[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32052-32053]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-12671]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket Number USCG-2019-0862]


Port Access Route Study: Approaches to the Chesapeake Bay, 
Virginia

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft report; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: On November 27, 2019 the Coast Guard published a notice of 
study and request for comments (84 FR 65398), announcing a Port Access 
Route Study (PARS) for the Approaches to the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. 
This notice announces the availability of a draft report for public 
review and comment. We seek your comments on the content, proposed 
routing measures, and development of the report. The recommendations of 
the study may lead to future rulemakings or appropriate international 
agreements.

DATES: Your comments and related material must reach the Coast Guard on 
or before July 16, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2019-0862 using the Federal portal at https://www.regulations.gov. See 
the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further instructions on 
submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this 
notice or study, call or email Mr. Jerry Barnes, Fifth Coast Guard 
District (dpw), U.S. Coast Guard; telephone (757) 398-6230, email 
Jerry.R.Barnes@uscg.mil; or Captain Maureen Kallgren, Fifth Coast Guard 
District (dpw), U.S. Coast Guard; telephone (757) 398-6250, email 
Maureen.R.Kallgren@uscg.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Table of Abbreviations

DHS Department of Homeland Security
FR Federal Register
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
PARS Port Access Route Study
ACPARS Atlantic Coast Ports Access Route Study
U.S.C. United States Code
WEA Wind Energy Area

II. Background and Purpose

    The Ports and Waterways Safety Act (46 U.S.C. 70003(c)) requires 
the Coast Guard to conduct a PARS, i.e., a study of potential traffic 
density and the need for safe access routes for vessels. Through the 
study process, the Coast Guard coordinates with Federal, State, local, 
tribal and foreign state agencies (as appropriate) to consider the 
views of maritime community representatives, environmental groups, and 
other interested stakeholders. The primary purpose of this coordination 
is, to the extent practicable, to reconcile the need for safe access 
routes with other reasonable waterway uses such as construction and 
operation of renewable energy facilities and other uses of the Atlantic 
Ocean in the study area.
    In 2019, the Coast Guard announced a supplemental study of routes 
used by all vessels to access ports on the Atlantic Coast of the United 
States (84 FR 9541, March 15, 2019). This notice announced PARS for 
specific port approaches and international transit areas along the 
Atlantic Coast. The purpose of the supplemental studies is to align the 
Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study (ACPARS) (81 FR 13307, March 14, 
2016) with port approaches. The ACPARS analyzed the Atlantic Coast 
waters seaward of existing port approaches within the U.S. Exclusive 
Economic Zone and was finalized in 2017 (82 FR 16510, April 5, 2017).
    The purpose of this notice is to announce the draft PARS that 
examines the approaches to the Chesapeake Bay, VA, in conjunction with 
the implementation of recommendations of the ACPARS, and to solicit 
public comments. We encourage you to participate in the study process 
by submitting comments in response to this notice. This supplemental 
PARS used AIS data and information from stakeholders to identify and 
verify customary navigation routes as well as potential conflicts 
involving alternative activities, such as wind energy generation and 
offshore mineral exploitation and exploration in the approaches to the 
Chesapeake Bay, Virginia.
    On November 27, 2019, the Coast Guard published a Notice of Study; 
request for comments entitled ``Port Access Route Study: Approaches to 
the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia'' in the Federal Register (84 FR 65398). 
The public was afforded a 60-day comment period, and the option to 
request public meetings. The Coast Guard conducted outreach with port 
partners during this time. The comment period was closed on January 27, 
2020.
    The study area extends approximately 220 nautical miles seaward of 
the Chesapeake Bay, between Ocean City, MD, and Cape Hatteras, NC. An 
illustration showing the study area is available in the docket where 
indicated under ADDRESSES. Additionally, the study area is available 
for viewing on the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal at http://portal.midatlanticocean.org/visualize/. See the ``Maritime'' portion of 
the Data Layers section.

III. Discussion

    PARS are the means by which program managers determine the need to 
establish traffic routing measures or shipping safety fairways to 
reduce the risk of collision, allision and grounding, and their impact 
on the environment, increase the efficiency and predictability of 
vessel traffic, and preserve the paramount right of navigation while 
continuing to allow for other reasonable waterway uses. The study 
analyzes current routing measures around the approaches to Chesapeake 
Bay and proposes an adequate way to manage the forecasted maritime 
traffic growth, as well as the co-dependent use of the waters in 
support of future development.
    The Coast Guard received 11 comments in response to our Federal 
Register notice and other outreach efforts. All comments and supporting 
documents are available in a public docket and can be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov. In the ``Search'' box insert ``USCG-2019-0862'' 
and click ``Search.'' Click the ``Open Docket Folder'' in the 
``Actions'' column. These comments were submitted by

[[Page 32053]]

commercial maritime operators and state and port partners. Topics 
covered by these comments included support and requests for additional 
routing measures around WEAs, requests for collaboration with state 
organizations, and requests for NEPA compliance and Environmental 
Impact Studies to be completed. A synopsis of the comments and copies 
of the Coast Guard's Public outreach can be found in the report.
    As a result of the data analysis within this study and considering 
the comments received the Coast Guard proposes five measures for 
consideration by the public. Any comments received will be reviewed and 
considered before a final version of the Approaches to Chesapeake Bay 
PARS is announced in the Federal Register. This notice is published 
under the authority of 46 U.S.C. 70004 and 5 U.S.C. 552(a).

IV. Information Requested

    We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal portal at 
https://www.regulations.gov. In your submission, please include the 
docket number for this notice of inquiry and provide a reason for each 
suggestion or recommendation. If your material cannot be submitted 
using https://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate 
instructions.
    We accept anonymous comments. Comments we post to https://www.regulations.gov will include any personal information you have 
provided. For more about privacy and submissions in response to this 
document, see DHS's eRulemaking System of Records notice (85 FR 14226, 
March 11, 2020).
    Documents mentioned in this notice of inquiry as being available in 
the docket, and public comments, will be in our online docket at 
https://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following that 
website's instructions. We review all comments received, but we may 
choose not to post off-topic, inappropriate, or duplicate comments that 
we receive. If you visit the online docket and sign up for email 
alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted or if a final 
rule is published.

    Dated: May 25, 2021.
Laura M. Dickey,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2021-12671 Filed 6-15-21; 8:45 am]
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