[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 71068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-26863]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[USCG-2001-9267]
Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program; Programmatic
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of the Final
Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) and Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI) that evaluated the potential environmental
impacts resulting from the implementation of the Shipboard Technology
Evaluation Program (STEP). The purpose of STEP is to facilitate the
development of effective ballast water treatment technologies to
protect U.S. waters against the unintentional introduction of
nonindigenous species via ballast water discharges. STEP will create
more options for vessels seeking alternatives to ballast water exchange
as they manage their ballast water.
ADDRESSES: Comments and material received from the public, as well as
documents mentioned in this notice as being available in the docket,
are part of docket USCG-2001-9267 and are available for inspection or
copying at the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC,
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. You may also find this docket on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this program
call Mr. Bivan Patnaik, Project Manager at (202) 267-1744 or e-mail:
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing or submitting
material to the docket, call Andrea M. Jenkins, Program Manager, Docket
Operations, Department of Transportation, telephone 202-366-0271.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Section 102(2)(c)), as implemented by
the Council on Environment Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508)
and Coast Guard Policy for Considering Environmental Impacts (COMDTINST
M16475.1D), the Coast Guard prepared a final PEA and FONSI for
implementing STEP.
Response to Comments
The Coast Guard received one comment on the draft PEA. The
commenter stated that the Coast Guard made inaccurate statements
regarding the effectiveness of ozone as a ballast water treatment
technology and the corrosion issues associated with the use of ozone.
Although the Coast Guard commends the ongoing efforts of developers
of ozone technologies as an effective treatment for ballast water, we
disagree with the commenter. Based on our review of peer-reviewed
published literature and documents submitted by the commenter, it is
premature to conclude that ozone will effectively remove all organisms
or that corrosion is not an issue. Therefore, no changes were made to
the final PEA. We look forward to the results of future research on the
effectiveness of ozone technologies and we encourage the commenter to
consider participation in STEP.
Programmatic Environmental Assessment
The final PEA identified and examined those reasonable alternatives
needed to effectively implement STEP. The final PEA analyzed the no
action alternative and two action alternatives that could fulfill the
purpose and need of STEP. The final PEA is a program document meant to
provide a broad environmental review of a Federal agency's (Coast
Guard) national program. In this case, the final PEA provided a broad,
general view of the potential environmental impacts that could be
anticipated by implementing STEP. Specifically, the final PEA
considered potential effects to the natural and human environments
including: fish; marine mammals; invertebrates; microbes and plankton;
submerged and emergent species; threatened and endangered species;
essential fish habitats; and various socioeconomic resources. The final
PEA could not foresee all possible specific operational sites or
cumulative environmental impacts as a result of implementing any of the
action alternatives. However, once specific operational sites and
individual shipboard ballast water treatment technologies have been
identified, these technologies will undergo a more specific
environmental review (tiering). This environmental review of individual
shipboard ballast water treatment technologies and specific operational
sites will result in the issuance of either: (1) Categorical Exclusion;
(2) Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) after an Environmental
Assessment (EA); or (3) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Dated: November 18, 2004.
Joseph J. Angelo,
Director of Standards, Marine Safety, Security & Environmental
Protection.
[FR Doc. 04-26863 Filed 12-7-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P