.S. that may significantly harm the
physical and natural environment. A PEIS/POEIS would include, among
other topics, discussions of the purpose and need for the Proposed
Action, a description of alternatives, a description of the affected
environment, and an evaluation of the environmental impact of the
Proposed Action and alternatives. The Coast Guard proposes to combine
the PEIS and POEIS into one document, as permitted under NEPA and E.O.
12114, to reduce duplication.
The Coast Guard intends to follow the CEQ regulations implementing
NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1599) by scoping through public
comments. Scoping, which is integral to the process for implementing
NEPA, provides a
[[Page 52166]]
process to ensure that (1) issues are identified early and properly
studied; (2) issues of little significance do not consume substantial
time and effort; (3) the Draft PEIS/POEIS is thorough and balanced; and
(4) delays caused by an inadequate PEIS/POEIS are avoided.
Public scoping is a process for determining the scope of issues to
be addressed in this PEIS/POEIS and for identifying the issues related
to the Proposed Action that may have a significant effect on the
environment. The scoping process began with publication of the Notice
of Intent to prepare the PEIS/POEIS, published November 18, 2020 (85 FR
73491). The Coast Guard did not receive any comments or input on
alternatives, information, or analysis relating to the Proposed Action
during the 45-day public scoping period that began November 18, 2020
and ended January 4, 2021. In this Notice of Availability, the Coast
Guard is providing the public with the opportunity to comment on the
Draft PEIS/POEIS. After Coast Guard considers those comments, the Final
PEIS/POEIS will be prepared and its availability similarly announced to
solicit public review and comment. Comments received during the Draft
PEIS/POEIS review period will be available in the public docket and
made available in the Final PEIS/POEIS.
Pursuant to the CEQ regulations, Coast Guard invites public
participation in the NEPA process. This notice requests public
comments, establishes a public comment period, and provides information
on how to participate.
The 45-day public comment period begins September 20, 2021 and ends
November 4, 2021. Comments and related material submitted to the online
docket via https://www.regulations.gov/ must be received by the Coast
Guard on or before November 4, 2021, and mailed submission, must be
postmarked on or before that same date.
We encourage you to submit specific, timely, substantive, and
relevant comments through the Federal portal at https://www.regulations.gov, on the site provided when searching the above
docket number or searching for ``Offshore Patrol Cutter.'' If comments
cannot be submitted using https://www.regulations.gov, contact the OPC
program manager at [email protected]. If you cannot submit
comments electronically, written comments can be sent to: OPC Program
Manager (CG-9322), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2703 Martin Luther
King Jr. Ave. SE, Stop 7800, Washington, DC 20593.
In submissions, please include the docket number for this Notice of
Availability and provide reasoning for comments. To be considered
timely, comments must be received on or before November 4, 2021 to be
considered in the Draft PEIS/POEIS. Comments mailed to the contact
above must be postmarked by November 4, 2021. We will consider all
substantive and relevant comments received during the comment period.
We accept anonymous comments. Comments posted to https://www.regulations.gov will include any personal information you have
provided. For more about privacy and submissions in response to this
document, see DHS's eRulemaking System of Records notice (85 FR 14226,
March 11, 2020).
We review all comments received, but we will only post comments
that address the topic of the notice. We may choose not to post off-
topic, inappropriate, or duplicate comments that we receive. Documents
mentioned in this Notice of Availability as being available in the
docket, and posted public comments, will be in the online docket at
https://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following that
website's instructions.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record
for this Proposed Action.
Dated: September 15, 2021.
Andrew T. Pecora,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, OPC Program Manager (CG-9322).
[FR Doc. 2021-20298 Filed 9-16-21; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
