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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[CGD17-99-013]

Application for Recertification of Prince William Sound Regional

Citizens' Advisory Council

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of the application

for recertification submitted by the Prince William Sound Regional

Citizens' Advisory Council (PWSRCAC). A recertification would be valid

for a year. Under the Oil Terminal and Oil Tanker Environmental

Oversight and Monitoring Act of 1990, the Coast Guard also may certify,

on an annual basis, an alternative voluntary advisory group instead of

the Regional Citizens' Advisory Council for Prince William Sound.

DATES: Comments must reach the Seventeenth Coast Guard District on or

before February 7, 2000.

ADDRESSES: You may mail your comments to the Seventeenth Coast Guard

District (mor), P.O. Box 25517, Juneau, AK 99802. You may also deliver

them to the Juneau Federal Building, room 753, 709 W 9th Juneau, AK

between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal

holidays.

The Seventeenth Coast Guard District maintains the public docket

for this recertification process. Comments regarding recertification

will become part of this docket and will be available for inspection or

copying at the Juneau Federal Building, room 753, 709 W 9th Juneau, AK,

between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal

holidays. You may also access this docket via the ARRT web site:

www.akrrt.org.

A copy of the application is also available for inspection at the

Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council's Offices, at

3709 Spenard Rd., Anchorage, Alaska, 99503 or 154 Fairbanks Dr., P.O.

Box 3089, Valdez, Alaska, 99686, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday. The telephone number is (907) 277-7222 in

Anchorage, Alaska and (907) 835-5957 in Valdez, Alaska.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information regarding the

PWSRCAC, see their web site: www.pwsrcac.org. For questions on viewing,

or submitting material to the docket contact LCDR Larry Musarra,

Seventeenth Coast Guard District (mor), (907) 463-2211.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to submit written

data, views, or arguments. It solicits comments from interested groups

including oil terminal facility owners and operators, owners and

operators of crude oil tankers calling at terminal facilities, and

fishing, aquacultural, recreational and environmental citizens groups,

concerning the recertification application of PWSRCAC. Persons

submitting comments should include their names and addresses, identify

this rulemaking (CGD17-99-013) and the specific section of this

document to which each comment applies, and give the reason for each

comment. Please submit two copies of all comments and attachments in an

unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for

copying and electronic filing. Persons wanting acknowledgment of

receipt of comments should enclose stamped, self-addressed postcards or

envelopes.

The Coast Guard plans no public hearing. Persons may request a

public hearing by writing to Commander (m), 17th Coast Guard District,

P.O. Box 25517, Juneau, AK 99802. The request should include the

reasons why a hearing would be beneficial. If there is sufficient

evidence to determine that oral presentations will aid this

recertification process, the Coast Guard will hold a public hearing at

a time and place announced by a later notice in the Federal Register.

Background and Purpose

The Coast Guard published guidelines on December 31, 1992 (57 FR

626000), to assist groups seeking recertification

[[Page 801]]

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 36505), 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.

The Coast Guard has received an application for recertification of

PWSRCAC, the currently certified advisory group for the Prince William

Sound region. In accordance with the review and certification process

contained in the policy statement, the Coast Guard announces the

availability of that application.

At the conclusion of the comment period, 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.

(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 28, 1999.

T.J. Barrett,

Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard

District.

[FR Doc. 00-249 Filed 1-5-00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-15-M