[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 247 (Thursday, December 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70983-70984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-27772]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket Number USCG-2019-0946]


Application for Recertification of Prince William Sound Regional 
Citizens' Advisory Council

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of, and seeks 
comments on, the recertification of the Prince William Sound Regional 
Citizen's Advisory Council (PWSRCAC) for March 2, 2020 through February 
28, 2021. Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), the Coast Guard 
may certify the PWSRCAC on an annual basis. This advisory group 
monitors the activities of terminal facilities and crude oil tankers 
under the Prince William Sound program established by the statute. The 
Coast Guard may certify an alternative voluntary advisory group in lieu 
of the PWSRCAC. The current certification for the PWSRCAC will expire 
March 1, 2020.

DATES: Public comments on PWSRCAC's recertification application must 
reach the Seventeenth Coast Guard District on or before February 10, 
2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2019-0946 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://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 on this 
recertification, call or email LT Ian McPhillips, Seventeenth Coast 
Guard District (dpi); telephone (907) 463-2809; email 
Ian.P.McPhillips@uscg.mil. If you have questions on viewing or 
submitting material to the docket, contact the U. S. Coast Guard 
Headquarters, Regulations and Administrative Law office, telephone 
(202) 372-3862.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We view public participation as essential to effective rulemaking, 
and will consider all comments and material received during the comment 
period. Your comment can help shape the outcome of this rulemaking. If 
you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this 
rulemaking,

[[Page 70984]]

indicate the specific section of this document to which each comment 
applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or recommendation.
    We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be 
submitted using http://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate 
instructions.
    We accept anonymous comments. All comments received will be posted 
without change to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any 
personal information you have provided. For more about privacy and the 
docket, you may review a Privacy Act notice regarding the Federal 
Docket Management System in the March 24, 2005, issue of the Federal 
Register (70 FR 15086).
    Documents mentioned in this notice as being available in the 
docket, and all public comments, will be in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following that website's 
instructions. Additionally, if you go to the online docket and sign up 
for email alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted or a 
final rule is published.

II. 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 notice 
regarding our public dockets in the January 17, 2008, issue of the 
Federal Register (73 FR 3316).

III. Public Meeting

    The Coast Guard does not plan to hold a public meeting. But you may 
submit a request for one on or before February 10, 2020 using the 
method specified under ADDRESSES. Please explain why you believe a 
public meeting would be beneficial. If we determine that one would aid 
the process of thoroughly considering the application for 
recertification, we will hold one at a time and place announced by a 
later notice in the Federal Register.

IV. Background and Purpose

    The Coast Guard published guidelines on December 31, 1992 (57 FR 
62600), to assist groups seeking recertification under the Oil Terminal 
and Oil Tanker Environmental Oversight and Monitoring Act of 1990 (33 
U.S.C. 2732) (the Act). The Coast Guard issued a policy statement on 
July 7, 1993 (58 FR 36504), to clarify the factors that the Coast Guard 
would be considering in making its determination as to whether advisory 
groups should be certified in accordance with the Act, and the 
procedures which the Coast Guard would follow in meeting its 
certification responsibilities under the Act. Most recently, on 
September 16, 2002 (67 FR 58440), the Coast Guard changed its policy on 
recertification procedures for regional citizen's advisory council by 
requiring applicants to provide comprehensive information every three 
years. For the two years in between, applicants only submit information 
describing substantive changes to the information provided at the last 
triennial recertification. This is the year in this triennial cycle 
that PWSRCAC must provide comprehensive information.
    The Coast Guard is accepting comments concerning the 
recertification of PWSRCAC. At the conclusion of the comment period on 
February 10, 2020, the Coast Guard will review all application 
materials and comments received and will take one of the following 
actions:
    (a) Recertify the advisory group under 33 U.S.C. 2732(o);
    (b) Issue a conditional recertification for a period of 90 days, 
with a statement of any discrepancies, which must be corrected to 
qualify for recertification for the remainder of the year; or
    (c) Deny recertification of the advisory group if the Coast Guard 
finds that the group is not broadly representative of the interests and 
communities in the area or is not adequately fostering the goals and 
purposes of 33 U.S.C. 2732.
    The Coast Guard will notify PWSRCAC by letter of the action taken 
on its application. A notice will be published in the Federal Register 
to advise the public of the Coast Guard's determination.

    Dated: December 18, 2019.
Melissa L. Rivera,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard 
District.
[FR Doc. 2019-27772 Filed 12-23-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P


