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###### Department of Transportation

###### Maritime Administration

          - [Docket No. MARAD-2021-0206]

# AGENCY:

Maritime Administration, Transportation (DOT).

# ACTION:

Notice.

# SUMMARY:

                        The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief                               ( print page 50941)                            description of the proposed service, is listed below.                    

# DATES:

Submit comments on or before October 13, 2021.

# ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket Number MARAD-2021-0206 by any one of the following methods:
      -  Federal eRulemaking Portal:                          Go to                          http://www.regulations.gov.                          Search MARAD-2021-0206 and follow the instructions for submitting comments.                    
      -  Mail or Hand Delivery:                          Docket Management Facility is in the West Building, Ground Floor of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Docket Management Facility location address is: U.S. Department of Transportation, MARAD-2021-0206, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.                    

*Note:*                         If you mail or hand-deliver your comments, 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.                    

*Instructions:*                         All submissions received must include the agency name and specific docket number. All comments received will be posted without change to the docket at                         *www.regulations.gov,*                         including any personal information provided. For detailed instructions on submitting comments, or to submit comments that are confidential in nature, see the section entitled Public Participation.                    

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

                        James Mead, U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W23-459, Washington, DC 20590. Telephone 202-366-5723, Email                         *James.Mead@dot.gov.*

# SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

As described in the application, the intended service of the vessel PLEIADES is:

                    —                    *Intended Commercial Use of Vessel:*                     “Short (2-6 hour) day-trip sailings with up to 6 passengers on the Columbia River in the Columbia River Gorge. Sailing instruction and education.”                

                    —                    *Geographic Region Including Base of Operations:*                     “Oregon and Washington (the Columbia River is the border between the two states).” (Base of Operations: Hood River, OR).                

                    —                    *Vessel Length and Type:*                     44′ Sail                

                    The complete application is available for review identified in the DOT docket as MARAD 2021-0206 at                     *http://www.regulations.gov.*                     Interested parties may comment on the effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. If MARAD determines, in accordance with 46 U.S.C. 12121 and MARAD's regulations at 46 CFR part 388, that the employment of the vessel in the coastwise trade to carry no more than 12 passengers will have an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.-vessel builder or a business that uses U.S.-flag vessels in that business, MARAD will not issue an approval of the vessel's coastwise endorsement eligibility. Comments should refer to the vessel name, state the commenter's interest in the application, and address the eligibility criteria given in section 388.4 of MARAD's regulations at 46 CFR part 388.                

## Public Participation

### How do I submit comments?

                    Please submit your comments, including the attachments, following the instructions provided under the above heading entitled                     **ADDRESSES**                    . Be advised that it may take a few hours or even days for your comment to be reflected on the docket. In addition, your comments must be written in English. We encourage you to provide concise comments and you may attach additional documents as necessary. There is no limit on the length of the attachments.                

### Where do I go to read public comments, and find supporting information?

                    Go to the docket online at                     *http://www.regulations.gov,*                     keyword search MARAD-2021-0206 or visit the Docket Management Facility (see                     **ADDRESSES**                     for hours of operation). We recommend that you periodically check the Docket for new submissions and supporting material.                

### Will my comments be made available to the public?

Yes. 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 the information you claim to be confidential commercial information by email to                     *SmallVessels@dot.gov.*                     Include in the email subject heading “Contains Confidential Commercial Information” or “Contains CCI” and state in your submission, with specificity, the basis for any such confidential claim highlighting or denoting the CCI portions. If possible, please provide a summary of your submission that can be made available to the public.                

In the event MARAD receives a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the information, procedures described in the Department's FOIA regulation at 49 CFR 7.29 will be followed. Only information that is ultimately determined to be confidential under those procedures will be exempt from disclosure under FOIA.

## Privacy Act

                    In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts these comments, without edit, to                     *www.regulations.gov,*                     as described in the system of records notice, DOT/ALL-14 FDMS, accessible through                     *www.dot.gov/​privacy.*                     To facilitate comment tracking and response, we encourage commenters to provide their name, or the name of their organization; however, submission of names is completely optional. Whether or not commenters identify themselves, all timely comments will be fully considered.                

(Authority: 49 CFR 1.93(a), 46 U.S.C. 55103, 46 U.S.C. 12121)

* * * * *

By Order of the Acting Maritime Administrator.

T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,

Secretary, Maritime Administration.

[FR Doc. 2021-19652 Filed 9-10-21; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-81-P