[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 241 (Thursday, December 16, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78722-78724]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31639]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2010-1104]
Intent To Prepare Programmatic Environmental Assessment Statement
for the Nationwide Implementation of the Interagency Operations Centers
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of intent and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to prepare a Programmatic
Environmental Assessment (PEA) for the proposed nationwide
implementation of the Interagency Operations Centers (IOC) Project and
requests public comments on the scope of the PEA.
DATES: Comments and related material must either be submitted to our
online docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or before January 18,
2011 or reach the Docket Management Facility by that date.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2010-1104 using any one of the following methods:
(1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
(2) Fax: 202-493-2251.
(3) Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department of
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
(4) Hand delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone
number is 202-366-9329.
To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods.
See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for instructions on
submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice,
please contact CAPT Alan Arsenault, Coast Guard, telephone 202-475-3717
or e-mail [email protected]. If you have questions on viewing
or submitting material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program
Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Participation and Request for Comments
We encourage you to submit comments and related material on the
scope of this PEA. Specifically, the Coast Guard requests input on any
environmental concerns that the public may have related to the
development of IOCs throughout the United States, sources of relevant
data or information, and any suggested analysis methods for inclusion
in the PEA. All comments received will be posted, without change, to
http://www.regulations.gov and will include any personal information
you have provided.
Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include the
docket number for this notice (USCG-2010-1104) and provide a reason for
each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and
material online, or by fax, mail or hand delivery, but please use only
one of these means. We recommend that you include your name and a
mailing address, an e-mail address, or a telephone number in the body
of your document so that we can contact you if we have questions
regarding your submission.
To submit your comment online, go to http://www.regulations.gov,
click on the ``submit a comment'' box, which will then become
highlighted in blue. In the ``Document Type'' drop down menu select
``Notices'' and insert ``USCG-2010-1104'' in the ``Keyword'' box. Click
``Search'' then click on the balloon shape in the ``Actions'' column.
If you submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an
unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for
copying and electronic filing. If you submit them by mail and would
like to know that they reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped,
self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will consider all comments and
material received during the comment period.
Viewing the comments: To view the comments, go to http://www.regulations.gov, click on the ``read comments'' box, which will
then become highlighted in blue. In the ``Keyword'' box insert ``USCG-
2010-1104'' and click ``Search.'' Click the ``Open Docket Folder'' in
the ``Actions'' column. If you do not have access to the Internet, you
may view the docket online by visiting the Docket Management Facility
in Room W12-140 on the ground floor of the Department of Transportation
West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590,
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. We have an agreement with the Department of Transportation to
use the Docket Management Facility.
Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of comments
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review a
Privacy Act system of records notice regarding our public dockets in
the January 17, 2008, issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 3316).
Background and Purpose
SAFE Port Act and the IOC Project
The Security and Accountability for Every Port Act of 2006 (SAFE
Port Act), Public Law 109-347, 120 Stat. 1884, was enacted to improve
maritime and United States port security through enhanced layered
defenses. Section 108 of the SAFE Port Act directs the establishment of
IOCs at all high priority ports that ``utilize, as appropriate, the
compositional and operations characteristics of existing centers'' and
are ``organized to fit the security needs, requirements, and resources
of the individual port area at which each is operating.''
The Coast Guard IOC Project will satisfy this mandate through the
development and transformation of approximately 35 existing Coast Guard
Sector Command Centers (SCCs) over the next 12 years into coordinated
planning and operations centers.
Purpose of the IOC Project
The purpose of the proposed nationwide implementation of the IOC
Project is to improve unity of effort among Federal, State, tribal, and
local port partners with shared port security responsibilities by
providing interagency command and control
[[Page 78723]]
facilities to monitor approaching water-borne traffic at high priority
ports in the United States and United States territories. The IOC's
information systems, facilities, and sensor networks will provide the
partner organizations with the ability to coordinate planning and
operational activities to gain a proactive posture in preventing,
protecting, responding, and recovering from emergency and illicit
activities in the ports. In addition, the IOC Project will facilitate
collaboration to gain efficiencies in operations execution, reduce
redundant activities (e.g., multiple boardings of a vessel by different
agencies), and share resources. The IOCs will improve tactical
decision-making, situational awareness, operations monitoring/
interoperability, rules-based processing, and joint planning in a
coordinated interagency environment.
IOC Implementation
The Coast Guard plans to implement the development of the IOCs
through upgrades or reconfiguration of current facilities, and through
leasing or building new facilities to increase the capacity and space
provided for security operations and interagency partners. Each IOC
will be tailored to the individual needs of the ports, and will be
operated in coordination with multiple partner agencies and
organizations including Federal agencies, State, tribal, and local law
enforcement, and port authorities.
The following table lists existing SCC locations being considered
for reconfiguration to IOCs.
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Addresses of SCC
Locations
Considered for
Transformation
to IOC
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Hampton Roads, San Francisco, 1 Boston, 427 Charleston, 196
4000 Coast Yerba Buena Commercial Tradd St.,
Guard, Island, San Street, Boston, Charleston, SC
Boulevard, Francisco, CA MA 02109-1027 29401-1817
Portsmouth, VA 94130-9309
23703-2199
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Tampa-St. San Diego, 2710 New York, 212 Sault Ste.
Petersburg, 600 Harbor Drive, N. Coast Guard Marie, 337
8th Avenue SE, San Diego, CA Drive, Staten Water St.,
St. Petersburg, 92101-1028 Island, NY Sault Ste.,
FL 33701-5099 10305 Marie, MI 49783-
9501
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Los Angeles/Long Puget Sound, 1519 Baltimore, 2401 Long Island, 120
Beach, 1001 S. Alaskan Way Hawkins Point Woodward Ave.,
Seaside Ave., South, Seattle, Rd., Baltimore, New Haven, CT
Bldg. 20, San WA 98134-1192 MD 21226-1797 06512-3698
Pedro, CA 90731-
0208
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Ohio Valley, 600 Columbia River, Delaware Bay, 1 Mobile, South
Martin Luther 2185 SE Airport Washington Broad St.,
King Jr., Rd., Warrenton, Avenue, Mobile, AL
Mazzoli Federal OR 97146-9693 Philadelphia, 36615
Bldg., Rm 421, PA 19147-4395
Louisville, KY
40202-2251
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Northern New Corpus Christi, Buffalo, 1 Jacksonville,
England, 259 8930 Ocean Dr., Fuhrmann 4200 Ocean St.,
High St., South Corpus Christi, Boulevard, Atlantic Beach,
Portland, ME TX 78419-5220 Buffalo, NY FL 2233-2416
04106-0007 14203-3189
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Southern New Houston- Detroit, 110 Mt. Juneau, 2760
England, Little Galveston, 9640 Elliot Ave., Sherwood Lane,
Harbor Rd., Clinton Dr., Detroit, MI Suite 2A,
Woods Hole, MA Houston, TX 48207-4380 Juneau, AK
02543-1099 77029-4328 99801-8545
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Lower Key West, 100 New Orleans, 201 Anchorage, 510 L
Mississippi, 2 A Trumbo Rd., Key Old Hammond Street, Suite
W Wills Ave., West, FL 33040- Hwy., Metairie, 100, Anchorage,
Memphis, TN 0005 LA 70005 AK 99501-1946
38105-1502
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Lake Michigan, Miami, 100 Guam, PSC 455, San Juan, 5
2420 S. Lincoln MacArthur Box 176, FPO, Calle La
Memorial Dr., Causeway, Rm. AP 96540-1056 Puntilla Final,
Milwaukee, WI 201, Miami San Juan, PR
53207-1997 Beach, FL 33139- 00901-1800
5101
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Upper Honolulu, 400 North Carolina, ................
Mississippi, Sand Island 2301 East Fort
1222 Spruce St., Parkway, Macon Rd.,
Suite 7.103, St. Honolulu, HI Atlantic Beach,
Louis, MO 63103- 96819-4398 NC 28512-5633
2832
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The IOC Project will complement the maritime component of the
Secure Border Initiative, a comprehensive, multi-year plan to help
secure America's borders and will link capabilities across Federal,
State, local, tribal, and private organizations.
IOCs will provide information systems, facilities, and sensors
needed to conduct daily, 24/7 tactical coordination of port-level
activities. They will deliver capabilities to automate and increase
throughput of information for achieving Maritime Domain Awareness
(MDA). Improving MDA will boost interagency communications and
decision-makers' level of knowledge, and will help the Coast Guard make
informed command and control decisions. Information throughput
improvements will be achieved by networking Coast Guard and interagency
partner sensors and then expanding these sensor networks to monitor
vessel activities and detect anomalies from a distance. The Coast Guard
will use an information management toolset, called WatchKeeper, to
compile, organize, and apply data and knowledge collected by the
expanded sensor network.
Preparation of the PEA
In accordance with Section 102(2)(c) of NEPA as implemented by the
Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508),
Department of Homeland Security Management Directive 023.1
(Environmental
[[Page 78724]]
Planning Program), and Coast Guard National Environmental Policy Act
Implementing Procedures and Policy for Considering Environmental
Impacts, (COMDTINST M16475.1D), the Coast Guard intends to prepare a
PEA for the implementation of the IOC Project.
The PEA will provide a general level of analysis of the Proposed
Action and No Action alternative and the potential environmental
impacts of implementation. Upon completion and acceptance of the PEA,
the Coast Guard will conduct a site-specific Environmental Assessment
(EA) or Categorical Exclusion (CATEX) at individual IOC locations that
may warrant additional examination due to unique environmental
characteristics.
Proposed Action
The IOC Project is currently not fully funded. However, as funding
allows, the Coast Guard plans to implement the IOC Project in four
phases or segments:
Segment 1 will establish processes and systems to link operations
and data information between interagency partners and the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard will implement the WatchKeeper tool in Segment 1 to
integrate vessel targeting, operations, monitoring, and operational
planning. The Coast Guard Operations System Center will host
WatchKeeper, with a minimal increase in computer infrastructure
installed at the Operations System Center. Interagency partners will be
allowed access to the information technology network to establish
initial improved coordination efforts.
Segment 2 will establish an integrated interagency sensor network
to link and enhance the Coast Guard's information management capability
with that of its interagency partners. The Coast Guard plans to install
hardware and software at each IOC location throughout Segment 2 to
establish this interagency sensor network. The Coast Guard plans to
survey existing remote sensors, currently mounted on short platforms,
towers, rooftops, and poles for inclusion in the sensor network upgrade
as part of Segment 2 implementation.
Segment 3 will expand the interagency sensor network and provide
extended sensor network and components to fill critical situational
awareness gaps and increase knowledge and data collected by the Coast
Guard. The Coast Guard plans to acquire and install new sensors and the
required network infrastructure to support the sensors, including
wireless and wired hardware. The Coast Guard plans to install between 1
and 15 new sensors at each IOC location. New sensors will be mounted on
existing short platforms, towers, rooftops, and poles similar to the
installation of existing sensors. If the broad activities analyzed in
the PEA do not adequately cover the site-specific actions required to
install and mount new sensors or hardware, then the Coast Guard will
tier follow-on EAs and CATEXs as appropriate on a case-by-case basis.
Segment 4 will expand existing facilities through upgrades to
existing SCCs and lease or build new facilities to allocate additional
work space capacity to the Coast Guard and its interagency partners,
and through enhancing the existing information technology and
electronics infrastructure at these locations. Segment 4 will require 4
new leases, 3 relocations, and 28 construction projects at existing
SCCs to accommodate the space, infrastructure, and security
requirements of the Coast Guard and its interagency partners.
Facilities modifications to transform SCCs into IOCs will include
increasing the capacity of the spaces used by Coast Guard personnel
operating the IOC equipment, ensuring the co-location of the Sector
Commander and the Command Center, and providing space to support Coast
Guard surge-operations staff and interagency partner staff.
If the broad activities analyzed in the PEA do not adequately cover
the site-specific actions required to construct, lease, or relocate IOC
facilities, then the Coast Guard will tier follow-on EAs and CATEXs as
appropriate on a case-by-case basis. The Coast Guards plans to
implement Segment 4 in a parallel effort with Segments 1, 2, and 3, as
funding allows.
The PEA will address the general environmental impacts of the
Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative. The No Action
Alternative will serve as a baseline against which to compare the
potential impacts of the Proposed Action. The Coast Guard defines the
No Action Alternative as not implementing the IOC Project, not
complying with the mandate of the SAFE Port Act, and preventing the
existing approximately 35 SSC facilities from being upgraded. The
Proposed Action is the full implementation of Segments 1 through 4
described above.
The broad analysis of the PEA will not cover site-specific actions.
The Coast Guard will address site-specific actions on a case-by-case
basis as actions during the implementation of the four Segments and
across the approximately 35 various SCC locations. The Coast Guard will
conduct site-specific NEPA analyses and produce subsequent NEPA
documentation coincident with project implementation during any Segment
and in any SCC location to address environmental or human health
impacts from any sensor mounting, installation, or facility
construction project if necessary. Although the Coast Guard does not
foresee major site-specific impacts at this time, the Coast Guard
expects that the PEA will serve to facilitate and expedite the
preparation of follow-on, project-specific NEPA documents, if
applicable, at the SCC locations.
The Coast Guard does not expect that the Proposed Action will
result in significant environmental or human health impacts. The Coast
Guard plans to establish the IOC facilities and install the required
sensors in previously developed sites within Coast Guard installations
or other similar Federal or private locations. Any major infrastructure
changes will be addressed in future site-specific NEPA documents. Any
potentially significant impacts to any aspect of the affected
environment including cultural resources, biological resources, water
and marine resources, air quality, and public safety will be addressed
and analyzed by the Coast Guard on a case-by-case basis in future site-
specific NEPA documents.
Scoping Process
The Coast Guard encourages public participation in the PEA process.
The scoping period will start with publication of this notice in the
Federal Register. Please see the section on Public Participation and
Request for Comments above for instructions on how to submit comments.
Following the scoping process, the Coast Guard will prepare the
draft PEA and will publish a Notice of Availability in the Federal
Register to make it available to the public and solicit comments on the
draft PEA.
Authority
This notice is issued under authority of 42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.,
and 40 CFR 1508.22.
Dated: December 9, 2010.
Alan Arsenault,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Project Manager, Interagency Operation
Centers Project.
[FR Doc. 2010-31639 Filed 12-15-10; 8:45 am]
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