National Historic Landmark Nuclear Ship Savannah Available; Request for Information, 74228-74230 [2023-23917]
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74228
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 208 / Monday, October 30, 2023 / Notices
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Application to Participate in the
Transportation Access Pilot Program.
Background: The Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act of 2021
requires FHWA to establish the
Transportation Access Pilot Program
(Pub. L. 117–58 § 13010). The program’s
intent is to improve transportation
planning by measuring the level of
access by surface transportation modes
to important destinations,
disaggregating the level of access by
surface transportation mode by a variety
of categories (e.g., population or freight
commodities), and assessing the change
in accessibility that would result from
transportation investments.
Beginning in 2024, FHWA plans to
use an application form and follow-up
phone conversations to gather
information from interested
participants. Information collected in
the application form will be used to
evaluate applications to participate in
the Transportation Access Pilot
Program. The application will request
information necessary to evaluate
applications and select pilot program
participants. The application will
request that applicants provide
information about: (1) previous
experience of the eligible entity
measuring transportation access or other
performance management experience, if
applicable; (2) the types of important
destinations to which the eligible entity
intends to measure access; (3) the types
of data disaggregation the eligible entity
intends to pursue; (4) a general
description of the methodology the
eligible entity intends to apply; (5) if the
applicant does not intend the pilot
program to apply to the full area under
the jurisdiction of the applicant, a
description of the geographic area in
which the applicant intends the pilot
program to apply; and (6) additional
information required to evaluate and
make selections for participation in the
Transportation Access Pilot Program.
FHWA plans to require applications
be submitted in electronic format
(Adobe PDF or similar format). FHWA
estimates that the application will take
approximately one hour to complete.
The application will consist of both
multiple-choice and short-answer
question formats. FHWA may request a
follow-up phone conversation to
address questions in an agency’s
submitted application form. These
phone conversations will be
approximately 30 minutes in length.
This is planned as an annual
information collection, until such time
as the program is no longer accepting
applications.
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18:18 Oct 27, 2023
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Respondents: Approximately 50
percent of the universe of potential pilot
program participants, which includes 52
State DOTs equivalents, and
approximately 420 MPOs and 10
RTPOs.
Frequency: Annually.
Estimated Average Burden per
Response: Approximately 90 minutes
per respondent.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: Approximately 362 hours.
Public Comments Invited: You are
asked to comment on any aspect of this
information collection, including: (1)
Whether the proposed collection is
necessary for the FHWA’s performance;
(2) the accuracy of the estimated
burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to
enhance the quality, usefulness, and
clarity of the collected information; and
(4) ways that the burden could be
minimized, including the use of
electronic technology, without reducing
the quality of the collected information.
The agency will summarize and/or
include your comments in the request
for OMB’s clearance of this information
collection.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as
amended; Public Law 117–58 section
13010.
Issued on: October 25, 2023.
Jazmyne Lewis,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023–23867 Filed 10–27–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[Docket Number MARAD–2020–0133]
National Historic Landmark Nuclear
Ship Savannah Available; Request for
Information
Maritime Administration,
Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of vessel availability and
request for information.
AGENCY:
The Maritime Administration
(MARAD) is decommissioning the
nuclear power plant of the National
Historic Landmark (NHL) vessel Nuclear
Ship Savannah (NSS), which will result
in the termination of the ship’s Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) license,
making the ship available for
disposition, including potential
conveyance or preservation. The
purpose of the Notice of Availability
and Request for Information (NOA and
RFI) is to determine preservation
interest from entities that may wish to
SUMMARY:
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acquire the NSS. Information received
in response to this RFI will help to
inform the development of viable
preservation alternatives for the NSS.
MARAD requests information from
entities that may be interested in
acquiring the ship for conveyance and
preservation purposes as prescribed in
the recently executed Programmatic
Agreement (PA) which is available for
review on the MARAD docket at
www.regulations.gov. In responding to
the RFI, please review the below
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION/
Information Requested section to inform
your submission.
DATES: All responses to this RFI are due
on or before February 16, 2024,
following the information provided in
the ADDRESSES section below.
An information session for interested
parties will be held on November 18,
2023, to allow potential responders the
opportunity to ask MARAD questions
regarding the NSS. The meeting will be
held onboard the NSS, online, or by
phone. You must RSVP for the site visit
to the email or phone number listed in
the section below no later than
November 11, 2023.
Site visits for interested parties will
be held on December 16 and 17, 2023.
You must RSVP for the site visit to the
email or phone number listed in the
section below no later than December 9,
2023. Parties who are unable to make
this date may request alternate
arrangements by contacting the person
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section.
The NSS is not compliant with the
Americans with Disabilities Act. The
ship has some capability to
accommodate persons with impaired
mobility, for which advance notice is
required. If you require
accommodations to attend the site visit,
please include this information in your
RSVP. The U.S. Department of
Transportation is committed to
providing all participants equal access
to this meeting. If you need alternative
formats or services such as sign
language, interpretation, or other
ancillary aids, please also include that
in your RSVP. Additional dates may be
provided, or parties may request
alternate dates subject to the same
conditions as above.
ADDRESSES: You may submit your
responses to this RFI and any
supplemental information by any of the
following methods:
• Email: marad.history@dot.gov.
Please include NS Savannah RFI in the
subject line of the email.
• Overnight Mail: N.S. Savannah/
Savannah Technical Staff, Pier 13
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 208 / Monday, October 30, 2023 / Notices
Canton Marine Terminal, 4601 Newgate
Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224, ATTN:
Erhard Koehler.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Erhard W. Koehler, Senior Technical
Advisor, N.S. Savannah, Maritime
Administration, at (202) 680–2066 or via
email at marad.history@dot.gov.
Additional information regarding the
vessel is available at https://
www.maritime.dot.gov/nssavannah.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Built in
1959, the NSS is the world’s first
nuclear-powered merchant ship and
served as a signature element of
President Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace
program. While in service, NSS
demonstrated the peaceful use of atomic
power and explored the feasibility of
nuclear-powered merchant vessels. NSS
was retired from active service in 1970.
The ship was listed in the National
Register of Historic Places in 1983 and
designated as an NHL in 1991 for
exhibiting exceptional value in
illustrating the nuclear, maritime,
transportation, and political heritages of
the United States.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Disposition
The NRC license termination will lead
to MARAD’s disposition of the NSS.
Because the decommissioning and
disposition of the NHL ship is an
Undertaking under Section 106 of the
NHPA, with an unknown end-state,
MARAD developed and executed a PA
covering the decommissioning and
disposition of the ship. The PA outlines
the process by which the disposition of
NSS will be considered among the NRC,
the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation (ACHP), and the Maryland
State Historic Preservation Officer
(SHPO). Concurrent with the
decommissioning project, MARAD
requests information from entities that
may be interested in acquiring the ship
for conveyance and preservation
purposes as prescribed in the PA. The
approximate date on which the vessel
will be available for transfer is three (3)
to six (6) months after NRC license
termination.
Stipulation IV of the PA outlines a
disposition alternatives development
process wherein MARAD will study and
evaluate alternatives that would result
in the preservation of the NSS. This
process will include the development of
a Disposition Alternatives Study and the
publication of a NOA and RFI. Although
the PA lists these activities sequentially,
with the Disposition Alternatives Study
preceding the publication of the NOA
and RFI, the signatories of the PA
recently concurred that the NOA and
RFI will instead precede the Disposition
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Alternatives Study. Therefore, MARAD
is publishing this NOA and RFI in
accordance with Stipulation IV of the
PA, in advance of the Disposition
Alternatives Study.
Conveyance Methods
MARAD is investigating several
different methods of conveyance of the
NSS, and these will be presented in the
Disposition Alternatives Study. These
conveyance methods may or may not
involve MARAD’s continued
involvement with the ship. However, in
order to foster preservation by removing
a future encumbrance, MARAD will
either retain the title or will retain a
reversionary interest in the title. By this
act MARAD is choosing to defer its
obligation to scrap Savannah to some
future date. MARAD’s existing ship
donation authority is one of the
methods of conveyance that will be
used. Parties interested in obtaining the
vessel through this method may apply at
any time. Further information on
MARAD’s ship donation program may
be found at the following link: https://
www.maritime.dot.gov/nationaldefense-reserve-fleet/ship-disposalprogram/ship-donation.
Other conveyance methods may
include, but are not limited to, a
modified donation process, chartering
or leasing the ship, cooperative
agreements, or potentially partnering
with another entity to maintain and
operate the ship. MARAD expects to
convey the ship in as-is condition at the
time of conveyance, to include all
mooring lines, fenders, and related
equipment, all safety equipment,
including spare parts for active safety
systems, and tools and stock. The ship
will contain a full complement of
drawings, and technical and operating
manuals. The ship’s historic fabric will
not be disturbed; however, if title is
transferred from the federal government
some material may be removed as
mitigation. All mitigation efforts will be
subject to consultation in accordance
with the stipulations in the PA.
Technical Information
Technical information about the NSS
in its present configuration will be
posted to the MARAD docket and
website concurrent with the publication
of this notice. The information will
include at least the following:
• Ship’s drawings and photographs;
• Reports documenting the ship’s
existing material condition and
expected condition at the time of license
termination;
• Utility consumption data; and,
• Last material inventory completed.
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74229
Information Requested
RFI respondents should provide
MARAD with a capability statement that
includes at least the following
information:
• Proposed use(s) for the ship;
• Mission statement for your
organization;
• Proposed or potential locations for
ship;
• Staffing resources for maintaining
and operating the ship;
• Experience with ship maintenance
and operations;
• Experience with historic property
or structures;
• Funding sources; and,
• Preferred conveyance mechanism
for acquisition of the ship.
Responses, including personal
identifiable information will be made
public, so please provide any sensitive
information in a separate attachment
clearly labeled, so that it may be
withheld from disclosure as provided by
law. Respondents should consider and
discuss in their capability statement
factors such as the density of museum
ships in the location proposed, the
nexus between the proposed location
and NSS operating history, and any
other relevant special criteria favoring
the response.
Background
Built in 1959, the NSS is the world’s
first nuclear-powered merchant ship
and served as a signature element of
President Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace
program. While in service, the NSS
demonstrated the peaceful use of atomic
power as well as the feasibility of
nuclear-powered merchant vessels. NSS
operated in experimental service as a
passenger/cargo ship from 1962 to 1965,
during which time it travelled 90,000
miles, visited 13 countries, and hosted
1.4 million visitors. Following the
successful conclusion of the
experimental phase, the ship entered its
commercial phase in 1965. The ship
was operated as a cargo ship generating
nearly $12,000,000 in revenue between
1965 and 1970, as well as continuing to
serve as a goodwill ambassador for the
peaceful use of nuclear power. After
successfully fulfilling its objectives,
NSS operations were ceased in 1970 and
the ship was deactivated and defueled
in 1971.
Following deactivation, the NSS was
moved to the city of Savannah, GA,
where it was to be part of a proposed
Eisenhower Peace Memorial; however,
the memorial was never established. In
1980, Congress passed Public Law 96–
331, which authorized the Secretary of
Commerce to bareboat charter the ship
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khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
74230
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 208 / Monday, October 30, 2023 / Notices
to the Patriots Point Development
Authority of South Carolina. The NSS
operated as a museum ship at the
Patriots Point Naval and Maritime
Museum from 1981 through 1994.
During this time, the NSS was listed in
the National Register of Historic Places
(1983) and designated as an NHL (1991)
for exhibiting exceptional value in
illustrating the nuclear, maritime,
transportation, and political heritages of
the United States. Additionally, during
this time the ship was designated an
International Historic Mechanical
Engineering Landmark by the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers (1983)
and a Nuclear Engineering Landmark by
the American Nuclear Society (1991).
Following termination of the charter
in 1994, the NSS returned to MARAD
and was entered into the James River
Reserve Fleet in Virginia. The ship was
removed from the reserve fleet in 2006
and underwent repairs prior to being
relocated in 2008 to Baltimore,
Maryland, where it is currently berthed.
In 2017, funds for decommissioning of
the ship were appropriated. Because the
decommissioning and disposition of the
NSS is an Undertaking under Section
106 of the NHPA, MARAD initiated
consultation in 2018 with the Maryland
SHPO, the ACHP, the NRC, the NPS,
and other consulting parties. Given the
complexities of the Undertaking,
including the yet undetermined
disposition of the NSS, the parties
agreed to develop a PA to guide the
execution of the Undertaking.
The PA for the Decommissioning and
Disposition of the NSS was executed in
March 2023, and it outlines the process
by which the disposition of NSS will be
considered and executed, concurrent
with the decommissioning project. The
decommissioning process is well
underway, and dismantlement and
removal of the major systems,
structures, and components that were
part of the ship’s nuclear power plant is
complete. As part of the
decommissioning process, MARAD has
made numerous modifications and
improvements to the NSS from 2015
through the present. These
improvements include climate controls,
sanitary spaces, shore power,
mechanical systems, mooring and
access/egress equipment, alarm, and
monitoring systems (fire/smoke,
intrusion, flooding, security cameras),
restored public spaces, office spaces,
and administrative infrastructure.
Typically, the greatest challenge to any
static museum ship effort is the cost
associated with converting or
transforming the ship into a site suitable
and safe for visitors. MARAD has
already made improvements, as listed
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18:18 Oct 27, 2023
Jkt 262001
above, which may help to defray some
of the initial starting costs for potential
recipients who may be interested in
receiving the ship. Additional details
about the ship’s condition are included
in the attachments posted to the
MARAD docket and website.
The disposition process is sequenced
to reach a conclusion at the same time
that decommissioning ends—effective
with the license termination to allow a
seamless transition to whichever endstate condition is approved. MARAD
anticipates making its disposition
decision no later than the license
termination date with conveyance to
follow three to six months later, after
decommissioning, demobilization, and
vessel redelivery contract actions are
completed.
(Authority: 49 CFR 1.81 and 1.93; 36 CFR
part 800; 5 U.S.C. 552b.)
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023–23917 Filed 10–27–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–81–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA–2019–0099; Notice 2]
Toyota Motor North America, Inc.,
Grant of Petition for Decision of
Inconsequential Noncompliance
National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Grant of petition.
AGENCY:
Toyota Motor North America,
Inc. (Toyota) has determined that
certain model year (MY) 2019–2020
Toyota Tundra motor vehicles do not
fully comply with Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No.
110, Tire Selection and Rims and Motor
Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load
Carrying Capacity Information for Motor
Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536
Kilograms (10,000 Pounds) or Less.
Toyota filed a noncompliance report
dated September 18, 2019. Toyota
subsequently petitioned NHTSA on
October 7, 2019, and later amended its
petition on January 3, 2020, for a
decision that the subject noncompliance
is inconsequential as it relates to motor
vehicle safety. This document
announces the grant of Toyota’s
petition.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ahmad Barnes, Office of Vehicle Safety
Compliance, the National Highway
SUMMARY:
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Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
telephone (202) 366–7236.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Overview: Toyota has determined
that certain MY 2019—2020 Toyota
Tundra motor vehicles do not fully
comply with paragraph S4.3(d) of
FMVSS No. 110, Tire Selection and
Rims and Motor Home/Recreation
Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity
Information for Motor Vehicles with a
GVWR of 4,536 Kilograms (10,000
Pounds) or Less (49 CFR 571.110).
Toyota filed a noncompliance report
dated September 18, 2019, pursuant to
49 CFR part 573, Defect and
Noncompliance Responsibility and
Reports. Toyota subsequently petitioned
NHTSA on October 7, 2019, and later
amended that petition on January 3,
2020, for an exemption from the
notification and remedy requirements of
49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 on the basis that
this noncompliance is inconsequential
as it relates to motor vehicle safety,
pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and
30120(h) and 49 CFR part 556,
Exemption for Inconsequential Defect or
Noncompliance.
Notice of receipt of Toyota’s petition
was published with a 30-day public
comment period, on February 27, 2020,
in the Federal Register (85 FR 11446).
No comments were received. To view
the petition and all supporting
documents log onto the Federal Docket
Management System (FDMS) website at
https://www.regulations.gov/. Then
follow the online search instructions to
locate docket number ‘‘NHTSA–2019–
0099.’’
II. Vehicles Involved: Approximately
1,667 MY 2019—2020 Toyota Tundra
motor vehicles, manufactured between
March 28, 2019, and August 19, 2019,
are potentially involved.
III. Noncompliance: Toyota explains
that the noncompliance is that the
subject vehicles have tire information
labels that contain spare tire size
information that does not match the
installed spare tire size.
IV. Rule Requirements: Paragraph
S4.3(d) of FMVSS No. 110 includes the
requirements relevant to this petition.
Each vehicle, except for a trailer or
incomplete vehicle, shall show the
information specified in paragraph
S4.3(d) Tire size designation, indicated
by the headings ‘‘size’’ or ‘‘original tire
size’’ or ‘‘original size,’’ and ‘‘spare tire’’
or ‘‘spare,’’ for the tires installed at the
time of the first purchase for purposes
other than resale. For full-size spare
tires, the statement ‘‘see above’’ may, at
the manufacturer’s option replace the
tire size designation. If no spare tire is
provided, the word ‘‘none’’ must replace
the tire size designation.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 208 (Monday, October 30, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74228-74230]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23917]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[Docket Number MARAD-2020-0133]
National Historic Landmark Nuclear Ship Savannah Available;
Request for Information
AGENCY: Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of vessel availability and request for information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is decommissioning the
nuclear power plant of the National Historic Landmark (NHL) vessel
Nuclear Ship Savannah (NSS), which will result in the termination of
the ship's Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) license, making the ship
available for disposition, including potential conveyance or
preservation. The purpose of the Notice of Availability and Request for
Information (NOA and RFI) is to determine preservation interest from
entities that may wish to acquire the NSS. Information received in
response to this RFI will help to inform the development of viable
preservation alternatives for the NSS. MARAD requests information from
entities that may be interested in acquiring the ship for conveyance
and preservation purposes as prescribed in the recently executed
Programmatic Agreement (PA) which is available for review on the MARAD
docket at www.regulations.gov. In responding to the RFI, please review
the below SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION/Information Requested section to
inform your submission.
DATES: All responses to this RFI are due on or before February 16,
2024, following the information provided in the ADDRESSES section
below.
An information session for interested parties will be held on
November 18, 2023, to allow potential responders the opportunity to ask
MARAD questions regarding the NSS. The meeting will be held onboard the
NSS, online, or by phone. You must RSVP for the site visit to the email
or phone number listed in the section below no later than November 11,
2023.
Site visits for interested parties will be held on December 16 and
17, 2023. You must RSVP for the site visit to the email or phone number
listed in the section below no later than December 9, 2023. Parties who
are unable to make this date may request alternate arrangements by
contacting the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section.
The NSS is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The ship has some capability to accommodate persons with impaired
mobility, for which advance notice is required. If you require
accommodations to attend the site visit, please include this
information in your RSVP. The U.S. Department of Transportation is
committed to providing all participants equal access to this meeting.
If you need alternative formats or services such as sign language,
interpretation, or other ancillary aids, please also include that in
your RSVP. Additional dates may be provided, or parties may request
alternate dates subject to the same conditions as above.
ADDRESSES: You may submit your responses to this RFI and any
supplemental information by any of the following methods:
Email: [email protected]. Please include NS Savannah
RFI in the subject line of the email.
Overnight Mail: N.S. Savannah/Savannah Technical Staff,
Pier 13
[[Page 74229]]
Canton Marine Terminal, 4601 Newgate Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224, ATTN:
Erhard Koehler.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erhard W. Koehler, Senior Technical
Advisor, N.S. Savannah, Maritime Administration, at (202) 680-2066 or
via email at [email protected]. Additional information regarding
the vessel is available at https://www.maritime.dot.gov/nssavannah.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Built in 1959, the NSS is the world's first
nuclear-powered merchant ship and served as a signature element of
President Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace program. While in service, NSS
demonstrated the peaceful use of atomic power and explored the
feasibility of nuclear-powered merchant vessels. NSS was retired from
active service in 1970. The ship was listed in the National Register of
Historic Places in 1983 and designated as an NHL in 1991 for exhibiting
exceptional value in illustrating the nuclear, maritime,
transportation, and political heritages of the United States.
Disposition
The NRC license termination will lead to MARAD's disposition of the
NSS. Because the decommissioning and disposition of the NHL ship is an
Undertaking under Section 106 of the NHPA, with an unknown end-state,
MARAD developed and executed a PA covering the decommissioning and
disposition of the ship. The PA outlines the process by which the
disposition of NSS will be considered among the NRC, the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), and the Maryland State
Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). Concurrent with the
decommissioning project, MARAD requests information from entities that
may be interested in acquiring the ship for conveyance and preservation
purposes as prescribed in the PA. The approximate date on which the
vessel will be available for transfer is three (3) to six (6) months
after NRC license termination.
Stipulation IV of the PA outlines a disposition alternatives
development process wherein MARAD will study and evaluate alternatives
that would result in the preservation of the NSS. This process will
include the development of a Disposition Alternatives Study and the
publication of a NOA and RFI. Although the PA lists these activities
sequentially, with the Disposition Alternatives Study preceding the
publication of the NOA and RFI, the signatories of the PA recently
concurred that the NOA and RFI will instead precede the Disposition
Alternatives Study. Therefore, MARAD is publishing this NOA and RFI in
accordance with Stipulation IV of the PA, in advance of the Disposition
Alternatives Study.
Conveyance Methods
MARAD is investigating several different methods of conveyance of
the NSS, and these will be presented in the Disposition Alternatives
Study. These conveyance methods may or may not involve MARAD's
continued involvement with the ship. However, in order to foster
preservation by removing a future encumbrance, MARAD will either retain
the title or will retain a reversionary interest in the title. By this
act MARAD is choosing to defer its obligation to scrap Savannah to some
future date. MARAD's existing ship donation authority is one of the
methods of conveyance that will be used. Parties interested in
obtaining the vessel through this method may apply at any time. Further
information on MARAD's ship donation program may be found at the
following link: https://www.maritime.dot.gov/national-defense-reserve-fleet/ship-disposal-program/ship-donation.
Other conveyance methods may include, but are not limited to, a
modified donation process, chartering or leasing the ship, cooperative
agreements, or potentially partnering with another entity to maintain
and operate the ship. MARAD expects to convey the ship in as-is
condition at the time of conveyance, to include all mooring lines,
fenders, and related equipment, all safety equipment, including spare
parts for active safety systems, and tools and stock. The ship will
contain a full complement of drawings, and technical and operating
manuals. The ship's historic fabric will not be disturbed; however, if
title is transferred from the federal government some material may be
removed as mitigation. All mitigation efforts will be subject to
consultation in accordance with the stipulations in the PA.
Technical Information
Technical information about the NSS in its present configuration
will be posted to the MARAD docket and website concurrent with the
publication of this notice. The information will include at least the
following:
Ship's drawings and photographs;
Reports documenting the ship's existing material condition
and expected condition at the time of license termination;
Utility consumption data; and,
Last material inventory completed.
Information Requested
RFI respondents should provide MARAD with a capability statement
that includes at least the following information:
Proposed use(s) for the ship;
Mission statement for your organization;
Proposed or potential locations for ship;
Staffing resources for maintaining and operating the ship;
Experience with ship maintenance and operations;
Experience with historic property or structures;
Funding sources; and,
Preferred conveyance mechanism for acquisition of the
ship.
Responses, including personal identifiable information will be made
public, so please provide any sensitive information in a separate
attachment clearly labeled, so that it may be withheld from disclosure
as provided by law. Respondents should consider and discuss in their
capability statement factors such as the density of museum ships in the
location proposed, the nexus between the proposed location and NSS
operating history, and any other relevant special criteria favoring the
response.
Background
Built in 1959, the NSS is the world's first nuclear-powered
merchant ship and served as a signature element of President
Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace program. While in service, the NSS
demonstrated the peaceful use of atomic power as well as the
feasibility of nuclear-powered merchant vessels. NSS operated in
experimental service as a passenger/cargo ship from 1962 to 1965,
during which time it travelled 90,000 miles, visited 13 countries, and
hosted 1.4 million visitors. Following the successful conclusion of the
experimental phase, the ship entered its commercial phase in 1965. The
ship was operated as a cargo ship generating nearly $12,000,000 in
revenue between 1965 and 1970, as well as continuing to serve as a
goodwill ambassador for the peaceful use of nuclear power. After
successfully fulfilling its objectives, NSS operations were ceased in
1970 and the ship was deactivated and defueled in 1971.
Following deactivation, the NSS was moved to the city of Savannah,
GA, where it was to be part of a proposed Eisenhower Peace Memorial;
however, the memorial was never established. In 1980, Congress passed
Public Law 96-331, which authorized the Secretary of Commerce to
bareboat charter the ship
[[Page 74230]]
to the Patriots Point Development Authority of South Carolina. The NSS
operated as a museum ship at the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime
Museum from 1981 through 1994. During this time, the NSS was listed in
the National Register of Historic Places (1983) and designated as an
NHL (1991) for exhibiting exceptional value in illustrating the
nuclear, maritime, transportation, and political heritages of the
United States. Additionally, during this time the ship was designated
an International Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (1983) and a Nuclear
Engineering Landmark by the American Nuclear Society (1991).
Following termination of the charter in 1994, the NSS returned to
MARAD and was entered into the James River Reserve Fleet in Virginia.
The ship was removed from the reserve fleet in 2006 and underwent
repairs prior to being relocated in 2008 to Baltimore, Maryland, where
it is currently berthed. In 2017, funds for decommissioning of the ship
were appropriated. Because the decommissioning and disposition of the
NSS is an Undertaking under Section 106 of the NHPA, MARAD initiated
consultation in 2018 with the Maryland SHPO, the ACHP, the NRC, the
NPS, and other consulting parties. Given the complexities of the
Undertaking, including the yet undetermined disposition of the NSS, the
parties agreed to develop a PA to guide the execution of the
Undertaking.
The PA for the Decommissioning and Disposition of the NSS was
executed in March 2023, and it outlines the process by which the
disposition of NSS will be considered and executed, concurrent with the
decommissioning project. The decommissioning process is well underway,
and dismantlement and removal of the major systems, structures, and
components that were part of the ship's nuclear power plant is
complete. As part of the decommissioning process, MARAD has made
numerous modifications and improvements to the NSS from 2015 through
the present. These improvements include climate controls, sanitary
spaces, shore power, mechanical systems, mooring and access/egress
equipment, alarm, and monitoring systems (fire/smoke, intrusion,
flooding, security cameras), restored public spaces, office spaces, and
administrative infrastructure. Typically, the greatest challenge to any
static museum ship effort is the cost associated with converting or
transforming the ship into a site suitable and safe for visitors. MARAD
has already made improvements, as listed above, which may help to
defray some of the initial starting costs for potential recipients who
may be interested in receiving the ship. Additional details about the
ship's condition are included in the attachments posted to the MARAD
docket and website.
The disposition process is sequenced to reach a conclusion at the
same time that decommissioning ends--effective with the license
termination to allow a seamless transition to whichever end-state
condition is approved. MARAD anticipates making its disposition
decision no later than the license termination date with conveyance to
follow three to six months later, after decommissioning,
demobilization, and vessel redelivery contract actions are completed.
(Authority: 49 CFR 1.81 and 1.93; 36 CFR part 800; 5 U.S.C. 552b.)
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-23917 Filed 10-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P
