[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 174 (Thursday, September 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55732-55733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22967]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
Public Listening Sessions Regarding the Maritime Administration's
Panama Canal Expansion Study and the America's Marine Highway Program
AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to announce a series of public
listening sessions and workshops regarding the expansion of the Panama
Canal and the America's Marine Highway Program. The meetings are being
held to provide a forum for maritime industry stakeholders and the
general public to present their views and concerns on critical issues
that the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration
(MARAD) should consider in the development of its comprehensive study
of the 2014 Panama Canal Expansion project and during its efforts to
explore opportunities to incorporate America's Marine Highways into the
National Transportation System. These meetings will be identical in
terms of agenda and purpose; they are being held in different locations
(San Francisco, CA and New York, NY) to maximize nationwide stakeholder
participation.
MARAD's study of the Panama Canal Expansion will evaluate the
potential impacts of the expansion on U.S. ports and infrastructure.
The study is being conducted in four defined phases that are designed
to present considerations for policy, investment, and funding options
as well as recommendations for policy changes that will favorably
impact the overall shift in the Nation's trade patterns. Phase I of the
study will include an examination of the history and development of the
Panama Canal Expansion process and will present current data and
information on Panama Canal's role in the U.S. trade market with the
rest of the world. Phase II of the study will involve a more
comprehensive data gathering and outreach effort that will include the
subject stakeholder listening sessions, dissemination of a shipper
survey, and one-on-one interviews with targeted maritime stakeholder
groups. The final Phases of the study (Phase III and Phase IV) will
involve identification of
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potential infrastructure expansion opportunities and development of a
framework for which the U.S. Government may leverage the Panama Canal
Expansion effort to optimize financial investments in U.S. ports and
inland infrastructure.
Expansion of the Panama Canal will require new capital investments
in transportation infrastructure by both the private and public
sectors. The size, location and timing of these investments will depend
on how various stakeholders believe that global trade patterns, vessel
operations, import and export flows, logistics support systems and port
and land-side capacity will be re-configured to accommodate the larger
vessels and increased capacity of the Panama Canal in a post-2014
operating environment. A wide variety of stakeholders may be
potentially affected by decisions and policies that will be implemented
by the U.S. Department of Transportation and MARAD as a result of this
study. Each stakeholder has a particular set of perspectives and a
highly unique set of information upon which they will base their own
investment and operational responses to the Panama Canal Expansion.
Moreover, there is a wide diversity of opinion on which ports, trade
lanes, landside infrastructure and commodities will be affected by the
expansion.
Accordingly, stakeholder participation in the subject listening
sessions and workshops is an essential part of the overall data
collection and analysis effort for the study and will help support the
agency's efforts to expand the use of America's Marine Highways.
Discussion topics for the Panama Canal Expansion Study Listening
Sessions will include: Impacts on the U.S. economy, trade patterns
post-expansion, anticipated effects on East/West/Gulf Coasts and Inland
ports, infrastructure development, and future bottlenecks as well as
other related issues. Topics of discussions relating to the America's
Marine Highways will include: corridors, connections and crossings,
program projects and initiatives, intermodal connectivity, and public/
private partnerships.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information, contact Ms. Yvette M.
Fields, Director, Office of Deepwater Ports and Offshore Activities,
Maritime Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC
20590 or by e-mail at mailto:[email protected].
DATES AND ADDRESSES: The first Panama Canal Expansion Study Listening
Session will take place in San Francisco, CA on September 22, 2011,
from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Westin Hotel at Market Street, 50
Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, and will be followed by the
America's Marine Highway Corridor Workshop from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. The
second Panama Canal Expansion Study Listening Session will take place
in New York, NY on September 27, 2011, from 8:30 to 12:30 p.m., at the
U.S. Customs House, One Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004, and will be
followed by the America's Marine Highway Corridor Workshop from 1:30
p.m. to 5 p.m.
Registration: To register, interested parties should send their
name, group affiliation, and contact information, and indicate which of
the meetings (either the Panama Canal, Marine Highway or both) they
wish to attend to mailto:http://www.PanamaCanalStudy.com/registration
by September 14, 2011. The meetings are open to the public and advance
registration and confirmation is required. Space is limited to the
first 150 registrants. After registering, an email confirmation will be
forwarded with an agenda and other related information.
The sessions will be held at sites accessible to individuals with
disabilities. Individuals who require other special accommodations such
as a sign language interpreter may submit their request at the time of
registration at http://www.PanamaCanalStudy.com/registration by
September 14, 2011.
Dated: September 1, 2011.
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
Julie P. Agarwal,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-22967 Filed 9-7-11; 8:45 am]
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