[Federal Register: December 1, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 231)]
[Notices]               
[Page 72825-72826]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01de08-86]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2008-0126]

 
Application for the Tank Ship S/R AMERICAN PROGRESS, Review for 
the Inclusion in the Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program; Draft 
Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of the Draft 
Environmental Assessment (DEA) for the tank ship S/R AMERICAN PROGRESS. 
The DEA describes the S/R AMERICAN PROGRESS' application for the 
Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program (STEP) Ballast Water Management 
System (BWMS) demonstration initiative. The DEA for the S/R AMERICAN 
PROGRESS also addresses effects on the human and natural environments 
from installing, testing, and using the Severn Trent De Nora 
BalPure\TM\ ballast water treatment system as the vessel operates in 
U.S. waters.

DATES: Comments and related materials must either be submitted to our 
online docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or before December 31, 
2008, or reach the Docket Management Facility by that date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2008-0126 using any one of the following methods:
    (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) Fax: 202-493-2251.
    (3) Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (4) Hand delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone 
number is 202-366-9329.
    To avoid duplication, please use only one of these methods. For 
instructions on submitting comments, see the ``Public Participation and 
Request for Comments'' portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 
below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on the Draft 
Environmental Assessment (DEA) please contact LCDR Brian Moore, 
telephone 202-372-1434 or e-mail: brian.e.moore@uscg.mil. If you have 
questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, please call 
Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-
9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

    We encourage you to submit comments and related materials about the 
Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) described in this notice. All 
comments received will be posted, without change, to http://
www.regulations.gov and will include any personal information you have 
provided.
     Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include the 
docket number for this notice (USCG-2008-0126) and provide a reason for 
each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and 
material online, or by fax, mail or hand delivery, but please use only 
one of these means. We recommend that you include your name and a 
mailing address, an e-mail address, or a phone number in the body of 
your document so that we can contact you if we have questions regarding 
your submission.
    To submit your comment online, go to http://www.regulations.gov, 
select the Advanced Docket Search option on the right side of the 
screen, insert ``USCG-2008-0126'' in the Docket ID box, press Enter, 
and then click on the balloon shape in the Actions column. If you 
submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an 
unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for 
copying and electronic

[[Page 72826]]

filing. If you submit them by mail and would like to know that they 
reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard 
or envelope. We will consider all comments and material received during 
the comment period.
    Viewing the comments and DEA: To view the comments and DEA go to 
http://www.regulations.gov, select the Advanced Docket Search option on 
the right side of the screen, insert USCG-2008-0126 in the Docket ID 
box, press Enter, and then click on the item in the Docket ID column. 
If you do not have access to the Internet, you may view the docket 
online by visiting the Docket Management Facility in Room W12-140 on 
the ground floor of the Department of Transportation West Building, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. We have an 
agreement with the Department of Transportation to use the Docket 
Management Facility.
    Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review a 
Privacy Act, system of records notice regarding our public dockets in 
the January 17, 2008, issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 3316, Jan. 
17, 2008).

Public Meetings

    We do not intend to hold any public meetings in association with 
this DEA.

Background and Purpose

    In the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 
1990, as reauthorized, and as amended by the National Invasive Species 
Act of 1996, Public Law 101-646 and Public Law 104-332, respectively, 
Congress directed the Coast Guard to prevent introduction of aquatic 
nonindigenous species from ballast water discharged by ships (16 U.S.C. 
4711). To achieve this objective, the Coast Guard wrote new regulations 
in 33 CFR 151, subparts C and D (58 FR 18330, Apr. 8, 1993, and 69 FR 
44952, Jul. 28, 2004, respectively).
    On December 8, 2004, the Coast Guard published a notice in the 
Federal Register (69 FR 71068, Dec. 8, 2004), announcing its Shipboard 
Technology Evaluation Program (STEP) for experimental shipboard ballast 
water treatment systems. The program goal is to promote development of 
alternatives to ballast water exchange as a means of preventing 
invasive species from entering U.S. waters through ships' ballast 
water. The comments we received support testing prototype treatment 
equipment and developing effective and practicable standards for 
approving this equipment.
    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(Section 102(2)(c)), as implemented by the Council of Environmental 
Quality regulations in 40 CFR parts 1500-1508, and Coast Guard 
Commandant Instruction M16475.1D, ``National Environmental Policy Act 
Implementing Procedures and Policy for Considering Environmental 
Impacts'', the Coast Guard prepared a Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment (PEA) for the STEP to evaluate the environmental impacts 
from installing and operating a limited number of prototype ballast 
water treatment systems (69 FR 71068, Dec. 8, 2004). The PEA can be 
found in docket USCG-2001-9267. That PEA addresses potential effects to 
the natural and human environments including fish, marine mammals, 
invertebrates, microorganisms and plankton, submerged and emergent 
species, threatened and endangered species, and essential fish habitat. 
It also requires each system to be evaluated for localized affects on 
the ports and waterways where a vessel involved in the program 
operates.
    We request your comments on the potential impacts of installing, 
using, and testing the Severn Trent De Nora BalPure\TM\ Ballast Water 
Treatment System on the tank ship S/R AMERICAN PROGRESS, as analyzed in 
the DEA. We also request your comments on sources of data, reference 
material, or other information not included in the DEA. Your comments 
will be considered in preparing a Final Environmental Assessment for 
the S/R AMERICAN PROGRESS.

    Dated: November 21, 2008.
Brian M. Salerno,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, 
Security and Stewardship.
[FR Doc. E8-28463 Filed 11-28-08; 8:45 am]

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