Notice2023-07149
Port Access Route Study: Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts
Primary source
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Published
April 6, 2023
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentCoast Guard
Abstract
The First Coast Guard District announces the completion of the Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts Port Access Route Study (MNMPARS). This study was conducted to evaluate the adequacy of existing vessel routing measures and determine whether additional vessel routing measures are necessary for port approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts and international and domestic transit areas in the First Coast Guard District area of responsibility. The MNMPARS considered whether routing measure revisions were necessary to improve navigation safety due to several factors such as planned or potential offshore development, current port capabilities and planned improvements, increased vessel traffic, changing vessel traffic patterns, weather, or navigational difficulty. The MNMPARS final report is available for viewing and download from the Federal Register docket at http://www.regulations.gov or at the Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN) website at https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/port-access-route- study-reports. The recommendations of this study may lead to future rulemakings or appropriate international agreements.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 66 (Thursday, April 6, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 66 (Thursday, April 6, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20547-20548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07149]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2022-0047]
Port Access Route Study: Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and
Massachusetts
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability; final report.
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SUMMARY: The First Coast Guard District announces the completion of the
Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts Port Access Route
Study (MNMPARS). This study was conducted to evaluate the adequacy of
existing vessel routing measures and determine whether additional
vessel routing measures are necessary for port approaches to Maine, New
Hampshire, and Massachusetts and international and domestic transit
areas in the First Coast Guard District area of responsibility. The
MNMPARS considered whether routing measure revisions were necessary to
improve navigation safety due to several factors such as planned or
potential offshore development, current port capabilities and planned
improvements, increased vessel traffic, changing vessel traffic
patterns, weather, or navigational difficulty. The MNMPARS final report
is available for viewing and download from the Federal Register docket
at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> or at the Coast Guard Navigation Center
(NAVCEN) website at <a href="https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/port-access-route-study-reports">https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/port-access-route-study-reports</a>. The recommendations of this study may lead to future
rulemakings or appropriate international agreements.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this
notice, call or email LTJG Thomas Davis, First Coast Guard District
(dpw), U.S. Coast Guard: telephone (617) 223-8632, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e0b3ada2cda4d1a28f93948f8ecdadaeadb0a1b2b3a095938387ce8d898c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="75263837583144371a06011a1b58383b382534272635000616125b181c19">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Table of Abbreviations
BOEM Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
DHS Department of Homeland Security
MNMPARS Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts Port
Access Route Study
NAVCEN United States Coast Guard Navigation Center
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
OREI Offshore Renewable Energy Infrastructure
PARS Port Access Route Study
TSS Traffic Separation Scheme
USCG United States Coast Guard
II. Background and Purpose
Under section 70003 of title 46 of the United States Code (46
U.S.C. 70003(c)), the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) may
designate necessary fairways and traffic separation schemes (TSSs) to
provide safe access routes for vessels proceeding to and from U.S.
ports. The designation of fairways and TSSs recognizes the paramount
right of navigation over all other uses in the designated areas.
Before establishing or adjusting fairways or TSSs, the USCG must
conduct a Port Access Route Study (PARS), i.e., a study of potential
traffic density and the need for safe access routes for vessels.
Through the study process, the USCG must coordinate with federal,
state, tribal, and foreign state agencies (where appropriate) and
consider the views of maritime community representatives, environmental
groups, and other 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
anchorages, construction, operation of renewable energy facilities,
marine sanctuary operations, commercial and recreational activities,
and other uses.
A. When was the MNMPARS conducted? On March 31, 2022, the Coast
Guard commenced the Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and
Massachusetts Port Access Route Study (MNMPARS) by publishing a 45-day
Notice of Study; request for comments in the Federal Register (87 FR
18800). The purpose of the MNMPARS was to evaluate the adequacy of
existing vessel routing measures and determine whether additional
vessel routing measures are necessary for port approaches to Maine, New
Hampshire, and Massachusetts and international and domestic transit
areas in the First Coast Guard District area of responsibility.
On June 28, 2022, the First Coast Guard District published a 60-day
notification of Inquiry and Public Meetings; request for comments (87
FR 38418). This supplemental notice announced a schedule for six public
meetings and sought additional public comments concerning more specific
navigational safety issues. The notification requested responses to
several general and port-specific questions that were based on analysis
of historical traffic data and public comments received from the
original Notice of Study. Of the six public meetings, four were
conducted in both in-person and virtual formats, one was in-person
only, and one was virtual only.
On January 3, 2023, the First Coast Guard District published a
Notice of Availability of Draft Report; request for comments (88 FR
83). Due to a publication error, an additional notice (88 FR 2108) was
issued on January 12, 2023, to ensure the public was afforded a full
30-day comment period.
A total of 42 comments were received during the study's 135 days of
open comment period. Comments were submitted by representatives of the
maritime community, federal and state governmental agencies,
environmental groups, non-governmental organizations, and other
stakeholders. Comments were provided during public meetings, via email,
and submitted directly to the electronic docket. Oral comments provided
during public meetings can be viewed in the individual meeting
recordings posted to the ``Documents'' section of the public docket.
B. What is the study area? The study area includes regions of the
Gulf of Maine, New Hampshire Seacoast, and Massachusetts Bay; an
approximate 20,500 square nautical mile area. Specific geographic
positions and a graphic representation of the study area can be found
in the MNMPARS report.
C. How did the First Coast Guard District conduct this PARS? The
First Coast Guard District conducted the MNMPARS in accordance with the
Ports and Waterways Safety Act (PWSA), employing methodology from
applicable USCG policies including the framework outlined in Appendix D
of USCG Commandant Instruction (COMDTINST) 16003.2B, Marine Planning to
Operate and Maintain the Marine Transportation System (MTS) and
Implement National Policy.
D. Conclusions and proposed actions. The First Coast Guard District
concluded that environmental factors, changes in fishery management and
species distributions, port development projects, and offshore
renewable energy infrastructure may result in the introduction of
larger vessel classes,
[[Page 20548]]
increased traffic densities, and displacement of traditional transit
routes. To mitigate a heightened risk of marine casualties, the First
Coast Guard District provided 10 proposed actions within the MNMPARS
report including implementation of 5 shipping safety fairways and 5
recommendations related to the siting and impact of offshore wind
energy turbines.
III. Viewing the Report and Related Comments
To view the final MNMPARS report in the docket, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a>, and insert ``USCG-2022-0047'' in the ``search
box''. Click ``Search''. Then, scroll to find the document entitled
``FINAL REPORT Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts
Port Access Route Study'' under the document type ``Supporting &
Related Material.''
The MNMPARS report is also available from the NAVCEN website at
<a href="https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/port-access-route-study-reports">https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/port-access-route-study-reports</a>.
A. How do I find and browse comments and documents posted to the
docket? On the previous version of <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>, users browsed for
comments on the Docket Details page. However, since comments are made
on individual documents, not dockets, new <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a> organizes
comments under their corresponding document. To access comments and
documents submitted to the MNMPARS go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a>
and insert ``USCG-2022-0047'' in the ``search box.'' Click ``Search.''
Then scroll down to and click on the most recent ``notice'' entitled
``Port Access Route Study: Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and
Massachusetts.'' This will open to the ``Document Details'' page. Then
click on the ``View Related Comments'' tab or the ``View More
Documents'' tab to view all the comments and documents posted to the
MNMPARS.
B. If you need additional help navigating the new <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>.
For additional step by step instructions to view submitted comments or
other documents please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/faqs">https://www.regulations.gov/faqs</a> or call or email the person in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate
instructions.
C. Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of comments
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review a
Privacy Act, system of records notice regarding DHS's eRulemaking in
the March 11, 2020, issue of the Federal Register (85 FR 14226).
IV. Future Actions
As detailed in the final report, the First Coast Guard District
recommends that multiple shipping safety fairways be implemented within
the MNMPARS study area. Coast Guard Headquarters Assistant Commandant
for Prevention, Office of Navigation Systems (CG-NAV) will consider
these recommendations and determine whether to move forward with the
rulemaking process.
Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Coast Guard
serves as a cooperating agency to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM). In this capacity, the First Coast Guard District has and will
continue to coordinate with BOEM throughout the various stages of
planning and development of offshore renewable energy infrastructure
(OREI) within the study area and will provide evaluations of the
potential impacts any proposed OREI may have on the Marine
Transportation System, safety of navigation, traditional waterway uses,
and the Coast Guard's ability to conduct its 11 statutory missions.
The First Coast Guard District actively monitors all waterways
subject to its jurisdiction to help ensure navigation safety. As such,
the First Coast Guard District will continue to monitor the area of
study for changing conditions and consider appropriate actions to
promote waterway and user safety.
This notice is published under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).
Dated: March 27, 2023.
J.W. Mauger,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard Commander, First Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2023-07149 Filed 4-5-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
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