[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 4 (Thursday, January 7, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 998]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-83]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2009-0299]
Terminate Long Range Aids to Navigation (Loran-C) Signal
AGENCY: U.S. Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: On October 28, 2009, the President signed into law the 2010
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. The Act allows for
the termination of the Loran-C system subject to the Coast Guard
certifying that termination of the Loran-C signal will not adversely
impact the safety of maritime navigation and the Department of Homeland
Security certifying that the Loran-C system infrastructure is not
needed as a backup to the GPS system or to meet any other Federal
navigation requirement. Those certifications were made; and the U.S.
Coast Guard will, commencing on or about February 8, 2010, implement
plans to terminate the transmission of the Loran-C signal and commence
a phased decommissioning of the Loran-C infrastructure. These plans
include ending transmissions at 18 Loran stations located in the
contiguous United States and 6 Loran stations in Alaska. The Department
of Homeland Security anticipates that all Loran stations will cease
transmitting the Loran-C signal by October 1, 2010.
DATES: Transmission of the Loran-C signal and phased decommissioning of
the Loran-C infrastructure will commence on or about February 8, 2010.
All Loran stations are expected to cease transmitting the Loran-C
signal by October 1, 2010.
ADDRESSES: To view this notice go to http://www.regulations.gov, insert
USCG-2009-0299 in the ``Keyword'' box, and then click ``Search.'' 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice,
contact Mr. Mike Sollosi, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland
Security, telephone (202) 372-1545, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background and Purpose
The U.S. Loran-C system is a low frequency hyperbolic
radionavigation system. A Loran-C receiver measures the slight
difference in time it takes for pulsed signals to reach a ship or
aircraft from the transmitting stations within a Loran-C chain to
develop a navigational position. Loran-C is approved for use in the
U.S. Coastal Confluence Zone and as a supplemental air navigation aid.
Loran-C is operated and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Loran-C system was a valuable position and navigation system
when it was established in 1957. As a result of technological
advancements over the last 20 years and the emergence of the U.S.
Global Positioning System (GPS), Loran-C is no longer required by the
armed forces, the transportation sector, or the nation's security
interests, and is used only by a small segment of the population.
The Loran-C system was not established as, nor was it intended to
be, a viable systemic backup for GPS. Backups to GPS for safety-of-life
navigation applications, or other critical applications, can be other
radionavigation systems, or operational procedures, or a combination of
these systems and procedures. Backups to GPS for timing applications
can be a highly accurate crystal oscillator or atomic clock and a
communications link to a timing source that is traceable to Coordinated
Universal Time.
With respect to transportation to include aviation, commercial
maritime, rail, and highway, the Department of Transportation has
determined that sufficient alternative navigation aids currently exist
in the event of a loss of GPS-based services, and therefore Loran
currently is not needed as a back-up navigation aid for transportation
safety-of-life users.
The Department of Homeland Security will continue to work with
other Federal agencies to look across the critical infrastructure and
key resource sectors identified in the National Infrastructure
Protection Plan assessment to determine if a single, domestic system is
needed as a GPS backup for critical infrastructure applications
requiring precise time and frequency. If a single, domestic national
system to back up GPS is identified as being necessary, the Department
of Homeland Security will complete an analysis of potential backups to
GPS. The continued active operation of Loran-C is not necessary to
advance this evaluation.
On January 22, 2009 (74 FR 4047), the U.S. Coast Guard began a
public review process for its Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (PEIS), under the National Environmental Policy Act, which
evaluated the environmental impacts of several alternatives for the
Loran-C system, including termination of the Loran-C signal. The U.S.
Coast Guard considered comments received in response to the Draft PEIS
and released a Final PEIS on June 12, 2009 (USCG-2007-28046). A public
notice will be issued to announce the Record of Decision.
This announcement is for the purpose of informing the public of the
Coast Guard's intention to begin termination of the broadcast of the
Loran-C signal starting on or about February 8, 2010. All Loran
stations will cease transmission by October 1, 2010.
The Department of Transportation was consulted regarding the
preparation of this notice. This notice is issued under the authority
of 6 U.S.C. 111, 14 U.S.C. 81, and 5 U.S.C. 552.
Dated: January 4, 2009.
Kevin S. Cook,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Prevention Policy.
[FR Doc. 2010-83 Filed 1-6-10; 8:45 am]
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