[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 5356-5357]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-2865]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Coast Guard
33 CFR Parts 154 and 155
[CGD 94-032 and 94-048]
RIN 2115-AE87 and 2115-AE88
Tank Vessel and Facility Response Plans, and Response Equipment
for Hazardous Substances
AGENCY: Coast Guard.
ACTION: Notice of workshop and public meeting; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: At the request of the Coast Guard, The Keystone Center is
conducting a workshop to discuss specific issues related to the Coast
Guard's development of proposed response plans regulations for certain
tank vessels operating on the navigable waters of the United States or
any marine transportation-related (MTR) facility, that, because of its
location, could reasonably be expected to cause substantial or
significant and substantial harm to the environment by discharging a
hazardous substance. The purpose of the public meeting is to summarize
the highlights of the workshop, and provide the general public the
opportunity to respond to any findings or recommendations discussed
during the workshop.
DATES: The workshop will be held Wednesday, February 26, 1997, from
8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., and Thursday, February 27, 1997, from 8:00
a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The public meeting will be held Thursday, February
27, 1997, from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Written statements and
requests to make oral presentations must be received on or before
February 26, 1997.
ADDRESSES: The location of the workshop and public meeting is the
Nassau Bay Hilton, 3000 NASA Road 1, Houston, Texas 77058, telephone 1-
800-634-4320. The workshop will be facilitated by The Keystone Center,
a non-profit, public policy organization that specializes in developing
creative problem-solving processes to assist diverse parties in
addressing issues of importance to society. Written materials may be
mailed to the Executive Secretary, Marine Safety Council (G-LRA), U.S.
Coast Guard, 2100 Second Street SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001, or may
be delivered to room 3406 at the same address between 9:30 a.m. and 2
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Comments will
become part of this docket and will be available for inspection and
copy at the same address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lieutenant C. R. Thomas, Office of Standards Evaluation and Development
(G-MSR), telephone (202) 267-1099, fax (202) 267-4547. The telephone
number is equipped to record messages on a 24-hour basis.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The President is required by the Oil
Pollution of 1990 (OPA 90) to issue regulations requiring the
preparation of hazardous substance response plans. The Coast Guard has
been delegated the responsibility to develop these regulations. The
Coast Guard commenced the regulation development process through public
meetings and the publication of an advanced notice of proposed
rulemaking (ANPRM) (61 FR 20084) on May 3, 1996. The ANPRM solicited
comments on 96 questions to assist in the development of separate
notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for vessels and marine
transportation-related facilities (MTR). The Coast Guard has reviewed
the comments received via the public meetings and the ANPRM, and has
determined that this workshop is necessary for further development of
the NPRM.
Agenda of Workshop
The tentative agenda includes the following:
Wednesday, February 26, 1997
8:30 a.m.--9:00 a.m.--Introduction
9:00 a.m.--12:15 p.m.--Session I--Role and Contents of First Responders
Guides
This session will explore how a ``First Responders Guide'' may be
utilized to provide concise guidance to address immediate threats
following a chemical release. Discussion points will include the
usefulness of such a guide, recommended contents, and current industry
standards of a similar nature.
Wednesday, February 26, 1997
1:15 p.m.--5:30 p.m.--Session II--Role and Capabilities of Decision
Support Systems
This session will address how these regulations may reflect a non-
prescriptive, performance based approach that aligns response with
actual risk. One ``risk management'' tool that will be explored in this
session is the use of a ``decision support system.'' For the purposes
of the workshop, ``decision support system'' refers to any protocol
that ensures required information is obtained by the responsible party
in an expeditious manner. During this session, participants will assess
the feasibility of integrating this concept into the regulatory scheme.
[[Page 5357]]
Thursday, February 27, 1997
8:00 a.m.--12:00 p.m.--Session III--Chemical Removal Technology
This session will explore the range of viable containment,
recovery, source control or chemical treatment options appropriate to
reduce the risk to public health and the environment.
Thursday, February 27, 1997
1:00 p.m.--5:00 p.m.--Session IV--Public Responder versus Private
Responder Issues
This session will examine the roles of local, public responders and
the role of private, contracted responders within the context of
hazardous substance response plan regulations.
Thursday, February 27, 1997
7:00 p.m.--9:00 p.m.--Public Meeting
Discussion of workshop highlights and open public comment.
Procedural
The workshop is open to the public; however, in order to provide a
forum for balanced discussion on specific issues, The Keystone Center
has invited a limited number of individuals to be actual participants
in the various sessions. In sessions I through IV, the facilitator of
the conference will schedule a period of time when the public may
present limited, oral comments. As noted in the agenda, the public
meeting is open to all individuals to make any comments or respond to
points made during the workshop. Persons wishing to make oral
presentations during the public meeting should notify the person listed
above under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT no later than Thursday,
February 20, 1997. Written material may be submitted prior to, during,
or up to 30 days after the meeting.
Information on Services for Individuals With Disabilities
For information on facilities or services for individuals with
disabilities or to request special assistance at the workshop, contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Joseph J. Angelo,
Director of Standards.
[FR Doc. 97-2865 Filed 2-4-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-14-M
