[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 4 (Wednesday, January 7, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 1082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-338]



Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 4 / Wednesday, January 7, 2004 / 
Notices

[[Page 1082]]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[USCG-2001-9267]


Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard is announcing an innovative program that 
will allow vessel owners/operators to apply for acceptance of vessels, 
permitting them to install and test experimental ballast water 
treatment systems. This program will facilitate the development of 
effective ballast water treatment technology, which will create more 
options for vessels seeking alternatives to ballast water exchange. 
Details of the program are published in Coast Guard Navigation and 
Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 01-04.

DATES: This program is effective and the NVIC is available on January 
7, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Applicants interested in receiving NVIC 01-04 and/or 
application documents for the Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program 
should send requests to the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters (G-MSO-4), 
Room 1601, 2100 2nd Street SW., Washington DC 20593. The NVIC is also 
located at: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/nvic/. This NVIC is also 
available in the public docket (USCG-2001-9267) and is available for 
inspection or copying at the Docket Management Facility, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, room PL-402, 400 Seventh Street SW., 
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays. You may also find this public docket on the 
Internet at http://dms.dot.gov/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this Notice, 
call Mr. Bivan Patnaik, Environmental Standards Division, Coast Guard, 
telephone 202-267-1744, e-mail: bpatnaik@comdt.uscg.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Nonindigenous species (NIS) are being 
unintentionally introduced into U.S. waters via ballast water 
discharge. These introductions are posing a serious threat to 
biological diversity, coastal infrastructures, and marine and 
freshwater resources. As a result, the Coast Guard has established the 
Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program (STEP). STEP will facilitate 
the development of experimental ballast water treatment technologies, 
and allow the Coast Guard to evaluate these technologies.
    This will greatly assist the Coast Guard in evaluating ballast 
water treatment technologies to prevent the introduction and spread of 
NIS. For more information on this program, contact us as indicated in 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please note that information on STEP, 
application procedures, and the NVIC 01-04 can be found at http://
www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/mso/mso4/ans.html.

    Dated: December 23, 2003.
Joseph J. Angelo,
Acting Assistant Commandant for Marine, Safety, Security and 
Environmental Protection.
[FR Doc. 04-338 Filed 1-6-04; 8:45 am]
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