Notice2021-12671
Port Access Route Study: Approaches to the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 16, 2021
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentCoast Guard
Abstract
On November 27, 2019 the Coast Guard published a notice of study and request for comments (84 FR 65398), announcing a Port Access Route Study (PARS) for the Approaches to the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. This notice announces the availability of a draft report for public review and comment. We seek your comments on the content, proposed routing measures, and development of the report. The recommendations of the study may lead to future rulemakings or appropriate international agreements.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 114 (Wednesday, June 16, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32052-32053]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-12671]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket Number USCG-2019-0862]
Port Access Route Study: Approaches to the Chesapeake Bay,
Virginia
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability of draft report; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: On November 27, 2019 the Coast Guard published a notice of
study and request for comments (84 FR 65398), announcing a Port Access
Route Study (PARS) for the Approaches to the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia.
This notice announces the availability of a draft report for public
review and comment. We seek your comments on the content, proposed
routing measures, and development of the report. The recommendations of
the study may lead to future rulemakings or appropriate international
agreements.
DATES: Your comments and related material must reach the Coast Guard on
or before July 16, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2019-0862 using the Federal portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. See
the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further instructions on
submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this
notice or study, call or email Mr. Jerry Barnes, Fifth Coast Guard
District (dpw), U.S. Coast Guard; telephone (757) 398-6230, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#86cce3f4f4ffa8d4a8c4e7f4e8e3f5c6f3f5e5e1a8ebefea"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1a507f686863344834587b68747f695a6f69797d34777376">[email protected]</span></a>; or Captain Maureen Kallgren, Fifth Coast Guard
District (dpw), U.S. Coast Guard; telephone (757) 398-6250, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#652804101700000b4b374b2e0409090217000b25101606024b080c09"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="efa28e9a9d8a8a81c1bdc1a48e8383889d8a81af9a9c8c88c1828683">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Table of Abbreviations
DHS Department of Homeland Security
FR Federal Register
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
PARS Port Access Route Study
ACPARS Atlantic Coast Ports Access Route Study
U.S.C. United States Code
WEA Wind Energy Area
II. Background and Purpose
The Ports and Waterways Safety Act (46 U.S.C. 70003(c)) requires
the Coast Guard to conduct a PARS, i.e., a study of potential traffic
density and the need for safe access routes for vessels. Through the
study process, the Coast Guard coordinates with Federal, State, local,
tribal and foreign state agencies (as appropriate) to consider the
views of maritime community representatives, environmental groups, and
other interested stakeholders. The primary purpose of this coordination
is, to the extent practicable, to reconcile the need for safe access
routes with other reasonable waterway uses such as construction and
operation of renewable energy facilities and other uses of the Atlantic
Ocean in the study area.
In 2019, the Coast Guard announced a supplemental study of routes
used by all vessels to access ports on the Atlantic Coast of the United
States (84 FR 9541, March 15, 2019). This notice announced PARS for
specific port approaches and international transit areas along the
Atlantic Coast. The purpose of the supplemental studies is to align the
Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study (ACPARS) (81 FR 13307, March 14,
2016) with port approaches. The ACPARS analyzed the Atlantic Coast
waters seaward of existing port approaches within the U.S. Exclusive
Economic Zone and was finalized in 2017 (82 FR 16510, April 5, 2017).
The purpose of this notice is to announce the draft PARS that
examines the approaches to the Chesapeake Bay, VA, in conjunction with
the implementation of recommendations of the ACPARS, and to solicit
public comments. We encourage you to participate in the study process
by submitting comments in response to this notice. This supplemental
PARS used AIS data and information from stakeholders to identify and
verify customary navigation routes as well as potential conflicts
involving alternative activities, such as wind energy generation and
offshore mineral exploitation and exploration in the approaches to the
Chesapeake Bay, Virginia.
On November 27, 2019, the Coast Guard published a Notice of Study;
request for comments entitled ``Port Access Route Study: Approaches to
the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia'' in the Federal Register (84 FR 65398).
The public was afforded a 60-day comment period, and the option to
request public meetings. The Coast Guard conducted outreach with port
partners during this time. The comment period was closed on January 27,
2020.
The study area extends approximately 220 nautical miles seaward of
the Chesapeake Bay, between Ocean City, MD, and Cape Hatteras, NC. An
illustration showing the study area is available in the docket where
indicated under ADDRESSES. Additionally, the study area is available
for viewing on the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal at <a href="http://portal.midatlanticocean.org/visualize/">http://portal.midatlanticocean.org/visualize/</a>. See the ``Maritime'' portion of
the Data Layers section.
III. Discussion
PARS are the means by which program managers determine the need to
establish traffic routing measures or shipping safety fairways to
reduce the risk of collision, allision and grounding, and their impact
on the environment, increase the efficiency and predictability of
vessel traffic, and preserve the paramount right of navigation while
continuing to allow for other reasonable waterway uses. The study
analyzes current routing measures around the approaches to Chesapeake
Bay and proposes an adequate way to manage the forecasted maritime
traffic growth, as well as the co-dependent use of the waters in
support of future development.
The Coast Guard received 11 comments in response to our Federal
Register notice and other outreach efforts. All comments and supporting
documents are available in a public docket and can be viewed at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. In the ``Search'' box insert ``USCG-2019-0862''
and click ``Search.'' Click the ``Open Docket Folder'' in the
``Actions'' column. These comments were submitted by
[[Page 32053]]
commercial maritime operators and state and port partners. Topics
covered by these comments included support and requests for additional
routing measures around WEAs, requests for collaboration with state
organizations, and requests for NEPA compliance and Environmental
Impact Studies to be completed. A synopsis of the comments and copies
of the Coast Guard's Public outreach can be found in the report.
As a result of the data analysis within this study and considering
the comments received the Coast Guard proposes five measures for
consideration by the public. Any comments received will be reviewed and
considered before a final version of the Approaches to Chesapeake Bay
PARS is announced in the Federal Register. This notice is published
under the authority of 46 U.S.C. 70004 and 5 U.S.C. 552(a).
IV. Information Requested
We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal portal at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. In your submission, please include the
docket number for this notice of inquiry and provide a reason for each
suggestion or recommendation. If your material cannot be submitted
using <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, contact the person in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate
instructions.
We accept anonymous comments. Comments we post to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> will include any personal information you have
provided. For more about privacy and submissions in response to this
document, see DHS's eRulemaking System of Records notice (85 FR 14226,
March 11, 2020).
Documents mentioned in this notice of inquiry as being available in
the docket, and public comments, will be in our online docket at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and can be viewed by following that
website's instructions. We review all comments received, but we may
choose not to post off-topic, inappropriate, or duplicate comments that
we receive. If you visit the online docket and sign up for email
alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted or if a final
rule is published.
Dated: May 25, 2021.
Laura M. Dickey,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2021-12671 Filed 6-15-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
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