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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 3 (Monday, January 6, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 566-567]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-31616]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation

33 CFR Part 402

RIN 2135-AA58

Tariff of Tolls

AGENCY: Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, 
Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation 
(GLS) and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) of 
Canada, under international agreement, jointly publish and presently 
administer the St. Lawrence Seaway Tariff of Tolls in their respective 
jurisdictions. The Tariff sets forth the level of tolls assessed on all 
commodities and vessels transiting the facilities operated by the GLS 
and the SLSMC. The GLS is revising its regulations to reflect the fees 
and charges levied by the SLSMC in Canada starting in the 2025 
navigation season, which are effective only in Canada.

DATES: This rule is effective on January 6, 2025

ADDRESSES: Docket: For access to the docket to read background 
documents or comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov; or 
in person at the Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carrie Mann Lavigne, Chief Counsel, 
Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, 180 Andrews 
Street, Massena, New York 13662; (315) 764-3200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The GLS and SLSMC of Canada, under 
international agreement, jointly publish and presently administer the 
St. Lawrence Seaway Tariff of Tolls (Schedule of Fees and Charges in 
Canada) in their respective jurisdictions.
    The Tariff sets forth the level of tolls assessed on all 
commodities and vessels transiting the facilities operated by the GLS 
and the SLSMC. The GLS is revising 33 CFR 402.12, ``Schedule of 
tolls'', to reflect the fees and charges levied by the SLSMC in Canada 
beginning in the 2025 navigation season. The GLS finds there is good 
cause to make the Tariff of Tolls effective on the date of publication 
to harmonize the effective dates on both sides of the border.
    Regulatory Notices: Privacy Act: Anyone is able to 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.). 
You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal 
Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78) or you may visit 
https://www.regulations.gov.

Regulatory Evaluation

    This regulation involves a foreign affairs function of the United 
States and therefore, Executive Order 12866 does not apply and 
evaluation under the Department of Transportation's Regulatory Policies 
and Procedures is not required.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Determination

    The GLS certifies that this regulation will not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The St. 
Lawrence Seaway Regulations and Rules primarily relate to commercial 
users of the Seaway, the vast majority of whom are foreign vessel 
operators. Therefore, any resulting costs will be borne mostly by 
foreign vessels.

Environmental Impact

    This regulation does not require an environmental impact statement 
under the National Environmental Policy Act (49 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.) 
because it is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the 
quality of the human environment.

Federalism

    The Corporation has analyzed this rule under the principles and 
criteria in Executive Order 13132, dated August 4, 1999, and has 
determined that this rule does not have sufficient federalism 
implications to warrant a Federalism Assessment.

Unfunded Mandates

    The Corporation has analyzed this rule under title II of the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4, 109 Stat. 48) and 
determined that it does not impose unfunded mandates on State, local, 
and Tribal governments and the private sector requiring a written 
statement of economic and regulatory alternatives.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This regulation has been analyzed under the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 and does not contain new or modified information collection 
requirements subject to the Office of Management and Budget review.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 402

    Vessels, Waterways.

    Accordingly, the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development 
Corporation is amending 33 CFR part 402 as follows:

PART 402--TARIFF OF TOLLS

0
1. The authority citation for part 402 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  33 U.S.C. 983(a), 984(a)(4), and 988, as amended; 49 
CFR 1.101.

0
2. Revise Sec.  402.12 to read as follows:

Sec.  402.12  Schedule of tolls.

                        Table 1 to Sec.   402.12
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                       Column 1            Column 2          Column 3
               ---------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Rate ($)
                                           Rate ($)      Welland Canal--
     Item           Description of      Montreal to or   Lake Ontario to
                       charges             from Lake       or from Lake
                                          Ontario (5      Erie (8 locks)
                                            locks)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.............  Subject to item 3,
                 for complete transit
                 of the Seaway, a
                 composite toll,
                 comprising:

[[Page 567]]

 
                (1) a charge per
                 gross registered ton
                 of the ship,
                 applicable whether
                 the ship is wholly
                 or partially laden,
                 or is in ballast,
                 and the gross
                 registered tonnage
                 being calculated
                 according to
                 prescribed rules for
                 measurement or under
                 the International
                 Convention on
                 Tonnage Measurement
                 of Ships, 1969, as
                 amended from time to
                 time: \1\
                     (a) all vessels   0.1311..........  0.2098.
                      excluding
                      passenger
                      vessels.
                     (b) passenger     0.3934..........  0.6293.
                      vessels.
                (2) a charge per
                 metric ton of cargo
                 as certified on the
                 ship's manifest or
                 other document, as
                 follows:
                     (a) bulk cargo..  1.3593..........  0.9278.
                     (b) general       3.2753..........  1.4849.
                      cargo.
                     (c) steel slab..  2.9643..........  1.0630.
                     (d)               1.3593..........  0.9278.
                      containerized
                      cargo.
                     (e) government    n/a.............  n/a.
                      aid cargo.
                     (f) grain.......  0.8351..........  0.9278.
                     (g) coal........  0.8351..........  0.9278.
                   (3) a charge per    0.0000..........  0.0000.
                    passenger per
                    lock.
                (4) a lockage charge   n/a.............  0.3495.
                 per Gross Registered
                 Ton of the vessel,
                 as defined in item
                 1(1), applicable
                 whether the ship is
                 wholly or partially
                 laden, or is in
                 ballast, for transit
                 of the Welland Canal
                 in either direction
                 by cargo ships,
                   Up to a maximum     n/a.............  4,889.00.
                    charge per vessel.
2.............  Subject to item 3,     20 per cent per   13 per cent per
                 for partial transit    lock of the       lock of the
                 of the Seaway.         applicable        applicable
                                        charge under      charge under
                                        items 1(1),       items 1(1),
                                        1(2) and 1(4)     1(2) and 1(4)
                                        plus the          plus the
                                        applicable        applicable
                                        charge under      charge under
                                        items 1(3).       items 1(3).
3.............  Minimum charge per     33.93 \2\.......  33.93.
                 vessel per lock
                 transited for full
                 or partial transit
                 of the Seaway.
4.............  A charge per pleasure  25.00 \4\.......  25.00.
                 craft per lock
                 transited for full
                 or partial transit
                 of the Seaway,
                 including applicable
                 Federal taxes \3\.
5.............  Under the New          20%.............  20%.
                 Business Initiative
                 Program, for cargo
                 accepted as New
                 Business, a
                 percentage rebate on
                 the applicable cargo
                 charges for the
                 approved period.
6.............  Under the Volume       10%.............  10%.
                 Rebate Incentive
                 program, a
                 retroactive
                 percentage rebate on
                 cargo tolls on the
                 incremental volume
                 calculated based on
                 the pre-approved
                 maximum volume.
7.............  Under the New Service  20%.............  20%.
                 Incentive Program,
                 for New Business
                 cargo moving under
                 an approved new
                 service, an
                 additional
                 percentage refund on
                 applicable cargo
                 tolls above the New
                 Business rebate.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Or under the US GRT for vessels prescribed prior to 2002.
\2\ The applicable charged under item 3 at the Great Lakes St. Lawrence
  Seaway Development Corporation's locks (Eisenhower, Snell) will be
  collected in U.S. dollars. The collection of the U.S. portion of tolls
  for commercial vessels is waived by law (33 U.S.C. 988a(a)). The other
  charges are in Canadian dollars and are for the Canadian share of
  tolls.
\3\ Includes a $5.00 discount per lock with use of online reservation
  and payment system for Canadian locks.
\4\ The applicable charge at the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway
  Development Corporation's locks (Eisenhower, Snell) for pleasure craft
  is $30 USD or $30 CAD per lock.

    Issued at Washington, DC, under authority delegated at 49 CFR 
1.101. Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.
Carrie Lavigne,
Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2024-31616 Filed 1-3-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-61-P
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