[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 97 (Thursday, May 19, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 28998]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12282]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2007-0030]
Implementation of Revised Passenger Weight Standards for Existing
Passenger Vessels
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the publication of Officer of Vessel
Activities (CG-543) Policy Letter 11-03: ``Implementation of Revised
Passenger Weight Standards for Existing Passenger Vessels.'' This
policy letter provides guidance on how the Coast Guard will amend
Certificates of Inspection prior to a change in the assumed average
weight per person standard that will become effective in December 2011.
DATES: The policy letter announced in this notice is effective on May
19, 2011.
ADDRESSES: The policy letter and other documents mentioned in this
preamble as being available in the docket, are part of docket USCG-
2007-0030 and are available for inspection or copying at the Docket
Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC
20590-0001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays. You may also find this docket on the Internet at
http://www.regulations.gov. In addition:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information concerning this
notice, contact Lieutenant Commander David Webb, Passenger Vessel
Program Manager, Office of Vessel Activities, Domestic Vessel
Compliance Division (CG-543), telephone 202-372-1224 or via e-mail at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background and Purpose
The Coast Guard determines the maximum number of persons permitted
on a vessel by several factors, including the total weight of people
carried based on an Assumed Average Weight per Person (AAWPP). The
Coast Guard published a Final Rule (75 FR 78064, December 14, 2010),
which updated the AAWPP for new and existing inspected passenger
vessels and is available in the docket. The relevant portions of the
final rule will become effective on December 1, 2011. Because of the
large number of passenger vessels affected by the Final Rule, it is not
practical for the Coast Guard to amend all stability letters and
Certificates of Inspection (COIs) prior to the effective date of the
new AAWPP, nor is it reasonable to defer vessel operator compliance
until all vessel documents are updated.
For this reason, the policy letter referred to in this notice
provides supplemental guidance to the implementation discussion
contained in the preamble to the Final Rule. This policy letter
provides guidance for existing passenger vessels and contains
acceptable methods for passenger vessel owners and operators to
demonstrate compliance with the new AAWPP. It also outlines procedures
to be followed by both passenger vessel owners and operators and the
Coast Guard in order to verify compliance and amend vessel documents as
may be needed. Finally, the policy letter provides guidance on an
alternative to the AAWPP, described in the final rule, that a vessel
may use if the owner/operator can demonstrate that the average weight
of passengers and crew routinely carried on that vessel differs
significantly from the published AAWPP.
This notice is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 46 CFR
176.
Dated: May 10, 2011.
Kevin S. Cook,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Prevention Policy.
[FR Doc. 2011-12282 Filed 5-18-11; 8:45 am]
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