Current vessel response plan regulations require the owners or operators of vessels carrying Groups I
through V petroleum oil as a primary cargo to identify in their response plans a salvage company with expertise and equipment, and a company with firefighting capability that can be deployed to a port nearest to the vessel's operating area within 24 hours of notification (Groups I-IV) or a discovery of a discharge (Group V). On February 12, 1998, a notice of suspension was published in the Federal Register,
suspending the 24-hour requirement scheduled to become effective on February 18, 1998, until February 12, 2001 (63 FR 7069). The Coast Guard has decided to extend this suspension period for another 3 years
to allow us to complete the rulemaking that proposes to revise the salvage and marine firefighting require- ments. The extension is necessary because the potential impact on small businesses from this
new rulemaking requires us to prepare an initial regulatory flexibility analysis under the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996. This was not determined until a draft regulatory assessment was complete in November 2000. We expect to complete the analysis and publish a notice of proposed rulemaking this year. The extension of the suspension period will continue to relieve the affected industry from complying with the existing 24-hour requirements until the project is complete, and amendments to the salvage and marine firefighting
requirements become final.
This extension is effective as of February 12, 2001. Termination of the suspension will be on February 12, 2004.
Document Subtype:
Federal Register Publication
Received Date:
January 17 2001, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Page Count:
3
Comment Due Date:
January 17 2001, at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time
Final Rule; Partial Suspension of Regulation
Details Information
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