[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 57 (Thursday, March 24, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16759-16760]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06228]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket Number USCG-2020-0172]


Port Access Route Study: Seacoast of New Jersey Including 
Offshore Approaches to the Delaware Bay, Delaware

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the completion of the Port Access 
Route Study for the Seacoast of New Jersey Including Offshore 
Approaches to the Delaware Bay, Delaware. The study examined existing 
shipping routes and waterway uses, to include the potential for 
offshore energy development, in the study area to evaluate the need for 
establishing or changing existing vessel routing measures. This notice 
summarizes the study's recommendation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this 
notice or study, call or email Mr. Matthew Creelman, Marine Planner at 
Fifth Coast Guard District, telephone (757) 398-6225, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Table of Abbreviations

ACPARS Atlantic Coast Ports Access Route Study
BOEM Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
DHS Department of Homeland Security
FR Federal Register
IMO International Maritime Organization
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
OREI Offshore Renewable Energy Installation
PARS Port Access Route Study
SAR Search and Rescue
USCG United States Coast Guard

II. Background and Purpose

    We conducted this Port Access Route Study (PARS) following a Notice 
of Study, published in the Federal Register on May 5, 2020. There was a 
60-day public comment period, as well as other outreach efforts 
identified in Section C of the study. During the comment period the 
USCG received 32 comments in response to the notice.
    We conducted two (2) public meetings, as published in the Federal 
Register (85 FR 64507), on September 13, 2020. Audio recordings of both 
meetings are contained in the public docket as annotated in Section C 
of the study.
    On September 24, 2021, we published a Notice of Availability of the 
draft study in the Federal Register (86 FR 53089) with a 30-day public 
comment period and a request for public comment.
    During the 30-day public comment period, the USCG received 15 
comments in response to our draft study. All comments and supporting 
documents are available in the public docket and can be viewed at 
https://www.regulations.gov. To view documents, in the ``Search'' box 
insert ``USCG-2020-0172'' and click ``Search''.
    The goal of the study is to enhance navigational safety in the 
study area by examining existing shipping routes and waterway uses. We 
have undertaken measures to (1) determine what, if any, navigational 
safety concerns exist with vessel transits in the study area; (2) 
determine whether to recommend changes to enhance navigational safety 
by examining existing shipping routes and all other waterway uses; and 
(3) reconcile any other proposed changes with other reasonable waterway 
uses.

III. Study Recommendations

    The recommendations of this PARS are based on the data analysis for 
historical vessel traffic patterns, comments received to the docket, 
public outreach, and consultation with other government agencies and 
stakeholders. Recommendations in the study include:
    1. Submit proposals to the IMO to create precautionary areas 
offshore from the entrance to the Delaware River where shipping safety 
fairways and traffic separation schemes intersect.
    2. Submit proposals to the IMO to extend the Traffic Separation 
Schemes in the approach to the Delaware River beyond any OREI lease 
areas adjacent to the approaches.
    3. Submit a proposal to the IMO to extend the two-way route along 
the New Jersey coast across the entrance of the Delaware Bay and along 
the Delaware coast.
    4. Amend the proposed Shipping Safety Fairways along the Atlantic 
Coast to separate the Cape Charles to Montauk Point Fairway into a Cape 
Charles to Delaware Bay Fairway and a Barnegat to Narragansett Fairway.
    5. Create a New Jersey to New York Fairway and include this in the 
Shipping Safety Fairways along the Atlantic Coast.
    6. Establish a Fairway Anchorage adjacent to the Southeastern 
Traffic Separation Scheme to accommodate future needs for safe 
anchorage around OREI.

[[Page 16760]]

IV. Summary of Changes

    Recommendations in Section F were expanded to include a general 
notice to mariners on navigation safety around OREI.
    The table of coordinates was removed in an effort to avoid 
confusion. Detailed coordinates for proposed routing measures, 
fairways, and anchorage grounds will be announced in future 
rulemakings.
    A statement acknowledging the impact of OREI on SAR was included in 
Section F to address future actions necessary to ensure operational 
units revise plans to incorporate in the future.
    A section summarizing comments to the draft report from the public 
was added as a new Section G and subsequent sections were re-labeled to 
incorporate this addition.

V. Future Actions

    The USCG will continue to serve as a NEPA cooperating agency to the 
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) environmental review of each 
proposed OREI project. In that role, the USCG will evaluate the 
navigational safety risks of each proposal on a case-by-case basis.
    The final study will be submitted to the Coast Guard's Office of 
Navigation Systems (CG-NAV-2) for consideration and to inform the Coast 
Guard's ongoing efforts to establish shipping safety fairways along the 
Atlantic Coast, which can be found at 85 FR 37034.
    The final study is available for viewing and download from the 
Federal Register docket at http://www.regulations.gov or the USCG 
Navigation Center website at https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=PARSReports.

    Dated: March 18, 2022.
Laura M. Dickey,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2022-06228 Filed 3-23-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P


