Appendix B to Part 7 - United States Coast Guard

1. General.

This appendix describes the document inspection facilities of the U.S. Coast Guard, the kinds of records that are available for public inspection and copying at those facilities, and the procedures by which members of the public may make requests for identifiable records.

2. Document Inspection Facilities

The document inspection facilities are located at the offices of the Commandant and District Commanders. The address for each of these facilities is set forth below. They are open to the public Monday through Friday during the hours specified, except for legal public holidays and other special closings. The States or regions within the jurisdiction of each District are also provided.

Commandant (G-TIS), U.S. Coast Guard, Washington, DC 20593. The facility is located at Coast Guard Headquarters, Management Analysis Division, 2100 Second Street SW., Washington, DC 20593. 7:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET. Commander, First Coast Guard District, Coast Guard Building, 408 Atlantic Building, Boston, MA 02210. 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. ET. (Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey (northeastern), and New York (eastern)). Commander, Second Coast Guard District, 1430 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103. 8:45 a.m.-5:15 p.m. CT. (Alabama (northern), Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois (parts), Indiana (parts), Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota (parts), Mississippi (northern), Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio (parts), Oklahoma, Pennsylvania (western), South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin (western), and Wyoming). Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, Federal Office Building, 431 Crawford Street, Portsmouth, Virginia 23705. 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. ET. (Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey (southwestern), Delaware, Pennsylvania (eastern), and the District of Columbia. Commander, Seventh Coast Guard District, Federal Building, Room 1018, 51 SW. First Avenue, Miami, FL 33130. 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. ET. (Florida (parts), Georgia (parts), South Carolina, and Puerto Rico). Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, 500 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA 70130. 7:45 a.m.-4:15 p.m. CT. (Alabama (parts), Florida (northeastern), Georgia (southeastern), Louisiana, Mississippi (parts), New Mexico, and Texas). Commander, Ninth Coast Guard District, 1240 East Ninth Street, Cleveland, OH 44199. 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. ET. (Illinois (northeastern), Indiana (northern), Michigan, Minnesota (northern), New York (northwestern), Ohio (northern), Pennsylvania (northeastern), Wisconsin (eastern)). Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District, 400 Oceangate Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90882. 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. PT. (Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah). Commander, Thirteenth Coast Guard District, Federal Building, Room 3590. 915 Second Avenue, Seattle, WA 98174. 7:45 a.m.-4:15 p.m. PT. (Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington). Commander, Fourteenth Coast Guard District, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 96850. 6:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Hawaii—Aleutian Standard Time. (Hawaii). Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard District, Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street, Post Office Box 3-5000, Juneau, AK 99802. 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Alaska Time. (Alaska). 3. Records Available at Document Inspection Facilities

(a) The following records are available at any U.S. Coast Guard document inspection facility:

(1) Final opinions and orders made in the adjudication of cases by the Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard.

(2) U.S. Coast Guard numbered publications that affect any member of the public, including the prescribing of any standard, procedure, or policy that, when implemented, requires or limits any action of any member of the public or prescribes the manner of performance of any activity by any member of the public.

(b) Opinions and orders of administrative law judges are available at the document inspection facility of the Office of the Commandant and the district in which the administrative law judge is located.

(c) Policies and interpretations issued within the U.S. Coast Guard (including any policy or interpretation concerning a particular factual situation, if that policy or interpretation can reasonably be expected to have precedential value in any case involving a member of the public in a similar situation) are available at the document inspection facility of the Office of the Commandant.

(d) An index of the records located at each facility is maintained at that facility.

(e) The records and the index may be inspected at the facility, without charge. Copies of records may be obtained upon payment of the fee prescribed in Subpart I of this part.

4. Requests for Records Under subpart F of this part

Each person desiring to inspect a record, or obtain a copy thereof, should submit the request in writing to the U.S. Coast Guard office at which such record is located. The addresses of the Commandant and District Commanders are listed in section 2 of this appendix. If the office at which the record is located is unknown, the request may be submitted to the Office of the Commandant at the address listed in section 2 of this appendix. The following gives illustrations of types of records and specifies where requests for such records are appropriately addressed:

(a) Examples of records for which requests may properly be made to either the Office of the Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard or office of the appropriate District Commander include the following:

(1) Marine Casualty investigative records.

(2) Records of certificates and licenses issued.

(3) Merchant vessel inspection records.

(4) Records of merchant vessel documentation and recording of sales and other dispositions.

(5) Records of U.S. Coast Guard property and contracts.

(b) Examples of records for which requests may properly be made only to the Office of the Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, include the following:

(1) Central files of merchant seamen.

(2) Merchant vessel shipping articles.

(3) Merchant vessel equipment approvals.

(4) Merchant Marine Council proceedings.

(5) Great Lakes pilotage records.

(6) Central files of U.S. Coast Guard personnel.

(7) U.S. Coast Guard courts-martial records.

(8) U.S. Coast Guard vessel and shore station log books more than one year old on January 1 of the year in which the request is made.

(c) Examples of records for which requests may properly be made only to the appropriate District Commander include the following:

(1) Navigation and vessel inspection penalty action records.

(2) Search and rescue reports.

(3) Coast Guard vessel and shore station log books for the current calendar year and the calendar year immediately preceding the current year.

(4) Port safety and waterfront facility records.

(5) Aids to navigation records.

(6) Merchant vessel logbooks.

(7) Shipyard and factory inspection records.

5. Officials Having Initial Authority to Deny Requests.

The following officials have authority to make initial determinations to deny requests for records:

(a) Field commanders.

(1) Commander, Atlantic Area.

(2) Commander, Pacific Area.

(3) Commander, First Coast Guard District.

(4) Commander, Second Coast Guard District.

(5) Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District.

(6) Commander, Seventh Coast Guard District.

(7) Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District.

(8) Commander, Ninth Coast Guard District.

(9) Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District.

(10) Commander, Thirteenth Coast Guard District.

(11) Commander, Fourteenth Coast Guard District.

(12) Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard District.

(13) Commander, Maintenance and Logistics Command Atlantic.

(14) Commander, Maintenance and Logistics Command Pacific.

(15) Superintendent, U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

(16) Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Yard.

(17) Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Training Center Cape May.

(18) Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Reserve Training Center.

(19) Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Pay and Personnel Center.

(b) Headquarters officials concerning records within their office.

(1) Chief, Plans and Evaluation Division (for records located within the office of the Commandant, Chief of Staff, special staff divisions or when a request involves records located in two or more offices).

(2) Chief, Office of Acquisition.

(3) Chief, Office of Boating, Public and Consumer Affairs.

(4) Chief, Office of Comptroller.

(5) Chief, Office of Civil Rights.

(6) Chief, Office of Health Services.

(7) Chief, General Law Division (for records in the office of the Chief Counsel).

(8) Chief, Office of Marine Safety, Security and Environmental Protection.

(9) Chief, Office of Navigation.

(10) Chief, Office of Operations.

(11) Chief, Office of Personnel.

(12) Chief, Office of Readiness and Reserve.

(13) Chief, Office of Command, Control and Communications.

6. Reconsideration of Determinations Not to Disclose Records and to Deny Fee Waivers.

Any person who has been notified that a record or part of a record that has been requested will not be disclosed, or that a request for the waiver or reduction of a processing fee has been denied, may apply, in writing, to the Commandant (G-TIS), U.S. Coast Guard, for reconsideration of that determination. The decision of the Commandant or his or her designee is administratively final.