Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2010/11/18/2010-28993/limited-service-domestic-voyage-load-lines-for-river-barges-on-lake-michigan
Timestamp: 2015-05-25 13:35:13
Document Index: 204688823

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 45', '§ 45', 'art 45', 'art 45', 'ART 45', 'art 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45', '§ 45']

Federal Register | Limited Service Domestic Voyage Load Lines for River Barges on Lake Michigan
-70604 (10 pages)
Document Number: 2010-28993
Shorter URL: https://federalregister.gov/a/2010-28993 Related Topics
Limited Service Domestic Voyage Load Lines for River Barges on Lake Michigan 11 actions from November 2nd, 1998 to December 20th, 2010
Collection of Information Sections Effective
Interim Final Rule--Announcement of Effective Date of COI Sections
HazMatHazardous Material
ITBIntegrated tug/barge
MarAd(United States) Maritime Administration
MSOMarine Safety Office
MSUMarine Safety Unit
SCASmall Craft Advisory
StonsShort tons
On November 2, 1998, we published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register titled “Limited Service Domestic Voyage Load Lines for River Barges on Lake Michigan” (63 FR 58679). This NPRM proposed to incorporate the above-described Lake Michigan load line provisions into the Great Lakes load line regulations in 46 CFR part 45.
Before the establishment of this special load line regime for Lake Michigan, barge cargoes originating at inland river ports and destined for Lake Michigan ports had to be transferred to a Great Lakes load-lined vessel at Calumet Harbor in Chicago. This transshipment was necessary because the existing load line regulations did not allow vessels onto the Great Lakes without a Great Lakes load line; river barges typically do not meet all the requirements for unrestricted service on the Great Lakes.
The only exception to this has been an exemption for certain river barges operating between Chicago, IL, and Burns Harbor, IN, as provided in 46 CFR 45.171-45.177.
On the basis of these findings, the group recommended that relatively new barges (those under 10 years of age) should be exempted from the load line requirement.
At this time, the IR has been in effect for 81/2years, and has fostered a modest but economically beneficial level of commercial activity for Milwaukee (chiefly in grain shipments and transport of oversized industrial equipment).
The Coast Guard is concerned that participation in the load line exemption regime might grow so large that the number of barges en route between Chicago and Milwaukee on any given day will exceed the capacity of the ports-of-refuge (Kenosha and Waukegan) to accommodate them, should weather conditions deteriorate unexpectedly. A review of vessel traffic data from the Port of Milwaukee indicates that 43 river barges called at the port in 2002 (the first year of the exemption regime). In 2004, the number peaked at 91 barges. Since then, the level of activity has dropped: 36 barges in 2006 and 40 barges in 2007 (the latest year for which data is available). The bulk of cargo movements has been outbound grain, although some industrial equipment has been transported as well. The current level of barge activity is not yet a concern; however, we may establish a voyage coordination program at some future time if we deem it necessary.
Section 45.171Purpose: In paragraph (c), Table 45.171 has been revised to reflect the changes in this final rule, discussed below.
Section 45.173Eligible barges: Paragraph (e) has been added stating that weathertight and watertight closures must be in proper working condition. This addition clarifies the existing requirement in § 45.191(b)(5) that manhole covers be secured watertight as part of the pre-departure inspection.
Section 45.175Applicable routes: This section has been revised to clarify that intermediate ports are allowed on the applicable routes.
Section 45.181Load line exemption requirements for the Burns Harbor and Milwaukee routes: Paragraph (a) has been revised to reflect the Coast Guard's organizational re-designation of Marine Safety Offices (MSOs), which includes the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI), as Marine Safety Units (MSUs). It also updates the MSU mailing address.
Section 45.185Tow limitations: Paragraph (b) has been revised to emphasize the current requirement that the maximum number of barges on the Milwaukee, St. Joseph, and Muskegon routes is three. This limitation is necessary because of the limited dockage at the intermediate ports of refuge and the possibility that more than one tow might need to seek shelter at the same port.
Section 45.187Weather limitations: Because hull construction of river barges is not robust enough to operate on Lake Michigan under all weather conditions, river barges cannot operate under adverse weather conditions. The weather limits as written in the interim regulations, however, were either subjective (i.e., “fair weather only” as decided by the towing vessel master) or a complex set of limiting wind speed/directions and wave heights. These limits are now being simplified by establishing Small Craft Advisory (SCA) conditions as the limiting adverse weather condition. The National Weather Service issues special Great Lakes nearshore marine forecasts that cover all coastal lake waters within 5 miles of shore (more information can be found at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/zone/usamz.htm). Lake Michigan nearshore SCAs are generally based on wind speeds of 20 knots and 4-foot waves, but also take into account wave conditions that will develop during the forecast period based on wind direction. The Coast Guard believes that these nearshore forecasts provide a clear, unequivocal “fair weather” threshold to towing vessel captains when reviewing weather conditions along the route as they prepare to sail or while they are underway. The original weather regulations in this section have been revised accordingly:
Section 45.191Pre-departure requirements: Paragraph (a) has been revised by removing the original requirement to contact the dock operator at the destination port and replacing it with the requirement that the towing vessel master must check the Lake Michigan Nearshore Marine Forecast and confirm that adverse weather conditions (i.e., SCAs or ice conditions) are not developing.
With respect to the third-party verification issue, the Coast Guard recognizes the value of such verification, especially where the shipboard inspection is relatively infrequent (e.g., once a year) and involves numerous watertight and weathertight closures (e.g., piping penetrations of the hull, hatch and ventilation covers, doors, etc.). When inspecting such closures, professional judgment must be used when evaluating their fitness for service until the next annual inspection. However, river barges are simpler vessels, with fewer weathertight closures and watertight voids to inspect. We believe that the pre-departure inspection before each voyage by the towboat master can provide sufficient verification of weathertight integrity for the short-haul, fair-weather transit on Lake Michigan. As explained elsewhere in this rule, we have increased certain inspection and material condition requirements in response to a marine casualty in 2003, and we reserve our right to revise the exemption regime, including imposition of third-party verification, if barge operators do not comply with these inspection measures.
Based on data in the existing collection of information, “Plan Approval and Records for Load Lines,” OMB Control Number 1625-0013, we estimate the preparation time for the application of conditional exemption and submission to the Coast Guard to be about 2 hours. We expect someone at the managerial level will prepare the conditional exemption application at a fully loaded labor rate of $83/hour. A managerial level employee of the barge company is necessary to perform this duty because this person must sign the application in order to certify the barge owner or operator will maintain the operational condition of its barges. We estimate the cost for a single barge owner or operator to prepare a conditional exemption application to be about $166 (2 hours × $83 fully loaded labor rate/hour).
We estimate that owners or operators of about 30 barges annually will seek conditional exemptions for a continued annual cost of about $4,980 ((2 hours × $83 fully loaded labor rate/hour) × 30 barges annually).
Also based on the existing collection of information mentioned above, for barge owners and operators who choose to seek a limited domestic service load line, we estimate it will take about 0.5 hours to complete the application. We expect a mid-level employee will prepare the limited domestic service load line application at a fully loaded labor rate of $42/× hour. A mid-level employee can perform this duty because this application contains basic design information about the barge. The application is then submitted by the barge owner or operator to the authorized classification society, who then issues the load line certificate. We estimate the cost for a single barge owner or operator to prepare the limited domestic service load line application to be about $21 (0.5 hours × $42 fully loaded labor rate/hour). We estimate that owners or operators of about 5 barges annually will seek the limited domestic service load line for a cost of about $105 ((0.5 hours × $42 fully loaded labor rate/hour) × 5 barges annually). We estimate the total annual cost of this final rule to be about $5,000.
We expect the costs of this rule to small entities to be minimal for river barge owners who choose to take part in the Great Lakes load line regime. We estimate that 35 river barges use the Great Lakes load line regime annually at a cost of about $140 per barge.
Furthermore, this rule conditionally exempts qualified barges operating on the Milwaukee route from the previously proposed limited service domestic voyage load line assignment. The estimated hour burden of preparing the submittal to the Coast Guard for exempting barges on the Milwaukee route from load line assignment is minimal for river barge owners who choose to take part in this regime. Small entities will likely choose to obtain limited domestic service load line assignments or conditional load line exemptions while operating on Lake Michigan only if they expect to gain an economic benefit by using the less costly form of water transportation as opposed to land transportation. Therefore, the Coast Guard certifies under 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that this final rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
This rule will not cause a taking of private property or otherwise have taking implications under Executive Order 12630, Governmental Actions and Interference with Constitutionally Protected Property Rights. H. Civil Justice Reform
List of Subjects in 46 CFR Part 45 Back to Top
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Coast Guard amends 46 CFR part 45 as follows:
PART 45—GREAT LAKES LOAD LINES Back to Top
1.The authority citation for part 45 continues to read as follows: Authority:
2.Amend § 45.171 to revise Table 45.171 in paragraph (c) and add new paragraph (d) to read as follows: § 45.171 Purpose.
3.Amend § 45.173 to revise paragraphs (c) and (d) and add new paragraph (e) to read as follows: § 45.173 Eligible barges.
4.Revise § 45.175 to read as follows: § 45.175 Applicable routes.
5.Amend § 45.181 to revise paragraphs (a) and (b)(1) to read as follows: § 45.181 Load line exemption requirements for the Burns Harbor and Milwaukee routes.
§ 45.183 [Amended]
6.Amend § 45.183 to read as follows: a. In paragraph (a)(2), remove the word “five” and add, in its place, the numeral “5”; and
b. In paragraph (b)(2)(vi), remove the words “and be fully” and add, in their place, the words “and fully”.
7.Amend § 45.185 to revise paragraphs (b) and (c) to read as follows: § 45.185 Tow limitations.
8.Revise § 45.187 to read as follows: § 45.187 Weather limitations.
9.Amend § 45.191 to revise paragraphs (a) and (b)(5) to read as follows: § 45.191 Pre-departure requirements.
§ 45.193 [Amended]
10.In § 45.193(a), add the text “(HP)” after the word “horsepower”. § 45.197 [Amended]
11.In § 45.197, in the introductory text, remove the word “aboard” and add, in its place, the words “on board”. end regulatory text
1. Source for time and labor rate: Collection of Information, OMB Control Number 1625-0013, “Plan Approval and Records for Load Lines.”
2. The figure $5,000 is rounded from $5,085 = $4,980 + $105, for the conditional exemption and the limited domestic service load line.
3. The figure $140 is rounded from $143 = $5,000/35 barges.