[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 5356-5357]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-2865]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Parts 154 and 155

[CGD 94-032 and 94-048]
RIN 2115-AE87 and 2115-AE88


Tank Vessel and Facility Response Plans, and Response Equipment 
for Hazardous Substances

AGENCY: Coast Guard.

ACTION: Notice of workshop and public meeting; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: At the request of the Coast Guard, The Keystone Center is 
conducting a workshop to discuss specific issues related to the Coast 
Guard's development of proposed response plans regulations for certain 
tank vessels operating on the navigable waters of the United States or 
any marine transportation-related (MTR) facility, that, because of its 
location, could reasonably be expected to cause substantial or 
significant and substantial harm to the environment by discharging a 
hazardous substance. The purpose of the public meeting is to summarize 
the highlights of the workshop, and provide the general public the 
opportunity to respond to any findings or recommendations discussed 
during the workshop.

DATES: The workshop will be held Wednesday, February 26, 1997, from 
8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., and Thursday, February 27, 1997, from 8:00 
a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The public meeting will be held Thursday, February 
27, 1997, from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Written statements and 
requests to make oral presentations must be received on or before 
February 26, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The location of the workshop and public meeting is the 
Nassau Bay Hilton, 3000 NASA Road 1, Houston, Texas 77058, telephone 1-
800-634-4320. The workshop will be facilitated by The Keystone Center, 
a non-profit, public policy organization that specializes in developing 
creative problem-solving processes to assist diverse parties in 
addressing issues of importance to society. Written materials may be 
mailed to the Executive Secretary, Marine Safety Council (G-LRA), U.S. 
Coast Guard, 2100 Second Street SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001, or may 
be delivered to room 3406 at the same address between 9:30 a.m. and 2 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Comments will 
become part of this docket and will be available for inspection and 
copy at the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lieutenant C. R. Thomas, Office of Standards Evaluation and Development 
(G-MSR), telephone (202) 267-1099, fax (202) 267-4547. The telephone 
number is equipped to record messages on a 24-hour basis.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The President is required by the Oil 
Pollution of 1990 (OPA 90) to issue regulations requiring the 
preparation of hazardous substance response plans. The Coast Guard has 
been delegated the responsibility to develop these regulations. The 
Coast Guard commenced the regulation development process through public 
meetings and the publication of an advanced notice of proposed 
rulemaking (ANPRM) (61 FR 20084) on May 3, 1996. The ANPRM solicited 
comments on 96 questions to assist in the development of separate 
notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for vessels and marine 
transportation-related facilities (MTR). The Coast Guard has reviewed 
the comments received via the public meetings and the ANPRM, and has 
determined that this workshop is necessary for further development of 
the NPRM.

Agenda of Workshop

    The tentative agenda includes the following:

Wednesday, February 26, 1997

8:30 a.m.--9:00 a.m.--Introduction
9:00 a.m.--12:15 p.m.--Session I--Role and Contents of First Responders 
Guides

    This session will explore how a ``First Responders Guide'' may be 
utilized to provide concise guidance to address immediate threats 
following a chemical release. Discussion points will include the 
usefulness of such a guide, recommended contents, and current industry 
standards of a similar nature.

Wednesday, February 26, 1997

1:15 p.m.--5:30 p.m.--Session II--Role and Capabilities of Decision 
Support Systems

    This session will address how these regulations may reflect a non-
prescriptive, performance based approach that aligns response with 
actual risk. One ``risk management'' tool that will be explored in this 
session is the use of a ``decision support system.'' For the purposes 
of the workshop, ``decision support system'' refers to any protocol 
that ensures required information is obtained by the responsible party 
in an expeditious manner. During this session, participants will assess 
the feasibility of integrating this concept into the regulatory scheme.

[[Page 5357]]

Thursday, February 27, 1997

8:00 a.m.--12:00 p.m.--Session III--Chemical Removal Technology

    This session will explore the range of viable containment, 
recovery, source control or chemical treatment options appropriate to 
reduce the risk to public health and the environment.

Thursday, February 27, 1997

1:00 p.m.--5:00 p.m.--Session IV--Public Responder versus Private 
Responder Issues

    This session will examine the roles of local, public responders and 
the role of private, contracted responders within the context of 
hazardous substance response plan regulations.

Thursday, February 27, 1997

7:00 p.m.--9:00 p.m.--Public Meeting

    Discussion of workshop highlights and open public comment.

Procedural

    The workshop is open to the public; however, in order to provide a 
forum for balanced discussion on specific issues, The Keystone Center 
has invited a limited number of individuals to be actual participants 
in the various sessions. In sessions I through IV, the facilitator of 
the conference will schedule a period of time when the public may 
present limited, oral comments. As noted in the agenda, the public 
meeting is open to all individuals to make any comments or respond to 
points made during the workshop. Persons wishing to make oral 
presentations during the public meeting should notify the person listed 
above under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT no later than Thursday, 
February 20, 1997. Written material may be submitted prior to, during, 
or up to 30 days after the meeting.

Information on Services for Individuals With Disabilities

    For information on facilities or services for individuals with 
disabilities or to request special assistance at the workshop, contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Joseph J. Angelo,
Director of Standards.
[FR Doc. 97-2865 Filed 2-4-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-14-M