[Federal Register: January 17, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 10)]
[Notices]
[Page 2559]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17ja06-64]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[USCG-2005-22541]
Merchant Mariner Credentials: Temporary Procedures
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of extension of validity for merchant mariner
credentials.
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SUMMARY: On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the
coastlines of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The Regional
Examination Center at New Orleans, which provided credentialing
services to approximately 29,000 mariners in those three states and 14
percent of mariners nationwide, was completely flooded, destroying
vital records and equipment and rendering the facility temporarily
inoperable. Mariners in the area may have lost their credentials in the
storm and subsequent flooding, or may be in possession of credentials
that either have expired or will soon be expiring. The Coast Guard has
previously implemented temporary measures to relieve the hardship on
mariners in the Gulf Coast area who need replacement documents. With
new temporary authority granted by Congress, the Coast Guard is
implementing the additional measure of extending the expiration dates
for the credentials of eligible mariners until February 28, 2006.
DATES: This Notice is effective January 17, 2006.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice,
call Mr. Donald J. Kerlin, Deputy Director, Coast Guard National
Maritime Center (NMC), (202) 493-1006.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 3 of the Coast Guard
Hurricane Relief Act of 2005, Public Law 109-141, the Coast Guard is
initiating temporary credentialing measures for merchant mariner's
documents (MMD), merchant marine licenses, certificates of registry
(COR), and Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping
endorsements (STCW endorsement) for individuals who meet the following
conditions:
(1) if the individual is a resident of Alabama, Mississippi, or
Louisiana as confirmed by the Coast Guard's Merchant Mariner Licensing
and Documentation system (MMLD), or
(2) if the individual is a resident of any other State, and the
records of the individual--
(A) were located at the Coast Guard facility in New Orleans that
was damaged by Hurricane Katrina; or
(B) were damaged or lost as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
A credential that shows that it was issued in New Orleans, LA, will
be sufficient proof that the mariner's records were located at the
Coast Guard facility in New Orleans for category (2)(A) above.
The following measures are applicable to all eligible mariners
whose credentials have been lost, or have expired, or may expire,
during the period indicated within this Notice.
Until February 28, 2006, mariners from Alabama, Mississippi, and
Louisiana who lost their credentials may apply at any REC to receive a
duplicate credential that will bear the same expiration date and
qualifications as the original document that was lost. The evaluation
and issuance fees, usually charged for the issuance of duplicate
credentials, will be waived. Please see the Notices published in the
Federal Register in Volume 70, pages 57885 (October 4, 2005) and 59078
(October 11, 2005) for more details on the waiver program.
Due to the time it takes to process renewal applications, mariners
who visit an REC to obtain a duplicate credential that is within one
year of expiration should apply for a renewal or upgraded credential at
the same time that they receive their duplicate credential.
If a credential in a mariner's possession, including a duplicate
issued under the provisions described above, has expired or will expire
between March 1, 2005, and February 28, 2006, and the credential
indicates that either the mariner's home of record is in Alabama,
Mississippi, or Louisiana, or that the credential was issued at New
Orleans, LA, then that credential together with a copy of this Notice
will serve as a valid credential until February 28, 2006.
A mariner who is a resident of any other State, and whose
credential was issued at a location other than New Orleans and has
expired or will expire between March 1, 2005, and February 28, 2006,
and whose records were damaged or lost as a result of Hurricane
Katrina, should contact any REC for the procedures to obtain official
correspondence affirming that the mariner's credential remains valid
until February 28, 2006.
Due to the hurricane, Regional Examination Center (REC) New Orleans
was forced to close for approximately six months or more and additional
resources were allocated to RECs Memphis, Houston, Miami, and
Charleston. Mariners may seek assistance at these or any of the other
12 RECs around the country, a list of which appears at 46 CFR 10.105
and 12.01-7.
Authority: Coast Guard Hurricane Relief Act of 2005, PL 109-141,
2005 HR 4508, 46 U.S.C. 2103, 2110, 7101, 7302, 7501, and 7502, and
Department of Homeland Security Delegation No. 0170.1.
Dated: January 11, 2006.
C.E. Bone,
Acting Assistant Commandant for Prevention, RDML, U.S.C.G.
[FR Doc. E6-406 Filed 1-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P