Port Access Route Study: Approaches to the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, 58684-58685 [2021-23103]

Agencies

• Coast Guard
• DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 202 (Friday, October 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58684-58685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23103]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2019-0862]


Port Access Route Study: Approaches to the Chesapeake Bay, 
Virginia

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the completion of the Port Access 
Route Study for the Approaches to the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. The 
study was conducted to determine whether to recommend changes to 
enhance navigational safety by examining existing shipping routes and 
waterway uses as offshore energy development matures and to evaluate 
the need for establishing or changing existing vessel routing measures. 
This notice summarizes the study's recommendation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this document 
call or email Matthew Creelman, Marine Planner at Fifth Coast Guard 
District, telephone (757) 398-6225, email, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Table of Abbreviations

BOEM--Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, U.S. Department of the 
Interior
DELMARVA--Delaware, Maryland, Virginia peninsula (Eastern Shore)
FR--Federal Register
NEPA--National Environmental Policy Act
PARS--Port Access Route Study
TSS--Traffic Separation Scheme
USCG--United States Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security

II. Background and Purpose

    We conducted this Port Access Route Study (PARS) following a Notice 
of Study, published in the Federal Register on November 27, 2019 (84 FR 
65398). There was a 60-day public comment period, as well as other 
outreach efforts identified in Section C of the study. During the 
comment period USCG received 11 comments in response to the notice.

[[Page 58685]]

    On June 16, 2021, we published a Notice of Availability of the 
draft study in the Federal Register (86 FR 32052) with a 30-day public 
comment period with a request for public comment.
    During the 30-day public comment period, the USCG received eleven 
comments in response to our draft study, as well as other outreach 
identified in Section G of the study.
    All comments and supporting documents are available in the public 
docket and can be viewed at https://www.regulations.gov. To view 
documents, in the ``Search'' box insert ``USCG-2019-0862'' and click 
``Search.'' Then select ``Supporting & Related Material'' in the 
Document Type column.
    Comments have been addressed and summarized in section III.
    The goal of the study is to enhance navigational safety in the 
study area by examining existing shipping routes and waterway uses. We 
have undertaken measures to (1) determine what, if any, navigational 
safety concerns exist with vessel transits in the study area; (2) 
determine whether to recommend changes to enhance navigational safety 
by examining existing shipping routes and all other waterway uses; and 
(3) reconcile any other proposed changes with other reasonable waterway 
uses.

III. Study Recommendations

    The recommendations of this PARS are based on the data analysis for 
historical vessel traffic patterns, comments received to the docket, 
public outreach, and consultation with other government agencies and 
stakeholders. Recommendations in the draft study include:
    1. An expansion of the precautionary area between the two Traffic 
Separation Schemes to preserve a naturally occurring deep draft slough 
for future increases in vessel size.
    2. Modifications to shipping safety fairways as proposed in the 
Atlantic Coast Shipping Safety Fairways rulemaking, to include:
    a. Re-orienting the ``Chesapeake Bay to Delaware Bay'' connector 
fairway to allow space for an offshore anchorage in the approach to the 
Delaware Bay.
    b. Re-orienting the ``Cape Charles to Montauk Point'' fairway to 
route closer to the DELMARVA peninsula.
    c. Add one connector fairway from the offshore ``St. Lucie to New 
York'' fairway and the Chesapeake Bay TSS, south of the Commercial 
Virginia Offshore Wind project area, to facilitate safe transit of 
commercial international vessels around future offshore energy 
installations.
    The final study considered several comments from port and industry 
stakeholders regarding larger vessels calling on the Port of Virginia 
in the future, suggesting an additional fairway connector from the 
Atlantic Coast PARS would be required. These comments were well 
supported and resulted in changes to the final recommendations.

IV. Summary of Changes

    Section E was modified to address comments on fishing activity 
within the study area and now contains calculations for recommended 
safe transit widths based on fishing vessel transit data. Section F 
changes resulted from public comments requesting addition of a 
connector fairway north of the Commercial Virginia Offshore Wind lease 
area. The comments supported the need to preserve a deep draft route to 
support and promote navigation safety of larger vessels expected to 
call more frequently on the Port of Virginia in the future. All changes 
to the final study are indicated by italicized type.

V. Future Actions

    The USCG will continue to serve as a NEPA cooperating agency to 
BOEM's environmental review of any proposed project. In that role, the 
USCG will evaluate the navigational safety risks of each proposal on a 
case-by-case basis.
    The final study will be submitted to the Office of Navigation 
Systems (CG-NAV-2) for consideration and possible inclusion as part of 
a future Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Shipping Safety Fairways 
along the Atlantic Coast.
    The final study is available for viewing and download from the 
Federal Register docket at https://www.regulations.gov or the USCG 
Navigation Center website at https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=PARSReports.

    Dated: October 19, 2021.
Richard E. Batson,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Commander, Fifth Coast Guard 
District.
[FR Doc. 2021-23103 Filed 10-21-21; 8:45 am]
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