
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14314-14315]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05081]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2013-0090]


Towing Safety Advisory Committee; Meetings

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of Federal Advisory Committee Meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Towing Safety Advisory Committee will meet in New York 
City, New York, March 21 and 22, 2013, to review and discuss 
recommendations from its subcommittees, and to receive tasking and 
briefs listed in the agenda in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 
below. The subcommittees will meet March 20, 2012, and work on seven 
assigned tasks listed in the referenced agenda. All meetings will be 
open to the public.

DATES: Subcommittees will meet on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 from 8:30 
a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The full Committee will meet on Thursday, March 21, 
2013, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and again on Friday, March 22, 2013, from 8 
a.m. to 12 noon. These meetings may close early if all business is 
completed. Written statements and requests to make oral presentations 
at the meetings should reach the Coast Guard on or before March 14, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Alexander Hamilton U.S. 
Customs House, One Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004. Information on 
and directions to the Custom House may be found at its Web site at 
www.gsa.gov/portal/content/102466. If you are planning to attend the 
meeting, you will be required to pass through a security checkpoint and 
show your state-issued photo identification. Please arrive at least 30 
minutes before the planned start of the meeting in order to pass 
through security.
    For information on facilities or services for individuals with 
disabilities or to request special assistance at the meeting, contact 
the individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section 
as soon as possible.
    To facilitate public participation, we are inviting public comment 
on the issues to be considered by the committee as listed in the 
``Agenda'' section below. Written comments must be identified by the 
Docket Number USCG-2013-0090 and submitted via one of the following 
methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     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. We encourage use of 
electronic submissions because security screening may delay the 
delivery of mail.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.

[[Page 14315]]

     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.
    Instruction: All submissions received must include the words 
``Department of Homeland Security'' and the docket number of this 
action. All comments submitted will be posted on www.regulations.gov 
without alteration and will contain any personal information you 
provided. You may review a Privacy Act notice regarding our public 
dockets in the January 17, 2008, issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 
3316).
    Docket: For access to the docket to read documents or comments 
related to this notice, go to http://www.regulations.gov, insert USCG-
2013-0090 in the Search Box, press Enter, and then click on the item 
you are interested in viewing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Commander Robert L. Smith Jr., 
Designated Federal Officer (DFO) for TSAC, by Phone 202-372-1410, fax 
202-372-1926, or email Robert.L.Smith@uscg.mil or Mr. William J. 
Abernathy, Alternate DFO TSAC; by Phone 202-372-1363, fax 202-372-1926, 
or email William.J.Abernathy@uscg.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of these meetings is given under the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. App. (PL 92-463). This 
Committee is established in accordance with and operates under the 
provisions of the FACA. The Towing Safety Advisory Committee provides 
advice and recommendations to the Secretary of the Department of 
Homeland Security on matters and actions concerning shallow-draft 
inland and coastal waterway navigation and towing safety. See 33 U.S.C. 
1231a.

Agenda of Meetings

    The subcommittees will meet on March 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to 
work on their specific task assignments:
    (1) Task Statement 12-01, Recommendations for the Prevention of 
Towing Vessel Crewmember Falls Overboard.
    (2) Task Statement 12-02, Review and Recommendations for the 
Revision of NVIC 1-95, Voluntary Training Standards for Entry-Level 
Personnel on Towing Industry Vessels.
    (3) Task Statement 12-03, Recommendations for the Enhancement of 
Towing Vessel Operational Stability.
    (4) Task Statement 12-04, Recommendations for Safety Standards of 
Portable Facility Vapor Control Systems Used for Marine Operations.
    (5) Task Statement 12-05, Recommendations to Enhance Fire 
Prevention and Containment aboard Towing Vessels.
    (6) Task Statement 13-01, Recommendations to Automatic 
Identification System (AIS) Encoding for Towing Vessels.
    (7) Task Statement 13-02, Recommendations Regarding Manning of 
Inspected Towing Vessels.
    On March 21, 2013 from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on March 22, 2013 
from 8 a.m. until 12 noon, TSAC will meet to receive oral and written 
reports from its subcommittees on the following issues:
    (1) Recommendations for the Prevention of Towing Vessel Crewmember 
Falls Overboard. A final report will be given.
    (2) Review and Recommendations for the Revision of NVIC 1-95, 
Voluntary Training Standards for Entry-Level Personnel on Towing 
Industry Vessels. A final report will be given.
    (3) Recommendations for the Enhancement of Towing Vessel 
Operational Stability. A final report will be given.
    (4) Recommendations for Safety Standards of Portable Facility Vapor 
Control Systems Used for Marine Operations. A final report will be 
given.
    (5) Recommendations to Enhance Fire Prevention and Containment 
aboard Towing Vessels. An interim report will be given.
    (6) AIS encoding for Towing Vessels. An interim report will be 
given.
    (7) Recommendations regarding Manning of Inspected Towing Vessels. 
An interim report will be given.
    There will be a comment period for TSAC and a comment period for 
public after each report, but before each recommendation is formulated. 
The committee will review the information presented on each issue, 
deliberate on any recommendations presented in the subcommittees' 
reports, and formulate recommendations for the Department's 
consideration. A copy of each report will be available at http://homeport.uscg.mil/TSAC.
    The committee will also receive taskings from the Designated 
Federal Officer on the following:
    (1) Recommendations on the Designation of Narrow Channels;
    (2) Recommendations for the Standardization of Tug/Towboat 
Definitions, and;
    (3) Recommendations for Wake and Surge Attenuation Systems for 
Marinas Situated Near Commercial Navigation Channels.
    The Committee will receive briefs on the following topics:
    (1) A bi-annual report on the status of TSAC recommendations;
    (2) The Coast Guard's Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise;
    (3) The Coast Guard's Investigations National Center of Expertise;
    (4) The National Maritime Center concerning Medical Screening for 
Licensure; and
    (5) The Use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a Commercial Marine 
Fuel.

Procedural

    All meetings are open to the public. Please note that the meetings 
may close early if all business is complete. An opportunity for oral 
comments by the public will be provided during the meetings on March 21 
and March 22. Speakers are requested to limit their comments to 5 
minutes. Please note that the public oral comment period may end before 
the end of the stated meeting times if the committee has finished its 
business. If you would like to make an oral presentation at a meeting, 
please notify the DFO, listed above in the ``For Further Information 
Contact'' section, no later than March 14, 2013. Written statements (20 
copies) for distribution at a meeting should reach the Coast Guard no 
later than March 14, 2013.

Minutes

    Minutes from the meeting will be available for public review within 
90 days following the close of the meeting and can be accessed from the 
Coast Guard Homeport Web site http://homeport.uscg.mil/TSAC.

    Dated: February 28, 2013.
J. G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2013-05081 Filed 3-4-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P


