01-4991. Requested Administrative Waiver of the Coastwise Trade Laws

AGENCY:

Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation.

ACTION:

Invitation for public comments on a requested administrative waiver of the Coastwise Trade Laws for the vessel HERON.

SUMMARY:

As authorized by Pub. L. 105-383, the Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.-build requirement of the coastwise laws under certain circumstances. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a description of the proposed service, is listed below. Interested parties may comment on the effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. If MARAD determines that in accordance with Pub. L. 105-383 and MARAD's regulations at 46 CFR Part 388 (65 FR 6905; February 11, 2000) that the issuance of the waiver will have an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.-vessel builder or a business that uses U.S.-flag vessels, a waiver will not be granted.

DATES:

Submit comments on or before April 2, 2001.

ADDRESSES:

Comments should refer to docket number MARAD-2001-8979. Written comments may be submitted by hand or by mail to the Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, Department of Transportation, 400 7th St., SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. You may also send comments electronically via the Internet at http://dmses.dot.gov/​submit/​. All comments will become part of this docket and will be available for inspection and copying at the above address between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. An electronic version of this document and all documents entered into this docket is available on the World Wide Web at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kathleen Dunn, U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, MAR-832 Room 7201, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title V of Pub. L. 105-383 provides authority to the Secretary of Transportation to administratively waive the U.S.-build requirements of the Jones Act, and other statutes, for small commercial passenger vessels (no more than 12 passengers). This authority has been delegated to the Maritime Administration per 49 CFR 1.66, Delegations to the Maritime Administrator, as amended. By this notice, MARAD is publishing information on a vessel for which a request for a U.S.-build waiver has been received, and for which MARAD requests comments from interested parties. Comments should refer to the docket number of this notice and the vessel name in order for MARAD to properly consider the comments. Comments should also state the commenter's interest in the waiver application, and address the waiver criteria given in § 388.4 of MARAD'S regulations at 46 CFR part 388.

Vessel Proposed for Waiver of the U.S.-Build Requirement

(1) Name of vessel and owner for which waiver is requested. Name of vessel: HERON. Owner: Aram S. Nersesian.

(2) Size, capacity and tonnage of vessel. According to the applicant: “Gross Tonnage: 25 (measured by standard documentation standards and formulas), Net Tonnage: 22, Length: 51.5 feet, Breadth: 15.2 feet, Depth: 6.5 feet, Hull Material: Aluminum.”

(3) Intended use for vessel, including geographic region of intended operation and trade. According to the applicant:

I would use this vessel for day or overnight charters; I would find corporate sponsorship to cover costs of taking inner city kids, kids at risk, cancer kids and families, etc. for day/overnight charters; I would create a sailing club taking paying members for day/overnight sails; I would provide a sailing platform to bring scholars and journalists of similar scientific and social backgrounds together for ‘think tank’ programs. Geographic region: entire United States Coastline, Great Lakes, all Inland Rivers and Waterways, and Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands.

(4) Date and Place of construction and (if applicable) rebuilding. Date of construction: 1982. Place of construction: La Rochelle, France.

(5) A statement on the impact this waiver will have on other commercial passenger vessel operators. According to the applicant:

A waiver for my personally owned vessel will have absolutely no impact on other commercial passenger vessel operators. I have no plans to create an ongoing charter business of any kind. My use would follow my own interests to bring people together who have an interest in sailing, to use the boat to give disadvantaged children and their families an opportunity to get out on the water, or to create a floating ‘think tank’ for scholars, scientists and journalists. These uses are completely original and not commercially based, and would therefore not compete in any way with existing commercial operations.

(6) A statement on the impact this waiver will have on U.S. shipyards. According to the applicant:

This waiver, also, will have no impact on U.S. shipyards, other than to provide ongoing business for these shipyards in the way of maintenance and upgrades to this vessel which is already in and documented in United States waters.

Dated: February 26, 2001.

By Order of the Maritime Administrator.

Joel C. Richard,

Secretary, Maritime Administration.