Notice2021-20797
Port Access Route Study: Seacoast of New Jersey Including Offshore Approaches to the Delaware Bay, Delaware
Primary source
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Published
September 24, 2021
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentCoast Guard
Abstract
On May 5, 2020, the Coast Guard published a notice of study and request for comments (85 FR 26695), announcing a Port Access Route Study (PARS) for the Seacoast of New Jersey Including Offshore Approaches to the Delaware Bay, Delaware. 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 183 (Friday, September 24, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 183 (Friday, September 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53089-53091]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20797]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket Number USCG-202-0172]
Port Access Route Study: Seacoast of New Jersey Including
Offshore Approaches to the Delaware Bay, Delaware
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability of draft report; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: On May 5, 2020, the Coast Guard published a notice of study
and request for comments (85 FR 26695), announcing a Port Access Route
Study (PARS) for the Seacoast of New Jersey Including Offshore
Approaches to the Delaware Bay, Delaware. 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 October 25, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2020-0172 using the Federal Decision Making 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#b8f2ddcacac196ea96fad9cad6ddcbf8cdcbdbdf96d5d1d4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="91dbf4e3e3e8bfc3bfd3f0e3fff4e2d1e4e2f2f6bffcf8fd">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 53090]]
I. Table of Abbreviations
AIS--Automated Information System
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 availability of the
draft PARS examining the seacoast of New Jersey and the offshore
approaches to the Delaware Bay, Delaware. We encourage you to
participate in the study process by submitting comments in response to
this notice. This 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 off the
seacoast of New Jersey and in the offshore approaches to the Delaware
Bay, Delaware.
The study area extends approximately 175 nautical miles seaward of
the seacoast of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland between Sandy Hook,
New Jersey, and Ocean City, Maryland. 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.
On May 5, 2020, the Coast Guard published a Notice of Study;
request for comments entitled ``Port Access Route Study: Seacoast of
New Jersey Including Offshore Approaches to the Delaware Bay,
Delaware'' in the Federal Register (85 FR 26695). The initial comment
period closed on July 5, 2020. The Coast Guard conducted two virtual
public meetings on October 29 and November 4, 2020. Recordings of the
public meetings are available from the docket. The comment period re-
opened through November 10, 2020. The Coast Guard also conducted
outreach with port partners during this time.
IV. Information Requested
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 Delaware Bay
and proposes an adequate way to manage forecasted maritime traffic
growth. The study also reviewed coastal port access from the seacoast
of New Jersey and the co-dependent use of the waters in support of
future development.
The Coast Guard received 34 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>. To do so, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, type
USCG-2020-0172 in the ``SEARCH'' box and click ``SEARCH.'' Next, look
for this document in the Search Results column, and click on it. These
comments were submitted by commercial maritime operators, including
fishing vessel operators, 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 six modified or
additional measures for consideration by the public. We seek your input
on these proposals and welcome comment on any impact to vessel transit
time, fishing activity, and/or navigation safety. All comments received
will be reviewed and considered before a final version of the 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).
V. Public Participation and Request for Comments
Submitting comments. We encourage you to submit comments through
the Federal Decision Making Portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. To
do so, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, type USCG-202-0172 in the
search box and click ``Search.'' Next, look for this document in the
Search Results column, and click on it. Then click on the Comment
option. If you cannot submit your material by using <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, call or email the person in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice for alternate instructions.
Viewing material in docket. To view documents mentioned in this
proposed rule as being available in the docket, find the docket as
described in the previous paragraph, and then select ``Supporting &
Related Material'' in the Document Type column. Public comments will
also be placed in our online docket and can be viewed by following
instructions on the <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> Frequently Asked
Questions web page. We review all comments received, but we will only
post comments that address the topic of the proposed rule. We may
choose not to post off-topic, inappropriate, or duplicate comments that
we receive.
Personal information. 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
to the docket in response to this document, see DHS's eRulemaking
System of Records notice (85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020).
[[Page 53091]]
Dated: September 13, 2021.
Laura M. Dickey,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2021-20797 Filed 9-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
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