Notice2023-16532
Request for Information: Center for Maritime Innovation
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
August 3, 2023
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentMaritime Administration
Abstract
This notice requests information from the public to assist MARAD in determining how best to organize and structure a Center for Maritime Innovation (the "Center"). MARAD authority in this area provides the Center to support the study, research, development, assessment, and deployment of emerging marine technologies and practices related to the maritime transportation system. MARAD is seeking comments and information on the qualities, competencies, and costs required for the functioning of such a Center; its structure and organization; and suggestions and experiences establishing this kind of secretariat.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 148 (Thursday, August 3, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 148 (Thursday, August 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51397-51399]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-16532]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[Docket Number MARAD-2023-0163]
Request for Information: Center for Maritime Innovation
AGENCY: Maritime Administration (MARAD), Department of Transportation
(DOT).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice requests information from the public to assist
MARAD in determining how best to organize and structure a Center for
Maritime Innovation (the ``Center'').
[[Page 51398]]
MARAD authority in this area provides the Center to support the study,
research, development, assessment, and deployment of emerging marine
technologies and practices related to the maritime transportation
system. MARAD is seeking comments and information on the qualities,
competencies, and costs required for the functioning of such a Center;
its structure and organization; and suggestions and experiences
establishing this kind of secretariat.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 2, 2023. MARAD
will consider comments filed after this date to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Your comments should refer to DOT Docket Number MARAD-2023-
0163 and may be submitted by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. Search
``MARAD-2023-0163'' and follow the instructions for submitting
comments.
<bullet> Mail/Hand-Delivery/Courier: Docket Management Facility;
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590. If you would like to know that your comments
reached the facility, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard
or envelope. The Docket Management Facility is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m. E.T., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.
To avoid duplication, please use only one of the above methods. See
the ``Public Participation'' section below for instructions on
submitting comments.
Unless there is a request for confidential treatment, all comments
received will be posted without change to the docket at
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, including any personal information provided.
You may view the public comments at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. When
searching for comments, please use the Docket ID: MARAD-2023-0163. An
electronic copy of this document may also be downloaded from the Office
of the Federal Register's website at <a href="http://www.FederalRegister.gov">www.FederalRegister.gov</a> and the
Government Publishing Office's website at <a href="http://www.GovInfo.gov">www.GovInfo.gov</a>.
Note: If you mail or hand-deliver your input, we recommend that you
include your name and a mailing address, an email address, or a
telephone number in the body of your document so that we can contact
you if we have questions regarding your submission. If you submit your
inputs by mail or hand-delivery, they must be submitted in an unbound
format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, single-sided, suitable for
copying and electronic filing.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and docket number. For detailed instructions on submitting comments and
additional information on the rulemaking process, see the section
entitled Public Participation.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn E. Junemann, Environmental
Protection Specialist, Office of Environment and Innovation, at (202)
569-3899, or via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a4e9e1f0e5e4c0cbd08ac3cbd2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a1ece4f5e0e1c5ced58fc6ced7">[email protected]</span></a>. You may send mail to Dr.
Junemann at Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, W25-308, Washington, DC 20590. If you have
questions on viewing the Docket, call Docket Operations, telephone:
(800) 647-5527.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3543 of the James M. Inhofe National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (NDAA), codified at 46
U.S.C 50307, directs the Secretary of Transportation, through a
competitive cooperative agreement, to establish a Center to support the
study, research, development, assessment, and deployment of emerging
marine technologies and practices related to emerging environmental
challenges faced by the maritime transportation system.
Specifically, the Center is envisioned to consist of a core
advisory council that partners closely with MARAD and assigns working
groups to address specific areas of concern for the industry. The
Center would be run by an administrative organization that acts as a
secretariat to facilitate the work of the Center and its subsidiary
workgroups and functions. The Secretariat would be selected through a
competitive process of eligible domestic entities, preferably a
nonprofit organization. The secretariat would have competencies in
facilitation and administering this type of initiative. They would also
preferably have familiarity with emerging marine environmental
technologies, policies, and practices related to the maritime
transportation system, including the use of alternative fuels and the
development of both vessel and shoreside infrastructure.
The major duties of the Center and its working groups are
envisioned to include:
<bullet> facilitating the development and use of clean energy and
necessary infrastructure to support the deployment of clean energy on
vessels of the United States;
<bullet> monitoring and assessing, on an ongoing basis, the current
state of knowledge regarding emerging marine technologies in the United
States;
<bullet> identifying any significant gaps in emerging marine
technologies research specific to the United States maritime industry,
and seeking to fill those gaps;
<bullet> conducting research, development, testing, and evaluation
for equipment, technologies, and techniques related to marine
environmental protection;
<bullet> providing guidance on best available technologies;
<bullet> conducting technical analysis; assisting with
understanding complex regulatory requirements; and documenting best
practices in the maritime industry, including training and
informational webinars on solutions for the maritime industry; and
<bullet> working with academic and private sector response training
centers and Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education Centers
of Excellence to develop maritime strategies applicable to various
segments of the United States maritime industry, including the inland,
deep water, and coastal fleets.
Subject matter working groups will be determined by the Center's
core, but could include:
<bullet> development of technologies and practices for minimizing
the introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance species;
<bullet> mitigation of vessel-generated underwater noise, and
emergent environmental issues as identified by the center; and
<bullet> decarbonization of the maritime fleet through development
and deployment of zero and near-zero fuels, technologies, and policies.
The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to seek
comments and information on:
<bullet> the qualities, competencies, and costs required for the
secretariat function of such a Center;
<bullet> the proposed structure and organization detailed herein;
and
<bullet> suggestions and experiences with establishing this kind of
secretariat, to include but not limited to lessons learned and best
practices for form, function, and administration.
Funds were not appropriated, however, insights gained from this RFI
will assist MARAD in the development of a structure and framework for
the Center for Maritime Innovation and guide ensuing activities, should
funding become available.
Public Participation
How do I submit comments?
Include the docket number in your comments to ensure that your
comments are correctly filed in the Docket. We
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encourage you to provide concise comments; however, you may attach
additional documents as necessary. There is no limit on the length of
the attachments. Please submit your comments, including the
attachments, following the instructions provided under the above-
entitled heading ADDRESSES.
MARAD will consider all comments received before the close of
business on the comment closing date indicated above under DATES. To
the extent possible, MARAD will also consider comments received after
that date.
For access to the docket to submit or read comments received, go to
the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-140, Washington, DC
20590. The Docket Management Facility is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,
E.T., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays. To review
documents, read comments or to submit comments, the docket is also
available online at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, keyword search ``MARAD-2023-
0163.''
Please note that even after the comment period has closed, MARAD
will continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it becomes
available. Further, some people may submit late comments. Accordingly,
MARAD recommends that you periodically check the Docket for new
material.
Will my comments be made available to the public?
Before including your address, phone number, email address or other
personal information in your comment, be aware that your entire
comment, including your personal identifying information, will be made
publicly available.
May I submit comments confidentially?
If you wish to submit comments under a claim of confidentiality,
you should submit your complete submission, including the information
you claim to be confidential business information, to the Department of
Transportation, Maritime Administration, Office of Legislation and
Regulations, MAR-225, W24-220, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington,
DC 20590. When you submit comments containing information claimed to be
confidential information, you should include a cover letter setting
forth with specificity the basis for any such claim and, if possible, a
summary of your submission that can be made available to the public.
Privacy Act
Anyone can search the electronic form of all 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.). For information on DOT's compliance with
the Privacy Act, please visit <a href="http://www.transportation.gov/privacy">www.transportation.gov/privacy</a>.
Request for Information
MARAD seeks advice and input from the public and U.S. entities who
would be stakeholders participating in the Center or with competencies
described above for the desired secretariat function. Please comment
specifically on the following:
1. Prospective organizations for hosting the Center, detailed as
follows:
(a) Preferably U.S. nonprofits, or qualities of such an
organization that could serve as a potential host for undertaking the
secretariat function of such a Center as described in Section 3543(e)
of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2023.
2. The Center's structure and organization, detailed as follows:
(a) The Center for Maritime Innovation will foster industry
partnerships and active collaboration to find solutions to the most
pressing maritime environmental issues in the U.S.
(b) The Center is envisioned to consist of a central executive
committee that is guided by MARAD, supported by a non-profit
organization to act as a secretariat, and comprised of key stakeholders
primarily from the maritime industry (such as ship owners and port
operators) but may include representatives from NGOs and academia.
(c) The Center would be responsible for identifying key focus areas
of environmental concern to the U.S. maritime industry and developing,
deploying, and administering dedicated working groups to address those
subjects.
(d) The secretariat will be responsible for recruiting the Center's
committee members, in consultation with MARAD, and for organizing,
facilitating, and administration of the Center. Administration tasks
may include hosting and facilitating meetings and workshops,
identifying key issues for consideration by the committee, and
facilitating the development of focus area working groups and the terms
of reference that guide their activities.
3. The Center's method of work, detailed as follows:
(a) Once focus areas are determined by the Center, it will develop
dedicated working groups of experts and task them to break down a
problem into components that can be further analyzed in order to
develop recommendations. Experts will come from both the public and
private sector and be matched to the level of need and ambition for
specific projects. The central executive committee will assemble
periodically to monitor the progress of the working groups and adjust
their tasks and resources as needed and ensure that the work is aligned
with the pace and substance of MARAD's relevant strategies. At
appropriate intervals, the Center will meet to assess the overall
effectiveness of the Center's work and discuss whether new focus areas
and resources are needed.
4. Additional information on practical considerations that can
inform implementation of the Center.
(Authority: 46 U.S.C. 50307; 49 CFR 1.93(a).)
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-16532 Filed 8-2-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P
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