[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 98 (Monday, May 21, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23476-23477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10696]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2018-0488]


Notice of Public Workshop on Consistent Implementation of 
Regulation 14.1.3 of MARPOL Annex VI (Global 0.50% Sulfur Cap)

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The United States Coast Guard and United States Environmental 
Protection Administration will conduct a public workshop in Washington, 
DC in preparation for the upcoming intersessional working group meeting 
of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on consistent 
implementation of regulation 14.1.3 of MARPOL Annex IV (Global 0.50% 
Sulfur Cap). The purpose of this meeting will be to consider the issues 
that will be discussed at that intersessional working group meeting.

[[Page 23477]]


DATES: This public meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 5, beginning 
at 10:00 a.m. and ending at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time. This meeting is 
open to the public.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 5, located on the 
first floor near the main entrance of the United States Department of 
Transportation building in Washington, DC. The United States Department 
of Transportation building is located at 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, in 
Washington, DC, across the street from the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro 
Station. Due to security requirements, each visitor must present a 
valid government-issued photo identification (for example, a driver's 
license) in order to gain entrance to the building. Those desiring to 
attend the public meeting should contact the Coast Guard ahead of the 
meeting (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) to facilitate the 
security process related to building access, or to request reasonable 
accommodation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about this 
public meeting you may contact Mr. Wayne Lundy by telephone at (202) 
372-1379 or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Annex VI to the International Convention for 
the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Annex VI) addresses air 
pollution from ships. Regulation 14 addresses particulate matter (PM) 
and sulfur oxide (SOX) emissions through fuel sulfur content 
limits. Beginning on January 1, 2015, fuel used in ships operating in 
designated Emission Control Areas (ECAs), including the North American 
and U.S. Caribbean Sea ECAs, may not exceed 1,000 ppm. Outside of 
designated ECAs, the sulfur content of marine fuel currently may not 
exceed 35,000 ppm; this limit will be reduced to 5,000 ppm beginning on 
January 1, 2020.
    As required by Regulation 14.8 of Annex VI, the 2020 global sulfur 
cap was reviewed and the limit was confirmed by the Marine Environment 
Protection Committee at its 70th session in 2017. At the 71st session, 
the Marine Environment Protection Committee agreed on a new work output 
to consider measures to promote consistent implementation of the global 
sulfur cap to address industry concerns and promote a level playing 
field with regard to compliance and enforcement of the new standards. 
An intersessional working group meeting will be held in July 2018, and 
recommendations will be provided to the 73rd session of the Marine 
Environment Protection Committee that meets in October 2018.
    To obtain stakeholder input in advance of the intersessional 
working group meeting, the Coast Guard and EPA will conduct a meeting 
on Tuesday, June 5 at the United States Department of Transportation 
building in Washington, DC. At this meeting, the Coast Guard and EPA 
will provide background information on the MEPC action; afterwards, a 
discussion will be moderated by Coast Guard to consider the following 
topics.
    [cir] What preparatory and transitional issues should be 
considered, and how should they be addressed? Ship owners are expected 
to develop plans and procedures to ensure their ships operate with 
compliant fuel beginning January 1, 2020. However, issues may arise for 
a short period after the effective date of the global sulfur cap that 
may impede compliance. Stakeholders are encouraged to describe what 
these issues are, how they may be resolved, and the length of time they 
are expected to occur.
    [cir] Are there safety and machinery impacts associated with the 
use of blended fuels, and how should these be addressed? At this time 
it is not known the extent to which fuels compliant with the 2020 
global sulfur cap will be purpose refined or blended. Stakeholders are 
encouraged to describe whether they expect to use blended fuels and 
whether they expect to adopt special procedures to handle and use such 
fuels.
    [cir] Regulation 18.2 requires ships to report fuel oil non-
availability. One option being addressed by the Committee is the 
creation of a formal Fuel Oil Non-Availability Reporting (FONAR) 
system, which would require a ship to file a report with the port 
State, the ship's flag administration, and potentially the IMO, if the 
ship is unable to obtain compliant fuel without deviating from its 
planned voyage. Stakeholders are encouraged to indicate if such a 
system would be helpful and, if so, whether the reporting be uniform, 
the information that should be included in a standard format, how 
efforts to obtain compliant fuel should be documented, and where the 
report should be filed.
    [cir] What shipboard verification procedures should be encouraged/
required, and how can these procedures facilitate verification? As 
specified in Annex VI, assessment of a ship's compliance with the fuel 
sulfur limits relies on examination of bunker delivery notes and, 
potentially, analysis of the MARPOL sample. Stakeholders are encouraged 
to indicate how this system can be improved to provide timely analysis 
of this information (e.g., ship-prepared summary reports of bunker 
delivery notes). Stakeholders are also invited to provide input on 
other methods to verify compliance, such as onboard fuel sampling or 
other types of verification (e.g., continuous SOX emission 
monitoring).
    [cir] What methods and procedures can port States adopt to 
facilitate a level playing field?
    [cir] What methods and procedures can flag States adopt to 
facilitate a level playing field?
    [cir] What type of guidance, if any, would be helpful to ensure 
consistent implementation and a level playing field?
    This meeting is open to the public. Please note that the public 
meeting has a limited number of seats and may close early if all 
business is finished. Those interested in attending should contact Mr. 
Wayne Lundy by telephone at (202) 372-1379 or by email at 
[email protected].
    Summaries of comments made, materials presented, and lists of 
attendees will be available on the docket at the conclusion of the 
meeting. To view comments and materials in the docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov at any time, enter the docket number ``USCG-2018-
0488'' in the Search box, and click on ``Go>>.''

Information on Services for Individuals With Disabilities

    For information on facilities or services for individuals with 
disabilities or to request special assistance at the meeting, contact 
Mr. Wayne Lundy at (202) 372-1379 or by email at [email protected] 
as soon as possible.

B.J. Hawkins,
Acting Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, U.S. Coast 
Guard.
[FR Doc. 2018-10696 Filed 5-18-18; 8:45 am]
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