Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Waterways Commerce Cutter Acquisition Program, 15443-15445 [2022-05703]
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<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 53 / Friday, March 18, 2022 / Notices
Dated: March 15, 2022.
Melanie J. Pantoja,
Program Analyst, Office of Federal Advisory
Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. 2022–05771 Filed 3–17–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket Number USCG–2021–0191]
Final Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement Waterways
Commerce Cutter Acquisition Program
Coast Guard, DHS.
Notice of availability; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The U.S. Coast Guard
announces the availability of the Final
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (PEIS) for the Waterways
Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program’s
acquisition and operation of a planned
30 WCCs. In accordance with National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
the Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ) NEPA implementing regulations,
the Final PEIS analyzes the potential
environmental and socioeconomic
impacts, and identifies related
mitigation measures, associated with
acquisition and operation of a planned
30 WCCs to replace the capabilities of
the existing inland tender fleet
(Proposed Action).
DATES: Comments and related material
must be post-marked or received by the
Coast Guard on or before April 18, 2022.
No decision will be made until at least
30 days after publication of the Notice
of Availability (NOA) in the Federal
Register by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, at which time the
Coast Guard may execute a Record of
Decision (ROD).
ADDRESSES: The Final PEIS is available
in the docket which can be found by
searching the docket number USCG–
2021–0191 using the Federal Decision
Making Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov and for download
on the project website at https://
www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/
Assistant-Commandant-for-EngineeringLogistics-CG-4-/Program-Offices/
Environmental-Management/
Environmental-Planning-and-HistoricPreservation/. Requests for additional
information should be sent to U.S. Coast
Guard Headquarters, ATTN: LCDR S.
Krolman (CG–9327), 2703 Martin Luther
King Jr. Ave. SE, Stop 7800,
Washington, DC 20593.
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SUMMARY:
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We encourage you to submit
comments and related material on the
Final PEIS. We will consider all
submissions and may adjust our final
action based on your comments. If you
submit a comment, please include the
docket number for this notice, indicate
the specific section of this document to
which each comment applies, and
provide a reason for each suggestion or
recommendation.
Submitting Comments: You may
submit comments on the Final PEIS by
one of the following methods:
• Via the Web: You may submit
comments identified by docket number
USCG–2021–0191 using the Federal
eRulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov.
• Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Coast Guard
Headquarters, ATTN: LCDR S. Krolman
(CG–9327), 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 30 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:
Please contact Lieutenant Commander
S. Krolman, Waterways Commerce
Cutter Program, U.S. Coast Guard;
phone 202–475–3104; email HQS-SMBCG-WaterwaysCommerceCutter@
uscg.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coast
Guard has a statutory mission to
establish, maintain, and operate aids to
navigation (ATON) in the Inland
Waterways and Western Rivers
(IW&WR). The IW&WR includes the
Gulf and Atlantic Intracoastal
Waterway; the Mississippi, Missouri,
Alabama, Tennessee, Columbia, and
Ohio Rivers, their associated tributaries
and other connecting waterways;
portions of the Alaska Inside Passage;
portions of the Great Lakes; and several
other navigable waterways around the
United States. The 35 cutters and
associated 27 barges that comprise the
existing inland tender fleet servicing the
IW&WR are, on average, more than 54
years old and all have significantly
exceeded their design service life of 30
years. There is no redundant vessel
PO 00000
Frm 00086
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
15443
capability within the Coast Guard,
Department of Homeland Security
(DHS), or other government agencies.
Without replacement of the existing
inland tender fleet, the Coast Guard
could face an increasing risk of failure
to maintain the capability to execute its
ATON mission and provide timely
ATON services in the IW&WR and other
navigable waters around the United
States. The Proposed Action would
enable the continued safe navigation of
waters that support the nation’s
economy through maritime commerce
throughout the Marine Transportation
System.
Similar to the existing inland tender
fleet’s operations, the Proposed Action
would include vessel operations to
establish, operate, and maintain the
lighted and unlighted buoys and
beacons to maintain the United States
Visual ATON System. This mission
contributes to protecting national
interests by ensuring safe and efficient
flow of commercial vessel traffic
through our nation’s waters.
Full operational capability would be
achieved when all planned WCCs have
been produced and are operational.
Coast Guard WCC operations and
training would occur after delivery of
each WCC from the shipbuilder to the
Coast Guard. For example, the first WCC
delivery to the Coast Guard is expected
in 2024 and the cutter would then be
operational in 2025. The last WCC is
expected to be delivered and
operational approximately by 2030.
The Proposed Action would include
WCC operation, maintenance, and
commissioning of a planned 11 WCC
construction class (WLIC) tenders to
replace the existing capabilities of 13
inland construction tenders; a planned
16 River Buoy class (WLR) tenders to
replace the capabilities of the river buoy
tenders; and a planned three Inland
Buoy class (WLI) tenders to replace the
capabilities of the inland buoy tenders.
Although there are three classes
proposed and design specifications are
not final, the design would maximize
commonality between the three classes
to reduce sustainment costs, training
needs, and other associated
requirements.
The Final PEIS analyzes the potential
environmental and socioeconomic
impacts associated with the Proposed
Action, including direct, indirect, and
cumulative effects, and mitigation
measure to minimize impacts.
The Coast Guard completed an
Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7
and Essential Fish Habitat consultation
with the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) on U.S. Coast Guard
Federal Aids to Navigation Program on
E:\FR\FM\18MRN1.SGM
18MRN1
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15444
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 53 / Friday, March 18, 2022 / Notices
April 19, 2018. The Coast Guard
obtained U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) concurrence on the
determination that there would be no
effect to ESA listed species from vessel
design and construction. An ESA
Section 7 consultation with the USFWS
on U.S. Coast Guard Federal Aids to
Navigation Program remains on-going
and is inclusive of all WCC operations,
which is expected to be completed
before the first planned WCC is
operational in 2025. The USFWS
expects to complete formal consultation
and issue their opinion on the USCG
ATON Biological Evaluation in
December 2022 and before the first new
WCC is constructed. The WCC Proposed
Action is included in the ESA
consultations with NMFS and the
USFWS.
The Coast Guard identified three
reasonable alternatives that would meet
the purpose and need of the Proposed
Action; these three Action Alternatives
are analyzed in detail in the Final PEIS.
1. Alternative 1 (Preferred
Alternative): The Coast Guard would
acquire a planned 30 WCCs to replace
the capabilities of the existing inland
tender fleet (consisting of 35 cutters and
27 barges) to fulfill mission
requirements in federal waterways,
including the vast network of the
IW&WR. The proposed WCCs would
consist of a planned 16 WLRs, a
planned 11 WLICs, and a planned three
WLIs. The first WCCs would potentially
be operational as soon as 2025, with a
planned 30 WCCs delivered and
operational approximately by 2030. A
planned four WLR and WLIC vessels
could be constructed per year,
dependent upon industry capability,
beginning in 2025 and continuing until
27 total WLRs and WLICs have been
received. The first WLI would not be
expected until 2027 with a planned two
WLIs being delivered in a year,
dependent upon industry capability.
WCCs are expected to be operational
within 3 months of the time of
acceptance from the contractor. During
construction of the WCCs, Coast Guard
would have up to two dozen personnel
imbedded in the contractor’s
workspaces for design and construction
review and inspection. This
construction schedule would allow for
the existing inland tender fleet to
remain present with no service
interruptions to Coast Guard missions.
2. Alternative 2: The Coast Guard
would explore hybrid government and
contracted options for mission
performance. Ship platforms would
meet similar technical specifications
discussed in Alternative 1. Scenarios
include: Contractor-owned vessels that
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18:27 Mar 17, 2022
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are government-operated (Coast Guard
employees or a partner agency provides
the crew for third-party, contractorowned vessels); government-owned
vessels that are contractor-operated (a
commercial operating company
provides the crew for Coast Guard or
partner agency owned vessels); or
contractor-owned and contractoroperated systems (Coast Guard provides
neither the vessels nor personnel).
The logistical costs of contracting a
combination of unique hulls to satisfy
the requirements to service ATON in the
proposed action areas would exceed the
corresponding costs of maintaining a
class of 30 cutters that would be built
specifically to conduct missions in the
Coast Guard’s proposed action areas.
Similarly, one-for-one replacement
would cost far more per replacement
hull because it eliminates any workforce
savings associated with a ship with
capabilities designed specifically to
conduct Coast Guard missions in the
IW&WR. Major challenges to any
combined fleet are that the assets would
not be able to communicate in real time,
they would operate at differing levels of
efficiency (resulting in decreased
efficiency throughout the ATON
system), and they would incur increased
maintenance costs.
3. Alternative 3: The mixed fleet
alternative would involve a combination
of cutters and shore-based assets
(including Aids to Navigation team
units), implementation of electronic
ATON, and use of contracted ATON
services to achieve Coast Guard ATON
missions throughout the IW&WR. To
accomplish a mixed fleet solution,
additional Coast Guard ATON
personnel and teams would be required.
To accommodate the additional ATON
teams, existing facilities would require
expansion and construction of new
shore based facilities could be
necessary. Use of electronic ATON
instead of physical ATON could also
prove necessary. Similar to Alternative
2, the logistical costs to satisfy the
requirements to service ATON in the
proposed action areas would exceed the
corresponding costs of maintaining a
class of 30 cutters that would be built
specifically to conduct missions in the
IW&WR. Additionally, similar to
Alternative 2, major challenges with this
approach are that assets would not be
able to communicate in real time, they
would operate at differing levels of
efficiency (resulting in decreased
efficiency throughout the system), and
they would incur increased
maintenance costs.
The Coast Guard also carried forward
the No Action Alternative for detailed
analysis in the Final PEIS. While the No
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Action Alternative would not satisfy the
purpose and need for the Proposed
Action, this alternative was retained to
provide a comparative against which to
analyze the effects of the Action
Alternatives as required under CEQ’s
NEPA regulation.
Resource areas analyzed in the Final
PEIS include: Air quality, ambient
sound, bottom habitat and sediments,
water quality, biological resources and
critical habitat, and socioeconomic
resources.
Stressors analyzed in the Final PEIS
include: Acoustic stressors (fathometer
and Doppler speed log noise, vessel
noise, ATON signal testing noise, tool
noise, and pile driving noise) and
physical stressors (vessel movement,
bottom devices, construction, brushing,
pile driving, unrecovered jet cone
moorings, ATON retrieval devices, and
tow lines).
Based on the analysis presented in the
Final PEIS, potentially adverse impacts
could occur to biological resources (that
is, from disturbance); however, practical
mitigation measures presented in the
Final PEIS reduce any of these potential
adverse effects. As a result, impacts to
all resource areas would be less-thansignificant (that is, negligible, minor, or
moderate) adverse or beneficial, which
may result in the Coast Guard making a
finding of no significant impact in the
ROD. However, these findings are not
final until the Coast Guard executes a
ROD.
The Coast Guard held two virtual
public scoping meetings and on
September 24, 2021, the Coast Guard
published a Notice of Availability
(NOA) and a request for comments on
the Draft PEIS (86 FR 53086). The Coast
Guard received three letters
commenting on the Draft PEIS. The
Coast Guard considered and addressed
in the Final PEIS comments received on
the Draft PEIS during the comment
period. Public comments did not result
in the addition of substantive revisions
to the Draft PEIS. Responses to
comments are in Appendix G of the
Final PEIS. An electronic copy of the
Final PEIS is posted on the following
web page: https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/
Our-Organization/AssistantCommandant-for-Engineering-LogisticsCG-4-/Program-Offices/EnvironmentalManagement/Environmental-Planningand-Historic-Preservation/.
After publication of this NOA of the
Final PEIS, the Coast Guard will prepare
and publish its ROD announcing which
Alternative is environmentally preferred
and which Alternative it selects for
implementation. Publication of the
Final ROD will occur no sooner than 30
days after the publication of the Final
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15445
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 53 / Friday, March 18, 2022 / Notices
percent for non-corporations, and the
interest rate for underpayments will be
4 percent for both corporations and noncorporations. This notice is published
for the convenience of the importing
public and U.S. Customs and Border
Protection personnel.
DATES: The rates announced in this
notice are applicable as of April 1, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bruce Ingalls, Revenue Division,
Collection Refunds & Analysis Branch,
6650 Telecom Drive, Suite #100,
Indianapolis, Indiana 46278; telephone
(317) 298–1107.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PEIS. This notice is issued under
authority of NEPA, specifically in
compliance with 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)
and CEQ implementing regulations in
40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508.
Dated: March 14, 2022.
Aaron Pagnotti,
Waterways Commerce Cutter Program
Manager.
[FR Doc. 2022–05703 Filed 3–17–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–04–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Quarterly IRS Interest Rates Used in
Calculating Interest on Overdue
Accounts and Refunds on Customs
Duties
U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, Department of Homeland
Security.
ACTION: General notice.
AGENCY:
This notice advises the public
that the quarterly Internal Revenue
Service interest rates used to calculate
interest on overdue accounts
(underpayments) and refunds
(overpayments) of customs duties will
increase from the previous quarter. For
the calendar quarter beginning April 1,
2022, the interest rates for overpayments
will be 3 percent for corporations and 4
SUMMARY:
Background
Pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 1505 and
Treasury Decision 85–93, published in
the Federal Register on May 29, 1985
(50 FR 21832), the interest rate paid on
applicable overpayments or
underpayments of customs duties must
be in accordance with the Internal
Revenue Code rate established under 26
U.S.C. 6621 and 6622. Section 6621
provides different interest rates
applicable to overpayments: One for
corporations and one for noncorporations.
The interest rates are based on the
Federal short-term rate and determined
by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on
behalf of the Secretary of the Treasury
on a quarterly basis. The rates effective
for a quarter are determined during the
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100192
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100194
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(percent)
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first-month period of the previous
quarter.
In Revenue Ruling 2022–05, the IRS
determined the rates of interest for the
calendar quarter beginning April 1,
2022, and ending on June 30, 2022. The
interest rate paid to the Treasury for
underpayments will be the Federal
short-term rate (1%) plus three
percentage points (3%) for a total of four
percent (4%) for both corporations and
non-corporations. For corporate
overpayments, the rate is the Federal
short-term rate (1%) plus two
percentage points (2%) for a total of
three percent (3%). For overpayments
made by non-corporations, the rate is
the Federal short-term rate (1%) plus
three percentage points (3%) for a total
of four percent (4%). These interest
rates used to calculate interest on
overdue accounts (underpayments) and
refunds (overpayments) of customs
duties are increased from the previous
quarter. These interest rates are subject
to change for the calendar quarter
beginning July 1, 2022, and ending on
September 30, 2022.
For the convenience of the importing
public and U.S. Customs and Border
Protection personnel, the following list
of IRS interest rates used, covering the
period from July of 1974 to date, to
calculate interest on overdue accounts
and refunds of customs duties, is
published in summary format.
Sfmt 4703
Over-payments
(percent)
6
9
7
6
12
20
16
11
13
11
10
9
9
10
11
10
11
12
11
10
9
8
7
8
9
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9
8
9
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8
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10
9
8
7
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7
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9
8
7
8
18MRN1
Corporate overpayments
(eff. 1–1–99)
(percent)
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 53 (Friday, March 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15443-15445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05703]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket Number USCG-2021-0191]
Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Waterways
Commerce Cutter Acquisition Program
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard announces the availability of the Final
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the Waterways
Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program's acquisition and operation of a planned
30 WCCs. In accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA implementing
regulations, the Final PEIS analyzes the potential environmental and
socioeconomic impacts, and identifies related mitigation measures,
associated with acquisition and operation of a planned 30 WCCs to
replace the capabilities of the existing inland tender fleet (Proposed
Action).
DATES: Comments and related material must be post-marked or received by
the Coast Guard on or before April 18, 2022. No decision will be made
until at least 30 days after publication of the Notice of Availability
(NOA) in the Federal Register by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, at which time the Coast Guard may execute a Record of Decision
(ROD).
ADDRESSES: The Final PEIS is available in the docket which can be found
by searching the docket number USCG-2021-0191 using the Federal
Decision Making Portal at https://www.regulations.gov and for download
on the project website at https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Engineering-Logistics-CG-4-/Program-Offices/Environmental-Management/Environmental-Planning-and-Historic-Preservation/. Requests for additional information should be sent to
U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, ATTN: LCDR S. Krolman (CG-9327), 2703
Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE, Stop 7800, Washington, DC 20593.
We encourage you to submit comments and related material on the
Final PEIS. We will consider all submissions and may adjust our final
action based on your comments. If you submit a comment, please include
the docket number for this notice, indicate the specific section of
this document to which each comment applies, and provide a reason for
each suggestion or recommendation.
Submitting Comments: You may submit comments on the Final PEIS by
one of the following methods:
Via the Web: You may submit comments identified by docket
number USCG-2021-0191 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov.
Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, ATTN: LCDR
S. Krolman (CG-9327), 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 30 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: Please contact Lieutenant Commander S.
Krolman, Waterways Commerce Cutter Program, U.S. Coast Guard; phone
202-475-3104; email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coast Guard has a statutory mission to
establish, maintain, and operate aids to navigation (ATON) in the
Inland Waterways and Western Rivers (IW&WR). The IW&WR includes the
Gulf and Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; the Mississippi, Missouri,
Alabama, Tennessee, Columbia, and Ohio Rivers, their associated
tributaries and other connecting waterways; portions of the Alaska
Inside Passage; portions of the Great Lakes; and several other
navigable waterways around the United States. The 35 cutters and
associated 27 barges that comprise the existing inland tender fleet
servicing the IW&WR are, on average, more than 54 years old and all
have significantly exceeded their design service life of 30 years.
There is no redundant vessel capability within the Coast Guard,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), or other government agencies.
Without replacement of the existing inland tender fleet, the Coast
Guard could face an increasing risk of failure to maintain the
capability to execute its ATON mission and provide timely ATON services
in the IW&WR and other navigable waters around the United States. The
Proposed Action would enable the continued safe navigation of waters
that support the nation's economy through maritime commerce throughout
the Marine Transportation System.
Similar to the existing inland tender fleet's operations, the
Proposed Action would include vessel operations to establish, operate,
and maintain the lighted and unlighted buoys and beacons to maintain
the United States Visual ATON System. This mission contributes to
protecting national interests by ensuring safe and efficient flow of
commercial vessel traffic through our nation's waters.
Full operational capability would be achieved when all planned WCCs
have been produced and are operational. Coast Guard WCC operations and
training would occur after delivery of each WCC from the shipbuilder to
the Coast Guard. For example, the first WCC delivery to the Coast Guard
is expected in 2024 and the cutter would then be operational in 2025.
The last WCC is expected to be delivered and operational approximately
by 2030.
The Proposed Action would include WCC operation, maintenance, and
commissioning of a planned 11 WCC construction class (WLIC) tenders to
replace the existing capabilities of 13 inland construction tenders; a
planned 16 River Buoy class (WLR) tenders to replace the capabilities
of the river buoy tenders; and a planned three Inland Buoy class (WLI)
tenders to replace the capabilities of the inland buoy tenders.
Although there are three classes proposed and design specifications are
not final, the design would maximize commonality between the three
classes to reduce sustainment costs, training needs, and other
associated requirements.
The Final PEIS analyzes the potential environmental and
socioeconomic impacts associated with the Proposed Action, including
direct, indirect, and cumulative effects, and mitigation measure to
minimize impacts.
The Coast Guard completed an Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7
and Essential Fish Habitat consultation with the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) on U.S. Coast Guard Federal Aids to Navigation
Program on
[[Page 15444]]
April 19, 2018. The Coast Guard obtained U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) concurrence on the determination that there would be no effect
to ESA listed species from vessel design and construction. An ESA
Section 7 consultation with the USFWS on U.S. Coast Guard Federal Aids
to Navigation Program remains on-going and is inclusive of all WCC
operations, which is expected to be completed before the first planned
WCC is operational in 2025. The USFWS expects to complete formal
consultation and issue their opinion on the USCG ATON Biological
Evaluation in December 2022 and before the first new WCC is
constructed. The WCC Proposed Action is included in the ESA
consultations with NMFS and the USFWS.
The Coast Guard identified three reasonable alternatives that would
meet the purpose and need of the Proposed Action; these three Action
Alternatives are analyzed in detail in the Final PEIS.
1. Alternative 1 (Preferred Alternative): The Coast Guard would
acquire a planned 30 WCCs to replace the capabilities of the existing
inland tender fleet (consisting of 35 cutters and 27 barges) to fulfill
mission requirements in federal waterways, including the vast network
of the IW&WR. The proposed WCCs would consist of a planned 16 WLRs, a
planned 11 WLICs, and a planned three WLIs. The first WCCs would
potentially be operational as soon as 2025, with a planned 30 WCCs
delivered and operational approximately by 2030. A planned four WLR and
WLIC vessels could be constructed per year, dependent upon industry
capability, beginning in 2025 and continuing until 27 total WLRs and
WLICs have been received. The first WLI would not be expected until
2027 with a planned two WLIs being delivered in a year, dependent upon
industry capability. WCCs are expected to be operational within 3
months of the time of acceptance from the contractor. During
construction of the WCCs, Coast Guard would have up to two dozen
personnel imbedded in the contractor's workspaces for design and
construction review and inspection. This construction schedule would
allow for the existing inland tender fleet to remain present with no
service interruptions to Coast Guard missions.
2. Alternative 2: The Coast Guard would explore hybrid government
and contracted options for mission performance. Ship platforms would
meet similar technical specifications discussed in Alternative 1.
Scenarios include: Contractor-owned vessels that are government-
operated (Coast Guard employees or a partner agency provides the crew
for third-party, contractor-owned vessels); government-owned vessels
that are contractor-operated (a commercial operating company provides
the crew for Coast Guard or partner agency owned vessels); or
contractor-owned and contractor-operated systems (Coast Guard provides
neither the vessels nor personnel).
The logistical costs of contracting a combination of unique hulls
to satisfy the requirements to service ATON in the proposed action
areas would exceed the corresponding costs of maintaining a class of 30
cutters that would be built specifically to conduct missions in the
Coast Guard's proposed action areas. Similarly, one-for-one replacement
would cost far more per replacement hull because it eliminates any
workforce savings associated with a ship with capabilities designed
specifically to conduct Coast Guard missions in the IW&WR. Major
challenges to any combined fleet are that the assets would not be able
to communicate in real time, they would operate at differing levels of
efficiency (resulting in decreased efficiency throughout the ATON
system), and they would incur increased maintenance costs.
3. Alternative 3: The mixed fleet alternative would involve a
combination of cutters and shore-based assets (including Aids to
Navigation team units), implementation of electronic ATON, and use of
contracted ATON services to achieve Coast Guard ATON missions
throughout the IW&WR. To accomplish a mixed fleet solution, additional
Coast Guard ATON personnel and teams would be required. To accommodate
the additional ATON teams, existing facilities would require expansion
and construction of new shore based facilities could be necessary. Use
of electronic ATON instead of physical ATON could also prove necessary.
Similar to Alternative 2, the logistical costs to satisfy the
requirements to service ATON in the proposed action areas would exceed
the corresponding costs of maintaining a class of 30 cutters that would
be built specifically to conduct missions in the IW&WR. Additionally,
similar to Alternative 2, major challenges with this approach are that
assets would not be able to communicate in real time, they would
operate at differing levels of efficiency (resulting in decreased
efficiency throughout the system), and they would incur increased
maintenance costs.
The Coast Guard also carried forward the No Action Alternative for
detailed analysis in the Final PEIS. While the No Action Alternative
would not satisfy the purpose and need for the Proposed Action, this
alternative was retained to provide a comparative against which to
analyze the effects of the Action Alternatives as required under CEQ's
NEPA regulation.
Resource areas analyzed in the Final PEIS include: Air quality,
ambient sound, bottom habitat and sediments, water quality, biological
resources and critical habitat, and socioeconomic resources.
Stressors analyzed in the Final PEIS include: Acoustic stressors
(fathometer and Doppler speed log noise, vessel noise, ATON signal
testing noise, tool noise, and pile driving noise) and physical
stressors (vessel movement, bottom devices, construction, brushing,
pile driving, unrecovered jet cone moorings, ATON retrieval devices,
and tow lines).
Based on the analysis presented in the Final PEIS, potentially
adverse impacts could occur to biological resources (that is, from
disturbance); however, practical mitigation measures presented in the
Final PEIS reduce any of these potential adverse effects. As a result,
impacts to all resource areas would be less-than-significant (that is,
negligible, minor, or moderate) adverse or beneficial, which may result
in the Coast Guard making a finding of no significant impact in the
ROD. However, these findings are not final until the Coast Guard
executes a ROD.
The Coast Guard held two virtual public scoping meetings and on
September 24, 2021, the Coast Guard published a Notice of Availability
(NOA) and a request for comments on the Draft PEIS (86 FR 53086). The
Coast Guard received three letters commenting on the Draft PEIS. The
Coast Guard considered and addressed in the Final PEIS comments
received on the Draft PEIS during the comment period. Public comments
did not result in the addition of substantive revisions to the Draft
PEIS. Responses to comments are in Appendix G of the Final PEIS. An
electronic copy of the Final PEIS is posted on the following web page:
https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Engineering-Logistics-CG-4-/Program-Offices/Environmental-Management/Environmental-Planning-and-Historic-Preservation/.
After publication of this NOA of the Final PEIS, the Coast Guard
will prepare and publish its ROD announcing which Alternative is
environmentally preferred and which Alternative it selects for
implementation. Publication of the Final ROD will occur no sooner than
30 days after the publication of the Final
[[Page 15445]]
PEIS. This notice is issued under authority of NEPA, specifically in
compliance with 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) and CEQ implementing regulations
in 40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508.
Dated: March 14, 2022.
Aaron Pagnotti,
Waterways Commerce Cutter Program Manager.
[FR Doc. 2022-05703 Filed 3-17-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
