94-487. Escort Vessels for Certain Oil Tankers  

  • [Federal Register Volume 59, Number 6 (Monday, January 10, 1994)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 1411-1412]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 94-487]
    
    
    [[Page Unknown]]
    
    [Federal Register: January 10, 1994]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    Coast Guard
    [CGD 91-202]
    RIN 2115-AE10
    
     
    
    Escort Vessels for Certain Oil Tankers
    
    AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.
    
    ACTION: Notice of availability.
    
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    SUMMARY: A two-part study assessing the capability of escort tugs to 
    control disabled tankers in Prince William Sound, Alaska, was 
    commissioned by the Disabled Tanker Towing Study Group (DTTSG). The 
    study will specifically review the present equipment, personnel, and 
    procedures aboard the tankers and escort vessels operating in Prince 
    William Sound, as well as the assist capabilities of the vessels 
    presently in service for escorting these tankers. Part 1 of the study 
    has been completed, and the U.S. Coast Guard has been granted 
    permission to make it available to the public. Certain technical 
    findings of this study will aid the U.S. Coast Guard in promulgating 
    national-level tug escort regulations under section 4116(c) of the Oil 
    Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90).
    
    ADDRESSES: Part 1 of the Prince William Sound Disabled Tanker Towing 
    Study, entitled ``Evaluation of Existing Equipment, Personnel and 
    Procedures,'' is available for inspection or copying at the Office of 
    the Executive Secretary, Marine Safety Council (G-LRA/3406) (CGD 91-
    202), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street SW., 
    Washington, DC 20593-0001, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through 
    Friday, except Federal Holidays. The telephone number is (202) 267-
    1477.
        Additionally, copies of Part 1 of the study may be ordered from the 
    National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161 (phone 
    orders (703) 487-4650). The NTIS publication number is PB94-120961; 
    price $27.00 for paper copy, or $12.50 for microfiche copy.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    Thomas Jordan, Project Manager, OPA 90 Staff, at U.S. Coast Guard 
    Headquarters, 2100 Second Street, SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001, or by 
    phone at (202) 267-6751.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    
    Background and Discussion
    
        In the aftermath of the EXXON VALDEZ grounding, the state of Alaska 
    established a contingency plan that includes provisions requiring laden 
    tankers to be escorted through Prince William Sound. The escort vessels 
    are expected to provide immediate assistance to a tanker in the event 
    it suffers a propulsion or steering failure. The escort vessels also 
    have some spill response capabilities. At present, there are 11 tugs 
    and escort vessels in this service, operating out of Port Valdez and 
    escorting tankers to Hinchinbrook Entrance.
        The Disabled Tanker Towing Study Group (DTTSG) was formed to review 
    the present escort vessel practices in Prince William Sound. The DTTSG 
    is formed of representatives from the Regional Citizen's Advisory 
    Council (RCAC) for Prince William Sound, the Prince William Sound 
    Tanker Association, the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, the Alaska 
    Department of Environmental Conservation, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
        The DTTSG commissioned The Glosten Associates, Inc., to prepare a 
    two-part study. The first part was to conduct an expert review and 
    evaluation of the emergency towing equipment aboard the tankers and 
    escort vessels operating in Prince William Sound. The second part was 
    to determine, by means of actual tanker/tug trials and computer 
    simulation analyses, the capabilities of the escort vessels to actually 
    control disabled tankers.
    
    The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90)
    
        Section 4116(c) of OPA 90 requires the Secretary of Transportation 
    to initiate issuance of regulations that define areas where single hull 
    tankers over 5,000 gross tons transporting oil in bulk must be escorted 
    by at least two towing vessels (as defined under 46 U.S.C. 2101), or by 
    other vessels which the Secretary considers appropriate. These defined 
    areas must include Prince William Sound, Alaska, and Rosario Strait and 
    Puget Sound, Washington (including those portions of the Strait of Juan 
    de Fuca east of Port Angeles, Haro Strait, and the Strait of Georgia 
    subject to U.S. jurisdiction). The Secretary has delegated this 
    responsibility to the Coast Guard.
    
    Federal Regulatory Action to Date
    
        The Coast Guard's regulatory response to this section of OPA 90 has 
    been divided into two rulemaking projects: the first project (CGD 91-
    202) focuses on the Prince William Sound and Puget Sound waters 
    specifically identified in the statute, the second project (CGD 91-
    202a) focuses on other navigable waters where escorts might be 
    required.
        In order to issue effective national escort rules, the Coast Guard 
    finds it necessary to determine the realistic capabilities of the 
    various types of tugs that may be used for escort service. To this end, 
    the Disabled Tanker Towing Study (DTTS) is expected to provide valuable 
    technical information. In addition to its participation in the DTTSG, 
    Coast Guard's other actions to date have been as follows:
        (1) A notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the Prince William 
    Sound and Puget Sound waters was published in the Federal Register on 
    July 7, 1992 (57 FR 30058). Because the original public comments did 
    not include sufficient information on certain issues, the comment 
    period was reopened March 26, 1993 (58 FR 16391), with a request for 
    more-detailed comments on some specified issues. Altogether, more than 
    100 public comments were received.
        (2) An advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public 
    comment on other navigable waters where escort vessels should be 
    required was published April 27, 1993 (58 FR 25766). This ANPRM also 
    requested detailed comments on some specified issues. More than 45 
    public comments were received.
        (3) Three public hearings were held: in Anchorage, Alaska, on June 
    3, 1993; Valdez, Alaska, on June 5, 1993; and Seattle, Washington, on 
    June 7, 1993. Both Alaska hearings had teleconferencing arrangements to 
    include outlying communities in the Exxon Valdez impacted areas. All 
    three hearings were well attended. Locally-interested parties, 
    including individuals and representatives of environmental, commercial 
    fishing, and recreational groups, tug operators, pilots, and tanker 
    operators, made presentations at each hearing. Transcripts of the three 
    hearings have been put in files 43, 44, and 45 of Coast Guard docket 
    91-202a.
    
    Summary of the Study
    
        The Executive Summary from Part 1 of the DTTS, ``Evaluation of 
    Existing Equipment, Personnel and Procedures,'' is reprinted here 
    verbatim:
        ``This study has been undertaken by The Glosten Associates, Inc., 
    to evaluate the existing capability for emergency towing at Prince 
    William Sound and to examine alternatives that could enhance the escort 
    and assist capabilities for disabled tankers within the waterway from 
    the Alyeska Oil Terminal at the Port of Valdez to the Gulf of Alaska 
    outside Hinchinbrook Entrance.
        Part 1, reported herein, is an objective evaluation by an 
    experienced salvage towing master of the existing tugs, emergency 
    towing equipment, towing practices, and discussion of alternate tug 
    types. Part 2 will evaluate alternative equipment and deployments, 
    using engineering methods, including simulation, that could improve the 
    safety or cost-effectiveness of the response system.
        The Part 1 investigation was performed by subcontractor Smit Tak 
    BV, based in Rotterdam. Captain Jan ter Haar, a senior Smit Tak salvage 
    master, conducted interviews and observed normal operations and 
    emergency drills in the Valdez area.
        Captain ter Haar feels that, with some changes such as improved bow 
    fendering, the existing escort/response vessels (ERVs) are adequate to 
    control a ship's heading in the event of a steering failure and to tow 
    it in the event of loss of propulsive power. He reserves any final 
    opinion on the number of such vessels required to control an incident, 
    in relation to the size of tanker and the weather conditions, to the 
    results of simulations in Part 2.
        All tankers calling at Valdez are required to carry specific 
    emergency towing gear for rapid deployment and connection to a rescue 
    tug. This ``Prince William Sound Emergency Towing Package'' is stowed 
    and deployed differently on various vessels. Captain ter Haar 
    recommends that all vessels adopt systems that can be readied for 
    deployment in 15 minutes or less by a crew of two without using winch 
    power.
        Captain ter Haar demonstrated in drills several effective 
    alternative methods of making towing connections with the tugs' own 
    gear, without deploying the ship's Prince William Sound Towing Package. 
    Drills were also used to assess crew skills in towing large tankers in 
    adverse weather with multiple tugs. He concludes that additional drills 
    and training, both in the makeup and towing operations, would be 
    beneficial.
        With regard to escort vessel operations, Captain ter Haar 
    recommends that, in the Valdez Narrows area, escort position should be 
    in close proximity to tankers for faster response to a steering 
    failure. However, in the more open waters of Prince William Sound, 
    where a power or steering failure will not result in immediate peril of 
    grounding, close escort does not increase the level of safety of the 
    system. Escort vessels strategically positioned at key locations would 
    appear to provide the same level of protection. This deployment issue 
    will be analyzed more thoroughly in Part 2.
        Captain ter Haar concludes that the vessels presently under 
    contract are suitable for rescue towing in Prince William Sound under a 
    full range of weather conditions. In the open waters of the Gulf of 
    Alaska, at and beyond Hinchinbrook Entrance, he concludes that a larger 
    salvage tug would improve the capability to prevent a major casualty.''
    
    Anticipated Course of Action
    
        The second phase of the DTTS (tanker/tug maneuvering trials and 
    computer simulation analyses) is currently underway. The Coast Guard 
    has been informed that the technical data collection should be 
    completed by January, 1994, and that Part 2 of the study will be 
    released by spring, 1994.
        In the meantime, the Coast Guard is now reviewing all public 
    comments and studying various technical submittals, including Part 1 of 
    the DTTS. Because the Federal regulations that it ultimately proposes 
    as a result of this review will probably differ from those proposed in 
    the NPRM, the Coast Guard plans to issue a Supplementary Notice of 
    Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM). The Coast Guard anticipates issuing the 
    SNPRM after Part 2 of the study has been reviewed and analyzed.
    
        Dated: January 4, 1994.
    W. J. Ecker,
    Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Chief, Office of Navigation Safety and 
    Waterway Services.
    [FR Doc. 94-487 Filed 1-7-94; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 4910-14-M
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
01/10/1994
Department:
Coast Guard
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice of availability.
Document Number:
94-487
Pages:
1411-1412 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Federal Register: January 10, 1994, CGD 91-202
RINs:
2115-AE10: Escort Vessels for Certain Tankers (CGD 91-202)
RIN Links:
https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2115-AE10/escort-vessels-for-certain-tankers-cgd-91-202-