17082 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 57 / Friday, March 23, 2012 / Notices 

address, or other contact information in 

the body of your document so that we 

can contact you if we have questions 

regarding your submission. 

You may submit your comments and 

material by electronic means, mail, fax, 

or delivery to the DMF at the address 

under ADDRESSES; but please submit 

them by only one means. To submit 

your comment online, go to http:// 

www.regulations.gov, and type ‘‘USCG– 

2012–0082’’ in the ‘‘Keyword’’ box. If 

you submit your comments by mail or 

hand delivery, submit them in an 

unbound format, no larger than 81⁄2; by 

11 inches, suitable for copying and 

electronic filing. If you submit 

comments by mail and would like to 

know that they reached the Facility, 

please enclose a stamped, self-addressed 

postcard or envelope. We will consider 

all comments and material received 

during the comment period and will 

address them accordingly. 

Viewing comments and documents: 

To view comments, as well as 

documents mentioned in this Notice as 

being available in the docket, go to 

http://www.regulations.gov, click on the 

‘‘read comments’’ box, which will then 

become highlighted in blue. In the 

‘‘Keyword’’ box insert ‘‘USCG–2012– 

0082’’ and click ‘‘Search.’’ Click the 

‘‘Open Docket Folder’’ in the ‘‘Actions’’ 

column. You may also visit the DMF in 

Room W12–140 on the ground floor of 

the DOT West Building, 1200 New 

Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 

20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except Federal 

holidays. 

Privacy Act 

Anyone can search the electronic 

form of comments received in 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 statement 

regarding Coast Guard public dockets in 

the January 17, 2008, issue of the 

Federal Register (73 FR 3316). 

Information Collection Requests 

1. Title: Certificate of Discharge to 

Merchant Mariners. 

OMB Control Number: 1625–0012. 

Summary: Title 46, United States 

Code, 10311 requires each master or 

individual in charge of a vessel, for each 

merchant mariner being discharged 

from the vessel to prepare a Certificate 

of Discharge to Merchant Mariners and 

two copies. These documents are used 

to establish evidence of sea service 

aboard U.S. flagged merchant vessels for 

merchant mariners to upgrade their 

credentials, establish proof of eligibility 

for union and other benefits, and in 

litigation where vessel service is an 

issue. 

Need: The information collected 

provides the U.S. Coast Guard evidence 

of sea service used in determining 

eligibility for issuance of a merchant 

mariner credential, to determine 

eligibility for various benefits such as 

medical and retirement, and to provide 

information to the U.S. Maritime 

Administration (MARAD) on the 

availability of mariners in a time of a 

national emergency. 

Forms: CG–718A. 

Respondents: Shipping companies, 

masters or individuals in charge of a 

vessel. 

Frequency: On occasion. 

Burden Estimate: The estimated 

burden has decreased from 2,443 hours 

to 1,478 hours. 

2. Title: Application for Merchant 

Mariner Credential (MMC), Merchant 

Mariner Medical Certificate Evaluation 

Report, Small Vessel Sea Service Form, 

DOT/USCG Periodic Drug Testing Form, 

Merchant Mariner Evaluation of Fitness 

for Entry Level Ratings. 

OMB Control Number: 1625–0040. 

Summary: The Application for 

Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC), 

Merchant Mariner Medical Certificate 

Evaluation Report, Small Vessel Sea 

Service Form, DOT/USCG Periodic Drug 

Testing Form, and Merchant Mariner 

Evaluation of Fitness for Entry Level 

Ratings, contains the following 

information: Signature of applicant and 

supplementary material required to 

show that the mariner meets the 

mandatory requirements for the 

credential or medical certificate sought; 

proof of applicant passing all applicable 

vision, hearing, medical, and/or 

physical exams; negative chemical test 

for dangerous drugs; discharges or other 

documentary evidence of sea service 

indicating the name, tonnage, and 

propulsion power of the vessels, dates 

of service, capacity in which the 

applicant served, and on what waters. 

Need: Title 46 United States Code 

(U.S.C.) Subtitle II, Part E, Title 46 Code 

of Federal Regulation (CFR) Part 10, 

Subpart B, and Proposed Rules entitled 

‘‘Implementation of the Amendments to 

the International Convention on 

Standards of Training, Certification and 

Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 

1978, and Changes to Domestic 

Endorsements’’ (RIN 1625–AA16) 

(Docket No. USCG–2004–17914), (A 

Supplemental Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking published in the Federal 

Register on August 1, 2011 (76 FR 

45908)) require merchant mariner 

credential (MMC) and medical 

certificate applicants to apply at any of 

the Regional Examination Centers 

located around the nation. Merchant 

mariner credentials are established for 

individuals who are required to hold a 

MMC under Subtitle II. The Coast Guard 

has the responsibility of issuing MMCs 

and medical certificates to applicants 

found qualified as to age, character, 

habits of life, experience, professional 

qualifications, and physical fitness. The 

instruments contained within OMB 

#1625–0040 serve as a means for the 

applicant to apply for a MMC and 

medical certificate. 

Forms: CG–719B, CG–719K, CG–719S, 

CG–719P, CG–719K/E. 

Respondents: Applicants for 

Merchant Mariner Credentials (MMC), 

whether original, renewal, duplicate, 

raise of grade, or a new endorsement on 

a previously issued MMC. Applicants 

for Medical Certificates to include 

Standards of Training, Certification and 

Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) 

endorsed credentialed mariners, and 

first-class pilots as defined in the 

proposed rules, Implementation of the 

Amendments to the International 

Convention on STCW for Seafarers, 

1978, and Changes to Domestic 

Endorsements (Docket No. USCG–2004– 

17914). 

Frequency: On occasion. 

Burden Estimate: The estimated 

burden has increased from 54,416 hours 

to 57,083 hours a year. 

Dated: March 16, 2012. 

R. E. Day, 

Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Assistant 

Commandant for Command, Control, 

Communications, Computers and 

Information Technology. 

[FR Doc. 2012–6981 Filed 3–22–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Coast Guard 

[Docket No. USCG–2001–10486] 

Standards for Living Organisms in 

Ships’ Ballast Water Discharged in 

U.S. Waters: Final Programmatic 

Environmental Impact Statement 

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard 

announces the availability of a final 

programmatic environmental impact 

statement (FPEIS) for the rulemaking 

entitled ‘‘Standards for Living 

Organisms in Ships’ Ballast Water 

Discharged in U.S. Waters’’ (Docket No. 

USCG–2001–10486). This FPEIS 

provides an assessment of the potential 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 57 / Friday, March 23, 2012 / Notices 17083 

environmental impacts associated with 

the establishment of a ballast water 

discharge standard for the allowable 

concentration of living organisms in 

ships’ ballast water discharged in waters 

of the United States. The standard will 

be used to approve ballast water 

management methods that are effective 

in preventing or reducing the 

introduction of nonindigenous species 

via discharged ballast water into waters 

of the United States. 

DATES: Comments and related material 

must either be submitted to our online 

docket via http://www.regulations.gov 

on or before April 23, 2012 or reach the 

Docket Management Facility by that 

date. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

identified by docket number USCG– 

2001–10486 using any one of the 

following methods: 

(1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

http://www.regulations.gov. 

(2) Fax: (202) 493–2251. 

(3) Mail: Docket Management Facility 

(M–30), U.S. Department of 

Transportation, West Building Ground 

Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590– 

0001. 

(4) Hand delivery: Same as mail 

address above, between 9 a.m. and 

5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. The telephone number 

is (202) 366–9329. 

To avoid duplication, please use only 

one of these four methods. See the 

‘‘Public Participation and Request for 

Comments’’ portion of the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 

below for instructions on submitting 

comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If 

you have questions on this notice, call 

or email Mr. Greg Kirkbride, U.S. Coast 

Guard; telephone (202) 372–1479, email: 

Gregory.B.Kirkbride@uscg.mil. If you 

have questions on viewing or submitting 

material to the docket, call Renee V. 

Wright, Program Manager, Docket 

Operations, telephone (202) 366–9826. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Submitting comments: If you submit a 

comment, please include the docket 

number for this notice (USCG–2001– 

10486) and provide a reason for each 

suggestion or recommendation. All 

comments received will be posted, 

without change, to http:// 

www.regulations.gov and will include 

any personal information you have 

provided. You may submit your 

comments and material online, or by 

fax, mail or hand delivery, but please 

use only one of these means. 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. 

To submit your comment online, go to 

http://www.regulations.gov and click on 

the ‘‘submit a comment’’ box, which 

will then become highlighted in blue. 

Insert ‘‘USCG–2001–10486’’ in the 

Keyword box, click ‘‘Search’’, and then 

click on the balloon shape in the 

Actions column. If you submit your 

comments by mail or hand delivery, 

submit them in an unbound format, no 

larger than 81⁄2 by 11 inches, suitable for 

copying and electronic filing. If you 

submit them by mail and would like to 

know that they reached the Facility, 

please enclose a stamped, self-addressed 

postcard or envelope. We will consider 

all comments and material received 

during the comment period. 

Viewing the comments and FPEIS: To 

view the comments and the FPEIS, go to 

http://www.regulations.gov, enter the 

docket number for this rulemaking 

(USCG–2001–10486) in the Keyword 

box, and click ‘‘Search.’’ If you do not 

have access to the internet, you may 

view the docket online by visiting the 

Docket Management Facility in Room 

W12–140 on the ground floor of the 

Department of Transportation West 

Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. We have an 

agreement with the Department of 

Transportation to use the Docket 

Management Facility. 

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 our public dockets in the 

January 17, 2008, issue of the Federal 

Register (73 FR 3316). 

Basis and Purpose 

Under the Nonindigenous Aquatic 

Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 

1990 (NANPCA) as reauthorized and 

amended in the National Invasive 

Species Act of 1996 (NISA), the United 

States Coast Guard (USCG) is the lead 

federal agency for implementing 

regulations to reduce or prevent the 

introduction of nonindigenous species 

(NIS) via shipping activities in waters of 

the United States. 

In order to give effect to this statutory 

directive, on September 26, 2003, the 

USCG published a Notice of Intent with 

Request for Comments to seek public 

and agency input to develop the scope 

of this FPEIS on its proposed action to 

establish a ballast water discharge 

standard (BWDS) that would be 

effective in preventing the introduction 

and spread of NIS via discharged ballast 

water (68 FR 55559). 

On July 28, 2004 the USCG published 

a final rule on a mandatory ballast water 

management (BWM) program for all 

waters of the United States, which was 

authorized under NISA (69 FR 44952). 

This program is currently in effect and 

requires vessels that enter U.S. waters 

after operating outside the U.S. 

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to use 

one of the following BWM practices: 

Conduct mid-ocean Ballast Water 

Exchange (BWE) 200 nautical miles 

from any shore, retain ballast water 

onboard, or use a USCG-approved 

alternative method. At the time the final 

rule was published, BWE and retention 

of ballast water were the only available 

ballast water management methods. On 

August 28, 2009, the Coast Guard 

published a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) titled ‘‘Standards 

for Living Organisms in Ships’ Ballast 

Water Discharged in U.S. Waters’’ in the 

Federal Register (74 FR 44632) which 

proposed to establish a BWDS. 

The purpose of the proposed action in 

the FPEIS is for the USCG to establish, 

via a rulemaking, a BWDS that is 

practicable, enforceable, and which 

would be used to approve ballast water 

management methods, including 

development and approval of shipboard 

BWM systems. The need for the action 

is to prevent or reduce the introduction 

of NIS via discharged ballast water from 

vessels entering waters of the United 

States after operating outside the U.S. 

EEZ, and from vessels operating within 

the U.S. EEZ. 

The FPEIS evaluates the impacts to 

the environment from a range of 

alternative ballast water discharge 

standards. The BWDS will be used to 

approve ballast water management 

methods that are effective in preventing 

or reducing the introduction of NIS via 

discharged ballast water. The USCG 

believes that to prevent or reduce the 

introduction of NIS, the preferred 

alternative must be biologically 

protective, scientifically sound, 

practicable in implementation, and 

enforceable. 

Ballast water is taken on by a vessel 

to increase the water draft, change the 

trim, regulate the stability, or maintain 

stress loads within acceptable 

operational limits. The term NIS refers 

to organisms found outside of their 

native or historical range. In cases 

where they invade ecosystems, NIS may 

alter aquatic and marine ecosystems and 


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17084 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 57 / Friday, March 23, 2012 / Notices 

biodiversity, impact commercial and 

recreational fisheries, cause 

infrastructure damage, contribute to 

potential risks to human health, and 

create economic impacts. Ballast water 

discharge is a major pathway for NIS 

introduction from vessels operating in 

or entering waters of the United States. 

The FPEIS identifies and assesses 

reasonable alternatives for the proposed 

action, including the No Action 

Alternative, addresses the likely 

consequences of a BWDS on the human 

and natural environment, and presents 

potential mitigation measures to avoid 

or minimize adverse effects upon the 

quality of the human and natural 

environment. In the FPEIS, the USCG 

analyzed five alternatives for a BWDS. 

These alternatives are summarized as 

follows: 

Alternative 1—No Action Alternative: 

Under the No Action Alternative, the 

USCG would not establish a BWDS, but 

would continue the existing BWM 

program. As currently in force, the 

BWM program, established in 2004, 

directs ships to conduct mid-ocean 

BWE, retain ballast water onboard, or 

use an environmentally sound ballast 

water management method approved by 

the USCG. 

Alternatives 2–4—Ballast Water 

Discharge Concentrations: These 

alternatives differ from each other in the 

concentration and size classes of 

organisms that would be permitted and 

the standard is progressively more 

stringent from Alternative 2 to 

Alternative 4. Alternative 2 provides for 

a protective standard of less than 10 

organisms per cubic meter for organisms 

larger than 50 microns in minimum 

dimension; and less than 10 organisms 

per milliliter for organisms between 10 

and 50 microns in minimum dimension. 

Alternative 3 provides for a protective 

standard of less than 1 organism per 

cubic meter for organisms larger than 50 

microns in minimum dimension; and 

less than 1 organism per milliliter for 

organisms between 10 and 50 microns 

in minimum dimension. Alternative 4 

provides for a protective standard of less 

than 0.1 organisms per cubic meter for 

organisms larger than 50 microns in 

minimum dimension; and less than 0.1 

organisms per milliliter for organisms 

between 10 and 50 microns in minimum 

dimension. 

Alternative 5—Sterilization: 

Alternative 5 would require the removal 

or inactivation of all living membranebound organisms (including bacteria 

and some viruses) larger than 0.1 

microns. 

Alternative 2 has been selected as the 

USCG’s preferred alternative. 

The USCG will file the FPEIS with the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA), as required. The EPA will then 

publish an NOA in the Federal Register, 

which reports all environmental impact 

statements filed with the EPA during 

the preceding week. The publication of 

the EPA NOA initiates a 30-day public 

review period. The timing of 

publication of this NOA in the Federal 

Register will be coordinated with the 

EPA NOA. By reason of this being a 

rulemaking action under the 

Administrative Procedure Act, the Final 

Rule constitutes the Record of Decision 

and it is being published this same date, 

consistent with 40 CFR 1506.10(b). 

Dated: March 9, 2012. 

J. G. Lantz, 

Director of Commercial Regulations and 

Standards, U.S. Coast Guard. 

[FR Doc. 2012–6584 Filed 3–16–12; 11:15 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Coast Guard 

[Docket No. USCG–2010–0164] 

National Boating Safety Advisory 

Council 

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice of Federal Advisory 

Committee Meeting. 

SUMMARY: The National Boating Safety 

Advisory Council (NBSAC) will meet on 

April 13–14, 2012, in Arlington, 

Virginia, to discuss issues relating to 

recreational boating safety. The 

meetings will be open to the public. 

DATES: NBSAC will meet Friday, April 

13, 2012, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 

Saturday, April 14, 2012, from 1:30 p.m. 

to 3:30 p.m. The Recreational Boating 

Safety Strategic Planning Subcommittee 

will meet on Friday, April 13, 2012 from 

1:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., the Boats and 

Associated Equipment Subcommittee 

will meet on Friday, April 13, 2012 from 

3:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. and on Saturday, 

April 14, 2012 from 8:10 a.m. to 10 a.m., 

and the Prevention through People 

Subcommittee will meet on Saturday, 

April 14, 2012 from 10:15 a.m. to 12 

p.m. Please note that the meetings may 

conclude early if NBSAC has completed 

all business. 

All written materials, comments, and 

requests to make oral presentations at 

the meeting should reach Mr. Jeff 

Ludwig, Assistant Designated Federal 

Officer (ADFO) for NBSAC by March 28, 

2012. Any written material submitted by 

the public will be distributed to the 

committee and become part of the 

public record. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in 

the Ballroom at the Holiday Inn 

Arlington, 4610 N. Fairfax Drive, 

Arlington, VA 22203. The hotel’s Web 

site is: http://www.hiarlington.com/. 

For information on facilities or 

services for individuals with disabilities 

or to request special assistance at the 

meeting, contact Mr. Jeff Ludwig as soon 

as possible. 

To facilitate public participation, we 

are inviting public comment on the 

issues to be considered by the 

committee as listed in the ‘‘Agenda’’ 

section below. Comments must be 

submitted in writing no later than 

March 28, 2012, and must be identified 

by (USCG–2010–0164) and may be 

submitted by one of the following 

methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. 

Follow the instructions for submitting 

comments. 

• Fax: (202) 372–1908. 

• Mail: Docket Management Facility 

(M–30), U.S. Department of 

Transportation, West Building Ground 

Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590– 

0001. 

• Hand Delivery: Same as mail 

address above between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. The telephone number 

is 202–366–9329. 

Instructions: All submissions received 

must include the words ‘‘Department of 

Homeland Security’’ and the docket 

number for this action. Comments 

received will be posted without 

alteration at http://www.regulations.gov, 

including any personal information 

provided. You may review a Privacy Act 

notice regarding public dockets in the 

January 17, 2008, issue of the Federal 

Register (73 FR 3316). 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read documents or comments related to 

this notice, go to http:// 

www.regulations.gov, and use ‘‘USCG– 

2010–0164’’ as your search term. 

A public comment period will be held 

during the meeting concerning the 

matters being discussed. Public 

comments will be limited to three 

minutes per speaker. Please note that 

the public comment period may end 

before the time indicated, following the 

last call for comments. Contact the 

individual listed below to register as a 

speaker. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Jeff Ludwig, ADFO for NBSAC, COMDT 

(CG–54221), 2100 2nd Street, SW., Stop 

7581, Washington, DC 20593; (202) 372– 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES