Coast Guard January 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard announces a public meeting to receive comments on a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend Coast Guard regulations governing Notice of Arrival and Departure (NOAD) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) requirements.

This document informs the public that, after their Captain of the Port (COTP) has implemented access control procedures using the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), the COTP no longer needs to enforce the previously published notice requiring name- based vetting of certain port workers.

The Coast Guard is amending its oil pollution prevention equipment regulations to make them consistent with new International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines and specifications issued under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex I. These revisions will implement MARPOL Annex I regulations and are intended to reduce the amount of oil discharged from vessels and eliminate the use of ozone-depleting solvents in equipment tests. This interim rule will require all vessels replacing or installing oil separators and bilge alarms to install equipment that meets revised standards and it will require newly constructed vessels carrying oil in bulk to install monitoring systems that meet the revised standards. We have delayed the implementation of three paragraphs involving vessels constructed and equipment installed on or after January 1, 2005. We seek comments on these three paragraphs and will consider those comments before issuing a final rule.

On September 23, 2008, the U.S. Coast Guard published a notice in the Federal Register requesting comments on our intent to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) and Analysis to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting a revision of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0040, Continuous Discharge Book, Application, Physical Exam Report, Sea Service Report, Chemical Testing, Entry Level Physical. That notice stated the complete ICR would be available through both the online docket and at the Coast Guard facility in Washington, DC. Because the complete ICR was not made available online during the stated comment period, we are reopening it until February 5, 2008.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to submit Information Collection Requests (ICRs) and Analyses to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting an extension of its approval for the following collections of information: (1) 1625-0022, Application for Tonnage Measurement of Vessels; (2) 1625-0093, Facilities Transferring Oil or Hazardous Materials in BulkLetter of Intent and Operations Manual; (3) 1625- 0094, Ships Carrying Bulk Hazardous Liquids; and (4) 1625-0095, Oil and Hazardous Material Pollution Prevention and Safety Records, Equivalents/Alternatives and Exemptions. Before submitting these ICRs to OMB, the Coast Guard is inviting comments as described below.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend the commercial diving regulations. We request public comment on industry standards and current practices that might be incorporated in our regulations or accepted as regulatory equivalents; the use of third-party auditing; new requirements for compliance documentation; the adoption of recommendations made following the investigation of a 1996 fatality; and possible additional regulatory revisions. This rulemaking will promote the enhancement of maritime safety which is a strategic goal of the Coast Guard.