[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 26 (Friday, February 7, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7470-7471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02708]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2013-1084]
Draft Policy Letters: Guidance for the Use of Liquefied Natural
Gas as a Marine Fuel
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability, in the docket, of
two draft policy letters for which it seeks public comment. The first
draft policy letter provides voluntary guidance for liquefied natural
gas (LNG) fuel transfer operations on vessels using natural gas as fuel
in U.S. waters, and training of personnel on those vessels. It
recommends transfer and personnel training measures that we believe
will achieve a level of safety that is at least equivalent to that
provided for traditional fueled vessels. It would apply to vessels
equipped to receive LNG for use as fuel, but not to vessels carrying
LNG as cargo that use boil-off gas as fuel. The second draft policy
letter discusses voluntary guidance and existing regulations applicable
to vessels and waterfront facilities conducting LNG marine fuel
transfer (bunkering) operations. The second draft policy letter
provides voluntary guidance on safety, security, and risk assessment
measures we believe will ensure safe LNG bunkering operations. We
request your comments on these draft policy letters before signature
and public release.
DATES: Comments and related material must either be submitted to our
online docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or before March 10,
2014 or reach the Docket Management Facility by that date.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2013-1084 using any one of the following methods:
(1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
(2) Fax: 202-493-2251.
(3) Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department of
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
(4) Hand delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone
number is 202-366-9329.
To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods.
See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for instructions on
submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice,
call or email Ken Smith, Vessel and Facility Operating Standards
Division (CG-OES-2), U.S. Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-1413, email
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing or submitting
material to the docket, call Cheryl Collins, Program Manager, Docket
Operations, telephone 202-366-9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Participation and Request for Comments
We encourage you to submit comments and related material on the
proposed draft policy letters and voluntary guidance described in this
notice. All comments received will be posted, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any personal information you have
provided.
Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include the
docket number for this notice (USCG-2013-1084) and provide a reason for
each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and
material online, or by fax, mail or hand delivery, but please use only
one of these means. We recommend that you include your name and a
mailing address, an email address, or a telephone number in the body of
your document so that we can contact you if we have questions regarding
your submission.
To submit your comment online, go to http://www.regulations.gov,
type the docket number (USCG-2013-1084) in the ``SEARCH'' box and click
``SEARCH.'' Click on ``Submit a Comment'' on the line associated with
this notice. If you submit your comments by mail or hand delivery,
submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches,
suitable for copying and electronic filing. If you submit them by mail
and would like to know that they reached the Facility, please enclose a
stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will consider all
comments and material received during the comment period.
Viewing the comments and material in the docket: To view the policy
letters and comments on it, go to http://www.regulations.gov, type the
docket number (USCG-2013-1084) in the ``SEARCH'' box and click
``SEARCH.'' Click on ``Open Docket Folder'' on the line associated with
this notice. If you do not have access to the internet, you may view
the docket online by visiting the Docket Management facility in Room
W12-140 on the ground floor of the Department of Transportation West
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. We
have an
[[Page 7471]]
agreement with the Department of Transportation to use the Docket
Management Facility.
Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of comments
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review a
Privacy Act, system of records notice regarding our public dockets in
the January 17, 2008, issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 3316).
Background and Purpose
The shipping industry is exploring conversion from oil-based bunker
fuel to cleaner burning natural gas, because the use of natural gas as
vessel fuel would substantially reduce carbon emissions, sulfur
emissions, and nitrogen oxide emissions. This fuel would be stored on
and transferred to vessels in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
To date, the Coast Guard has issued no policy or regulations
specifically for vessels receiving LNG for use as fuel or for vessels
and waterfront facilities providing LNG for use as fuel. Existing
regulations cover design, equipment, operations, and training of
personnel on vessels that carry LNG as cargo and at waterfront
facilities that handle LNG in bulk. They also cover conventional oil
fuel transfer operations, but do not address LNG transferred as fuel.
The shipping industry, including vessels and waterfront facilities
intending to provide LNG as fuel, is looking to the Coast Guard to
provide guidance to help ensure the safe transfer and use of LNG as a
marine fuel.
The Coast Guard has developed two draft policy letters, available
in the docket, that recommend transfer procedures and other operating
guidelines for vessels and waterfront facilities providing LNG to
vessels for use as fuel and for vessels operating in U.S. waters that
will be fueled with natural gas that will be stored onboard as LNG. The
Coast Guard is interested in receiving public comment on these draft
policy letters and voluntary guidelines prior to finalizing them for
signature and public release. At a future date, we may initiate a
rulemaking on the topics discussed in these policy letters.
The draft policy letters and voluntary guidance would not apply to
vessels that carry LNG as cargo and utilize their boil-off gas as fuel.
They also would not provide guidance on vessel design criteria for
natural gas fuel systems or design of vessels providing LNG for use as
fuel. Questions related to the design of these systems should be
referred to the Coast Guard's Office of Design and Engineering
Standards (CG-ENG, formerly CG-521). To communicate with CG-ENG, please
contact Mr. Ken Smith (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section for
details).
Voluntary Policy
The draft policy letters proposed would be voluntary, except where
existing regulatory requirements are discussed. Although they may
assist the industry, public, Coast Guard, and other Federal and State
regulators in applying existing statutory and regulatory requirements,
the draft policy letters and guidance they contain are not a substitute
for applicable legal requirements nor are they regulations themselves.
We note the ongoing work of the International Maritime Organization in
this area, in particular regarding training of personnel engaged in
these operations. Developments within this body will be taken into
account during possible future revisions of the draft policy letters.
During the course of local operations, each Coast Guard Captain of the
Port (COTP) has discretionary authority on how best to address specific
safety and security concerns within his or her area of responsibility
(see, e.g., 33 CFR 1.01-30). Nothing in the draft policy letters and
guidance they contain are meant to override or subvert the discretion
of the COTP when addressing the unique safety and security concerns of
an LNG operation.
This notice is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 33
U.S.C. 1221-1236.
Dated: February 3, 2014.
J.G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, U.S. Coast Guard.
[FR Doc. 2014-02708 Filed 2-6-14; 8:45 am]
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