Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 58 / Wednesday, March 26, 1997 / Notices 105

(7) Boating Accident Reporting

Subcommittee report.

(8) Recreational Boating Safety

Program report.

(9) National Association of State

Boating Law Administrators report.

(10) Discussion of mandatory personal

flotation device wearing requirements

request for comments.

(11) Discussion of mandatory boating

safety education request for comments.

(12) Discussion of waterways

management issues.

(13) Discussion of life rafts and

emergency position indicator beacons.

(14) Presentation on the Global

Maritime Distress and Safety System

and National Distress System

modernization projects.

(15) Discussion on personal watercraft

issues.

(16) Report and discussion of

nonprofit grants.

(17) Discussion of regulations review.

Boat Occupant Protection

Subcommittee. The agenda includes the

following:

(1) Review actions to date related to

progress on the Propeller Injury

Prevention Initiative with discussion by

the subcommittee.

(2) Review of boat occupant

protection research completed and

planned.

(3) Discuss risk avoidance

alternatives.

Prevention Through People

Subcommittee. The agenda includes the

following:

(1) Continue development of a

Prevention Through People action plan

for integration into boating safety

education, awareness and promotional

activities.

Navigation Light Subcommittee. The

agenda includes the following:

(1) Review and discuss issues and

data concerning the proper display and

installation of navigation lights.

(2) Review aspects of display and

installation of navigation lights that

need to be addressed through safety

program intervention and recommend

courses of corrective actions.

Life Saving Index Subcommittee. The

agenda includes the following:

(1) Assist in developing an action

plan for establishment of a Life Saving

Index standard.

(2) Review personal flotation device

(PFD) impact protection issues and

recommend a course of action.

(3) Establish a definition for ‘‘high

speed’’ activity.

(4) Discuss other PFD issues.

Boating Accident Reporting

Subcommittee. The agenda includes the

following:

(1) Review Coast Guard efforts and

plans to attack under-reporting of

recreational boating accidents.

(2) Provide input for a Coast Guard

report to Congress on ways of increasing

boating accident reporting.

Procedural

All meetings are open to the public.

At the Chairpersons’ discretion,

members of the public may make oral

presentations during the meetings.

Persons wishing to make oral

presentations at the meetings should

notify the Executive Director no later

than April 12, 1997. Written material for

distribution at a meeting should reach

the Coast Guard no later than April 19,

1997. If a person submitting material

would like a copy distributed to each

member of the committee or

subcommittee in advance of a meeting,

that person should submit 25 copies to

the Executive Director no later than

April 12, 1997.

Information on Services for Individuals

With Disabilities

For information on facilities or

services for individuals with disabilities

or to request special assistance at the

meetings, contact the Executive Director

as soon as possible.

Dated: March 20, 1997.

Thomas J. Meyers,

Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Director

of Operations Policy.

[FR Doc. 97–7622 Filed 3–25–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–14–M

[CGD 97–016]

National Preparedness for Response

Exercise Program (PREP)

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of a public workshop and

the exercise schedule for calendar years

1997, 1998, and 1999; requests for

comments.

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard, the

Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA), the Research and Special

Programs Administration (RSPA) and

the Minerals Management Service

(MMS), in concert with the states, the

oil industry and concerned citizens,

developed the Preparedness for

Response Exercise Program (PREP). This

notice announces the next PREP

workshop and the next triennial PREP

schedule. The schedule covers calendar

years 1997, 1998, and 1999. This notice

requests industry volunteers for

industry-and government-led exercises.

DATES: The workshop will be held on

April 8, 1997 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM.

Comments must be received on or

before April 30, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held

in rooms 203/204 at the Greater Fort

Lauderdale/Broward County

Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower

Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316.

Written comments should be submitted

to COMMANDANT (G–MOR–2), Room

2100, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters,

2100 Second Street, SW; Washington,

DC, 20593–0001. ATTN: Ms. Karen

Sahatjian.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

general information regarding the PREP

program and the schedule, contact Ms.

Karen Sahatjian, Marine Safety and

Environmental Protection Directorate,

Office of Response, (G–MOR–2), (202)

267–2850. The schedule and exercise

design manual is available on the

internet at http://www.navcen.uscg.mil

or to obtain a hard copy of the design

manual, contact Ms. Toni Hundley at

the Office of Pipeline Safety at (202)

366–4397. The 1994 PREP Guidelines

and Training Elements are available at

no cost by writing or faxing the TASC

Dept Warehouse, 3341 Q 75th Avenue,

Landover, MD 20785, fax: 301–386–

5394. The stock numbers of each

manual are: PREP Guidelines—USCG–

X0191; the Training Reference—USCG–

X0188. Please indicate the quantity

when ordering. Quantities are limited to

10 per order.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background Information

The workshop will address several

issues that have been raised by exercise

participants and response plan holders.

The topics to be discussed at the

workshop include, but are not limited

to: (1) Developing and Evaluating an Oil

Spill Response Exercise, (2)

government-initiated unannounced

exercises, (3) minor changes to existing

PREP Guidelines, and (4) the proposed

triennial exercise schedule. The

following information is provided as

background in preparation for the

workshop.

The Coast Guard, EPA, RSPA and

MMS developed the National

Preparedness for Response Exercise

Program (PREP) to provide guidelines

for compliance with the Oil Pollution

Act of 1990 (OPA 90) pollution response

exercise requirements (33 U.S.C.

1321(j)). OPA 90 requires periodic

unannounced drills. See 33 U.S.C.

1321(j)(7). However, the working group

(comprised of Coast Guard, EPA, RSPA,

MMS, state representatives, and

industry representatives) determined

that the PREP Guidelines should also

include announced drills. See 33 CFR
106 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 58 / Wednesday, March 26, 1997 / Notices

154.1055(a)(5) and 155.1060(c), and 40

CFR 112. The guiding principles for

PREP distinguish between internal and

external exercises. Internal exercises are

conducted within the plan holder’s

organization. External exercises extend

beyond the plan holder’s organization to

involve other members of the response

community. External exercises are

separated into two categories: (1) Area

exercises, and (2) Government-initiated

unannounced exercises. These exercises

are designed to evaluate the entire

response mechanism in a given area to

ensure adequate pollution response

preparedness.

1. Guidelines for Developing and

Evaluating an Oil Spill Response

Exercise

The PREP Guidelines have been

extremely valuable to exercise

participants. However, the Coast Guard

and other federal agencies received

numerous requests for a more detailed

guide to develop Area exercises,

especially for Industry-led exercises. A

manual used by the National Strike

Force Coordination Center (NSFCC) to

develop government-led exercises was

rewritten to provide guidance to

exercise participants.

This document is not intended to

replace exercise designs already used by

companies following the PREP

Guidelines. It is meant to augment or

provide further explanation for

companies without exercise experience.

The Coast Guard realizes that some

companies have their own staff to plan

and execute exercises and that these

exercises may differ between

companies. The emphasis of these

guidelines is guidance to plan holders

who do not have employees

experienced in developing exercises or

the financial resources to hire

contractors to meet their triennial

exercise requirement. The Coast Guard

is interested in ensuring that the

response community does not neglect

the exercise requirement because of lack

of knowledge. This document will not

be used to evaluate how well an

exercise is executed. The Coast Guard

would like to hear comments from the

public regarding these guidelines.

2. Government-Initiated Unannounced

Exercises

Recently, the Coast Guard began

conducting more Government-initiated

unannounced exercises. The

unannounced exercises provide the

opportunity for the Captain of the Port

(COTP) to determine if an adequate

level of preparedness exists in an area

and whether the plan holder is prepared

to activate the plan during an incident.

As a result of these exercises and the

input of other interested parties, several

issues have been identified by both

industry and government. The Coast

Guard is requesting comments on the

following issues as outlined below.

a. Equipment Deployment

It may not always be necessary to

deploy equipment as part of an

unannounced exercise. Equipment

deployment is typically included as part

of the scenario. However, the Coast

Guard may decide to test other

important elements of the response

plan. If the plan holder recently

conducted an equipment deployment

exercise, it may be redundant to have

the equipment deployed again.

Equipment may be used in

circumstances where the COTP wants to

determine the availability of equipment

through Oil Spill Removal

Organizations (OSROs). To afford the

COTP the opportunity to ensure the

Area is prepared for a spill greater than

an average most probable discharge, the

scenario may exceed the current 50 bbl

limit.

b. Length of Exercise

To prevent the exercises from

exceeding a duration of ‘‘approximately

four hours’’, they should be focused on

no more than four of the 15 objectives

listed in the PREP Guidelines (August

1994). The COTP has the discretion to

choose the number of objectives, but the

should not exceed four.

c. Unannounced Exercise Credit

A plan holder will not be given credit

for a Government-Initiated

Unannounced Exercise if the plan

holder does not use or follow the

industry response plans. Although the

planning requirements in 33 CFR 154

and 155 and 40 CFR 112 should be used

as guidance, they are not performance

measures for responses. For example, if

the plan holder calls the OSRO and the

OSRO arrives within 11⁄2 hours (not 1

hour) because of road traffic, the plan

holder should not be penalized for

missing the 1 hour planning reference.

Contrarily, if the plan holder does not

call the OSRO until an hour into the

exercise, and the plan holder has no

facility owned equipment to deploy,

then the Coast Guard may deny credit

for the exercise. If the plan holder does

not receive credit for an unannounced

exercise, then the Coast Guard may

return in less than 36 months to conduct

another exercise. Once the plan holder

receives credit from the COTP, then the

plan holder will not be exercised for 36

months.

3. Changes to PREP Guidelines

Since August 1994, several

commenters have highlighted

discrepancies in the PREP Guidelines.

The Coast Guard has determined that

minor corrections to the PREP

Guidelines are needed. Accordingly, the

guidelines should be adjusted as

follows:

Page 3–3: Currently, under objectives

for QI Notification Exercises, telex could

only be used if other means were not

available. A telex can be used if this is

the means of communication that would

normally be used to report an incident.

The objective should be changed to:

Contact by telephone, radio-messagepager, telex, or facsimile and

confirmation must be made with a

qualified individual or designee as

designated in the plan. The QI must

acknowledge receipt of the message and

action being taken.

Page 3–7: Under frequency for

Emergency Procedures Exercises,

change quarterly to annually.

Page 3–20: Currently, under

Government-initiated unannounced

exercise, the guidelines read that

industry can take credit for this exercise

after an actual spill. This was never the

intent of the Government-initiated

Unannounced Exercises. Therefore, the

credit paragraph should be changed to:

Plan holders participating in this

exercise should take credit for

appropriate internal exercises if they

meet the objectives stated in the

guidelines.

4. Proposed Triennial Exercise Schedule

This notice announces the PREP

Schedule for Calendar Years 1997, 1998,

and 1999. There are several changes

since the schedule was published in the

Federal Register on November 13, 1995

(60 FR 57050). Because of the North

Cape Oil Spill in Rhode Island in 1996,

Area Exercise credit was given to the

Area and the company. The Incident

Specific Preparedness Report will serve

as the Joint Evaluation Report.

Providence Area was moved to 1999

and the Caribbean Area will conduct a

Government-led Area Exercise during

the first quarter of 1997. As stated in 60

FR 57050, the only dates/quarters are

listed for those exercises where an

industry participant has already

volunteered for an Industry-led Area

Exercise. The industry volunteer should

work with the COTP to schedule a

mutually acceptable date to conduct the

exercise. The dates for the Governmentled Exercises will not vary much

because the National Strike Force

Coordination Center is under time

constraints throughout the year.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 58 / Wednesday, March 26, 1997 / Notices 107

Dated: March 17, 1997.

J.C. Card,

Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Assistant

Commandant for Marine Safety and

Environmental Protection.

PREP SCHEDULE—GOVERNMENT-LED AREA EXERCISES

Area Agency Date/qtr1 Participant

1997

Caribbean Area (MSO Puerto Rico OSC) .................................................................... CG 2/12–13 Sun Oil.

Duluth-Superior Area (MSO Duluth OSC) .................................................................... CG w/RSPA 4/16–17 Lakehead Pipeline.

Jacksonville Area (MSO Jacksonville OSC) ................................................................. CG 6/13–14 ST Services/Compliance

System.

Southeast Alaska Area (MSO Juneau OSC) ............................................................... CG 8/11–12

EPA Region IX (EPA OSC) .......................................................................................... EPA 9/10–11

New Orleans Area (MSO New Orleans OSC) ............................................................. CG w/MMS 12/10–11

1998

Guam Area (MSO Guam OSC) .................................................................................... CG 1

San Diego, CA Area (MSO San Diego OSC) .............................................................. CG

Savannah Area (MSO Savannah OSC) ....................................................................... CG 2

EPA Region VII Area (EPA OSC) ................................................................................ EPA 3

Long Island Sound Area (COTP Long Island Sound) .................................................. CG 3

Morgan City Area (MSO Morgan City) ......................................................................... CG 4

1999

LA/LB North Area (MSO LA/LB OSC) .......................................................................... CG 1

Prince William Sound Area (MSO Valdez OSC) .......................................................... CG 2

Boston Area (MSO Boston OSC) ................................................................................. CG 2

EPA Region VI (EPA OSC) .......................................................................................... EPA 3

Buffalo, NY Area (MSO Buffalo OSC) .......................................................................... CG 4

Virginia Coastal Area (MSO Hampton Rds OSC) ........................................................ CG 4

PREP SCHEDULE—INDUSTRY-LED EXERCISES

Area Ind Date/qtr Lead

1997

North Coast Area (MSO San Francisco OSC) ............................................................. v2

Northeast North Carolina Coastal Area ........................................................................ v

(MSO Hampton Rds OSC).

Commonwealth of N. Mariannas Islands Area (MSO Guam OSC) ............................. v 1 Mobil Corp.

Florida Panhandle Area (MSO Mobile OSC) ............................................................... v 2 Kirby Corp.

Western Lake Erie Area (MSO Toledo OSC) .............................................................. f (mtr)2

EPA Alaska Area (EPA OSC) ...................................................................................... p2

Houston/Galveston Area (MSO Houston OSC) ........................................................... v 3 Aramco Services.

EPA Region IV Area (EPA OSC) ................................................................................. p

Detroit Area (MSO Detroit OSC) .................................................................................. f (mtr) Mobil Corp.

EPA Region X Area (EPA OSC) .................................................................................. f (nonmtr)2

1998

New York, NY Area (COTP NY OSC) .......................................................................... v OMI Corp.

Southern Coastal NC Area (MSO Wilmington OSC) ................................................... v

San Francisco Bay & Delta Region Area (MSO San Francisco OSC) ........................ f (mtr)

Cleveland, OH Area (MSO Cleveland OSC) ................................................................ f (mtr)

EPA Region V Area (EPA OSC) .................................................................................. p

EPA Region III Area (EPA OSC) .................................................................................. f (nonmtr)

Saulte Ste. Marie, MI Area.

(COTP Saulte Ste. Marie OSC) .................................................................................... f (mtr)

South Texas Coastal Zone Area (MSO Corpus Christi OSC) ..................................... f (mtr)

Maryland Coastal Area (MSO Baltimore OSC) ............................................................ v

SW Louisana/SE Texas Area (MSO Port Arthur OSC) ............................................... v

Puget Sound Area (MSO Puget Sound) ...................................................................... f

Tampa, FL Area (MSO Tampa OSC) ........................................................................... v

EPA Region I Area (EPA OSC) .................................................................................... p

LA/LB South Area (MSO LA/LB OSC) ......................................................................... v

EPA Region II (EPA OSC) ........................................................................................... f (nonmtr)

Philadelphia Coastal Area (MSO Phila OSC) .............................................................. v

Chicago Area (MSO Chicago OSC) ............................................................................. f (mtr)
108 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 58 / Wednesday, March 26, 1997 / Notices

PREP SCHEDULE—INDUSTRY-LED EXERCISES—Continued

Area Ind Date/qtr Lead

1999

Alabama/Mississippi Area (MSO Mobile OSC) ............................................................ f (mtr)

South Florida Area (MSO Miami OSC) ........................................................................ f (mtr)

Portland, OR Area (MSO Portland OSC) ..................................................................... v

EPA Region VIII (EPA OSC) ........................................................................................ f (nonmtr)

Hawaii/Samoa Area (MSO Honolulu OSC) .................................................................. v

Central Coast Area (MSO San Francisco OSC) .......................................................... v

Western Alaska Area (MSO Anchorage OSC) ............................................................. v

Eastern Wisconsin Area (MSO Milwaukee Area) ......................................................... f (mtr)

EPA Region Oceania Area (EPA OSC) ....................................................................... f (nonmtr)

Maine & New Hampshire Area (MSO Portland OSC) .................................................. v

Charleston, SC Area (MSO Charleston OSC) ............................................................. v

EPA Region II Area (EPA Caribbean OSC) ................................................................. f (nonmtr)

Providence Area (MSO Providence OSC) ................................................................... v

1Quarters: 1 (Jan–March); 2 (April–June); 3 (July–Sept); 4 (Oct–Dec).

2 Industry: v—vessel; f (mtr) —marine transportation-related facility; f (nonmtr)—nonmarine transportation-related facility; p—pipeline.

[FR Doc. 97–7621 Filed 3–25–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–14–P

Federal Aviation Administration

Noise Exposure Map Notice, Naples

Municipal Airport, Naples, FL

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) announces its

determination that the revised noise

exposure maps submitted by the Naples

Airport Authority for Naples Municipal

Airport under the provisions of Title I

of the Aviation Safety and Noise

Abatement Act of 1979 (Pub. L. 96–193)

and 14 CFR part 150 are in compliance

with applicable requirements.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The effective date of the

FAA’s determination on the noise

exposure maps is March 18, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Tommy J. Pickering, P.E., Federal

Aviation Administration, Orlando

Airports District Office, 5950 Hazeltine

National Drive, Suite 400, Orlando,

Florida 32822, (407) 812–6331,

Extension 29.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice announces that the FAA finds

that the revised noise exposure maps

submitted for Naples Municipal Airport

are in compliance with applicable

requirements of part 150, effective

March 18, 1997.

Under section 103 of the Aviation

Safety and Noise Abatement Act of 1979

(hereinafter referred to as ‘‘the Act’’), an

airport operator may submit to the FAA

noise exposure maps which meet

applicable regulations and which depict

noncompatible land uses as of the date

of submission of such maps, a

description of projected aircraft

operations, and the ways in which such

operations will affect such maps. The

Act requires such maps to be developed

in consultation with interested and

affected parties in the local community,

government agencies, and persons using

the airport.

An airport operator who has

submitted noise exposure maps that are

found by FAA to be in compliance with

the requirements of Federal Aviation

Regulations (FAR) part 150,

promulgated pursuant to Title I of the

Act, may submit a noise compatibility

program for FAA approval which sets

forth the measures the operator has

taken or proposes for the reduction of

existing noncompatible uses and for the

prevention of the introduction of

additional noncompatible uses.

The FAA has completed its review of

the revised noise exposure maps and

related descriptions submitted by the

Naples Airport Authority. The specific

maps under consideration are ‘‘1996

EXISTING CONDITIONS NOISE

EXPOSURE MAP’’ and ‘‘2001

FORECAST CONDITIONS REVISED

NOISE EXPOSURE MAP’’ in the

submission. The FAA has determined

that these maps for Naples Municipal

Airport are in compliance with

applicable requirements. This

determination is effective on March 18,

1997. FAA’s determination on an airport

operator’s noise exposure maps is

limited to a finding that the maps were

developed in accordance with the

procedures contained in appendix A of

FAR part 150. Such determination does

not constitute approval of the

applicant’s data, information or plans,

or a commitment to approve a noise

compatibility program or to fund the

implementation of that program.

If questions arise concerning the

precise relationship of specific

properties to noise exposure contours

depicted on a noise exposure map

submitted under section 103 of the Act,

it should be noted that the FAA is not

involved in any way in determining the

relative locations of specific properties

with regard to the depicted noise

contours, or in interpreting the noise

exposure maps to resolve questions

concerning, for example, which

properties should be covered by the

provisions of section 107 of the Act.

These functions are inseparable from

the ultimate land use control and

planning responsibilities of local

government. These local responsibilities

are not changed in any way under part

150 or through FAA’s review of noise

exposure maps. Therefore, the

responsibility for the detailed

overlaying of noise exposure contours

onto the map depicting properties on

the surface rests exclusively with the

airport operator which submitted those

maps, or with those public agencies and

planning agencies with which

consultation is required under section

103 of the Act. The FAA has relied on

the certification by the airport operator,

under § 150.21 of FAR Part 150, that the

statutorily required consultation has

been accomplished.

Copies of the revised noise exposure

maps and of the FAA’s evaluation of the

maps are available for examination at

the following locations:

Federal Aviation Administration,

Orlando Airports District Office, 5950

Hazeltine National Drive, Suite 400,

Orlando, Florida 32822

Naples Airport Authority, 160 Aviation

Drive North, Naples, FL 34104

Questions may be directed to the

individual named above under the