Weston Shipping Inc.; Application for Temporary Written Consent Pursuant to Section 506 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as Amended, For The Transfer Of The PRESIDENT HARRISON to the Domestic Coastwise Trade

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket S-935]

Weston Shipping Inc.; Application for Temporary Written Consent

Pursuant to Section 506 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as Amended,

For The Transfer Of The PRESIDENT HARRISON to the Domestic Coastwise

Trade

Notice is hereby given that Weston Shipping Inc. (Weston), a U.S

company, by letter dated April 1, 1996, requests temporary written

consent pursuant to section 506 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as

amended (Act), for transfer of the construction-differential subsidy

built containership PRESIDENT HARRISON (Vessel) to the domestic

coastwise trade commencing June 1, 1996, until November 30, 1996, a

period of six months. The Vessel is currently under charter to American

President Lines (APL). The purpose of this request, Weston adds, is to

permit the Vessel to haul cargo from the United States to Puerto Rico.

According to Weston, the Vessel will be Jones Act eligible on

November 30, 1996. Further, APL's bareboat charter will end on its own

terms on July 31, 1996, and APL has advised Weston that it will not

renew its charter. Given that fact, Weston advises that if consent is

granted, it will attempt to immediately employ the Vessel in the Puerto

Rico trade and terminate the remaining charter with APL. Weston

contends, however, that if consent is not granted, it cannot

financially afford to lay-up the Vessel until the Vessel becomes Jones

Act eligible and therefore the Vessel will be scrapped on July 31,

1996.

It is Weston's view, however, that scrapping the Vessel would

represent a further loss for the U.S.-flagged shipping industry. Weston

believes that the Vessel has a good five to 10 years of useful life

remaining and would provide full employment for at least 50 merchant

mariners over that time period. Weston also believes that the Vessel

would provide cost effective interstate trade between the United States

and Puerto Rico.

Any person, firm, or corporation having any interest in the

application for section 506 consent and desiring to submit comments

concerning Weston's request must by the close of business on April 23,

1996 file written comments in triplicate, to the Secretary, Maritime

Administration, Room 7210, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20590. The Maritime Administration, as a matter of

discretion, will consider any comments submitted and take such action

as may be deemed appropriate.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 20.800

Construction-Differential Subsidies (CDS)).

By Order of the Maritime Administrator.

Dated: April 4, 1996.

Joel C. Richard,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96-8889 Filed 4-9-96; 8:45 am]

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