81 FR 13307 - Port Access Route Study: The Atlantic Coast From Maine to Florida

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 49 (March 14, 2016)

The Coast Guard announces the availability of the final report issued by the Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study (ACPARS) workgroup. The Coast Guard welcomes comments on the report.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 49 (Monday, March 14, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 13307-13308]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-05706]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 167

[USCG-2011-0351]


Port Access Route Study: The Atlantic Coast From Maine to Florida

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of the final report 
issued by the Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study (ACPARS) 
workgroup. The Coast Guard welcomes comments on the report.

DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Docket Management 
Facility on or before April 13, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2011-0351 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. See the ``Public Participation and Request for 
Comments'' portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further 
instructions on submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice 
of study contact Patrick Wycko, ACPARS Project Manager, telephone 757-
398-6355, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background and Purpose. The Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study 
workgroup (WG) was chartered on May 11, 2011 and was given three 
objectives to complete within the limits of available resources: (1) 
Determine whether the Coast Guard should initiate actions to modify or 
create safety fairways, Traffic Separation Schemes or other routing 
measures; (2) Provide data, tools and/or methodology to assist in 
future determinations of waterways suitability for proposed projects; 
and (3) Develop, in the near term, Automatic Identification System 
(AIS) products and provide other support as necessary to assist 
Districts with all emerging coastal and offshore energy projects. The 
Coast Guard published the WG's Interim Report in the Federal Register 
(77 FR 55781; Sep. 11, 2012), with the status of efforts up to that 
date. The Interim Report concluded that modeling and analysis tools, as 
described in the Phase 3 section of the report, were critical to 
determine if routing measures are appropriate and to evaluate the 
changes in navigational safety risk resulting from different siting and 
routing scenarios. The charter for the WG was extended pending 
completion of the modeling and analysis. The modeling and analysis 
efforts concluded in the fall of 2014, but did not produce a model 
capable of accurately predicting changes in vessel routes and 
determining the resultant change in the risk to navigation safety. 
During this period, the WG continued gathering data and conducting 
stakeholder outreach. The availability and usability of processed AIS 
data has greatly improved, as has the ability to analyze the AIS data. 
The Coast Guard contracted the services of a Geographic Information 
System analyst to support efforts to better characterize vessel traffic 
and further explore creating initial proposals for routing measures

[[Page 13308]]

independent of the Phase 3 modeling and analysis. This enabled the 
Coast Guard to improve its understanding of vessel routes, beyond the 
understanding gleaned through generic heat maps. Based on comments by 
the shipping industry and more recent literature on addressing shipping 
during marine spatial planning, the WG conducted additional research 
into the necessary sea space for vessels to maneuver in compliance with 
the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. This 
research led to the development of recommended marine planning 
guidelines. In addition, an effort focused on determining the 
appropriate width of a navigation route was undertaken for alongshore 
towing operations. These efforts enabled the WG to identify navigation 
safety corridors along the Atlantic Coast that combine the width 
necessary for navigation and additional buffer areas based on the 
planning guidelines. The WG has also identified deep draft routes that 
it recommends be given priority consideration to navigation over other 
uses, to comply with the United Nations Convention of the Law of the 
Sea. The final report will be available on the Federal Register docket 
and also on the ACPARS Web site at www.uscg.mil/lantarea/acpars.
    This notice is issued under authority of 33 U.S.C. 1223(c) and 5 
U.S.C. 552.

    Dated: February 24, 2016.
William D. Lee,
Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Atlantic Area.
[FR Doc. 2016-05706 Filed 3-11-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P