2017-22707. Collection of Information Under Review by Office of Management and Budget; OMB Control Number: 1625-0082

AGENCY:

Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION:

Thirty-day notice requesting comments.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the U.S. Coast Guard is forwarding an Information Collection Request (ICR), abstracted below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting approval for reinstatement, without change, of the following collection of information: 1625-0082, Navigation Safety Information and Emergency Instructions for Certain Towing Vessels. Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. Review and comments by OIRA ensure we only impose paperwork burdens commensurate with our performance of duties.

DATES:

Comments must reach the Coast Guard and OIRA on or before November 20, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket number [USCG-2017-0126] to the Coast Guard using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Alternatively, you may submit comments to OIRA using one of the following means:

(1) Email: [e-mail].

(2) Mail: OIRA, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503, attention Desk Officer for the Coast Guard.

A copy of the ICR is available through the docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov. Additionally, copies are available from: COMMANDANT (CG-612), ATTN: Paperwork Reduction Act Manager, U.S. Coast Guard, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE., Stop 7710, Washington, DC 20593-7710.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Anthony Smith, Office of Information Management, telephone [phone], or fax [phone], for questions on these documents.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Participation and Request for Comments

This Notice relies on the authority of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended. An ICR is an application to OIRA seeking the approval, extension, or renewal of a Coast Guard collection of information (Collection). The ICR contains information describing the Collection's purpose, the Collection's likely burden on the affected public, an explanation of the necessity of the Collection, and other important information describing the Collection. There is one ICR for each Collection.

The Coast Guard invites comments on whether this ICR should be granted based on the Collection being necessary for the proper performance of Departmental functions. In particular, the Coast Guard would appreciate comments addressing: (1) The practical utility of the Collection; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden of the Collection; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of information subject to the Collection; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the Collection on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. These comments will help OIRA determine whether to approve the ICR referred to in this Notice.

We encourage you to respond to this request by submitting comments and related materials. Comments to Coast Guard or OIRA must contain the OMB Control Number of the ICR. They must also contain the docket number of this request, [USCG-2017-0126], and must be received by November 20, 2017.

Submitting Comments

We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be submitted using http://www.regulations.gov,, contact the person in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate instructions. Documents mentioned in this notice, and all public comments, are in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following that Web site's instructions. Additionally, if you go to the online docket and sign up for email alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted.

We accept anonymous comments. All comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any personal information you have provided. For more about privacy and the docket, you may review a Privacy Act notice regarding the Federal Docket Management System in the March 24, 2005, issue of the Federal Register (70 FR 15086).

OIRA posts its decisions on ICRs online at http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain after the comment period for each ICR. An OMB Notice of Action on each ICR will become available via a hyperlink in the OMB Control Number: 1625-0082.

Previous Request for Comments

This request provides a 30-day comment period required by OIRA. The Coast Guard published the 60-day notice (82 FR 34960, July 27, 2017) required by 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). We received two comments from a commenter to the 60-day Notice. The first comment was about the navigation charts and publications requirements for small towing vessels that operate on inland waters. The commenter stated that the requirements for these vessels should not be the same as the requirements for vessels on other voyages. We agree. 33 CFR 164.72 prescribes fewer publication carriage requirements for vessels engaged in towing exclusively on Western Rivers than for those that operate elsewhere (towing or otherwise). Furthermore, the Coast Guard has allowed electronic carriage of some publications further reducing burden (see Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular 01-16).

The second comment was about the Muster List and Emergency Instructions requirements. The commenter stated that we should take into account various levels of risk, and not apply the rules to all towing vessels. Again, we agree. The Muster List and Emergency Instructions requirements in 33 CFR 199.80 do not apply to towing vessels inspected under 46 CFR Subchapter M. These requirements apply to towing vessels inspected under 46 CFR Subchapter I on international voyages. The comments result in no changes to the Collection.

Information Collection Request

Title: Navigation Safety Information and Emergency Instructions for Certain Towing Vessels.

OMB Control Number: 1625-0082.

Summary: Navigation safety regulations in 33 CFR part 164 help assure that the mariner piloting a towing vessel has adequate equipment, charts, maps, and other publications. For inspected towing vessels, under 46 CFR 199.80 a muster list and emergency instructions provide effective plans and references for crew to follow in an emergency situation.

Need: The purpose of the regulations is to improve the safety of towing vessels and the crews that operate them.

Forms: None.

Respondents: Owners, operators and masters of vessels.

Frequency: On occasion.

Hour Burden Estimate: The estimated burden has increased from 345,620 hours to 369,980 hours a year due to an increase in the estimated annual number of respondents.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.

Dated: October 12, 2017.

James D. Roppel,

U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Chief, Office of Information Management.