[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 13, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 35268]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-14382]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
33 CFR Part 151
46 CFR Part 162
[Docket No. USCG-2001-10486]
RIN 1625-AA32
Standards for Living Organisms in Ships' Ballast Water Discharged
in U.S. Waters
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Rule; announcement of effective date.
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SUMMARY: On March 23, 2012, the Coast Guard published in the Federal
Register a Final Rule entitled ``Standards for Living Organisms in
Ships' Ballast Water Discharged in U.S. Waters''. The rulemaking
triggered new information collection requirements affecting vessel
owners and their potential requests for an extension of the compliance
date if they cannot practicably comply with the compliance date
otherwise applicable to their vessels. This document announces that the
request to revise the existing collection of information to add the new
request for an extension provision has been approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) and may now be enforced. The OMB control
number is 1625-0069.
DATES: 33 CFR 151.1513 and 151.2036 will be effective beginning June
21, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this
document, call or email Mr. John Morris, Project Manager, U.S. Coast
Guard; telephone 202-372-1402, email [email protected].
If you have questions about viewing the docket (USCG-2001-10486), call
Ms. Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-
366-9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coast Guard established a standard for
the allowable concentration of living organisms in ships' ballast water
discharged in waters of the United States (77 FR 17254). The Coast
Guard also established an approval process for ballast water management
systems (77 FR 17254). These new regulations will aid in controlling
the introduction and spread of nonindigenous species from ships'
ballast water in waters of the United States. With the exception of
this collection of information, the final rule becomes effective on
June 21, 2012. In the final rule, the Coast Guard included a provision
to allow vessel owners and operators to request an extension of their
compliance date if they cannot practicably comply with the compliance
date otherwise applicable to their vessels. This extension provision
will give flexibility to vessel owners and operators to comply with the
final rule.
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), an
agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information until the
collection is approved by OMB. Accordingly, the preamble to the final
rule stated that the Coast Guard would not enforce the collection of
information requirements occurring under 33 CFR 151.1513 and 151.2036
until the collection of information request was approved by OMB, and
also stated that the Coast Guard would publish a notice in the Federal
Register announcing that OMB approved and assigned a control number for
the requirement.
The Coast Guard submitted the information collection request to OMB
for approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. On
May 10, 2012, OMB approved the revision to the existing collection of
information, OMB Control Number 1625-0069, entitled ``Ballast Water
Management for Vessels with Ballast Tanks Entering U.S. Waters.'' The
approval for this collection of information expires on May 31, 2015.
Dated: June 6, 2012.
F.J. Sturm,
Acting Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, U.S. Coast
Guard.
[FR Doc. 2012-14382 Filed 6-12-12; 8:45 am]
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