Maritime Administration August 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

As authorized by Pub. L. 105-383 and Pub. L. 107-295, the Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.- build requirement of the coastwise laws under certain circumstances. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below. The complete application is given in DOT docket 2006-25655 at https:// dms.dot.gov. Interested parties may comment on the effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. If MARAD determines, in accordance with Pub. L. 105- 383 and MARAD's regulations at 46 CFR Part 388 (68 FR 23084; April 30, 2003), that the issuance of the waiver will have an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.-vessel builder or a business that uses U.S.-flag vessels in that business, a waiver will not be granted. Comments should refer to the docket number of this notice and the vessel name in order for MARAD to properly consider the comments. Comments should also state the commenter's interest in the waiver application, and address the waiver criteria given in Sec. 388.4 of MARAD's regulations at 46 CFR Part 388.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is amending its regulations governing its pilot program for the reimbursement of costs of qualified maintenance and repair (M&R) of Maritime Security Program (MSP) vessels performed in United States shipyards. Under Public Law 109-163, the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Maritime Administrator, is directed to implement regulations that, among other things, replace MARAD's voluntary M&R reimbursement program with a mandatory system. The notice of proposed rulemaking for this action was published in the Federal Register on February 8, 2006 (71 FR 6438). Several of the comments received argued that MARAD lacks authority to unilaterally add to existing MSP agreements the added obligation on the part of the MSP contractor to enter into an M&R Pilot Program agreement. In order to have a full airing of this fundamental issue, MARAD is hereby giving notice that we have decided to open a reply comment period for this rulemaking. Reply comments may address the issue highlighted above or any other issue raised in the original set of comments received in this docket.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD), and the U.S. Coast Guard announce that we have received an application amendment for the licensing of the Main Pass Energy Hub (MPEH) natural gas deepwater port, and that the application amendment contains the required information to continue processing the application. This notice summarizes the applicant's plans and the procedures that will be followed in considering this application amendment. The Coast Guard, in coordination with MARAD, will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) as part of the environmental review of this license application amendment. Publication of this notice also begins a public comment period on the application amendment and on the procedures and process to be followed in completing the review. The application amendment describes the change in project regassification technology from the ``open-loop'' vaporization system originally proposed for Main Pass Energy Hub to a ``closed-loop'' LNG vaporization system. The proposed closed-loop vaporization system is a submerged combustion vaporization system with selective catalytic reduction (SCV/SCR). The proposed facility would be constructed in the Gulf of Mexico in Main Pass Lease Block 299 (MP 299), approximately 16 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana. A Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statement were published on the original application on June 17, 2005 and March 14, 2006, respectively.