Coast Guard redefines dangerous cargoes
The U.S. Coast Guard is changing the definition of dangerous cargo to include ammonium nitrate and ammonium nitrate-based fertilizers, as well as propylene oxide, alone or mixed with ethylene oxide, in bulk.
'This change is necessary to promote maritime safety and security ' by increasing the Coast Guard's ability to maintain awareness of these cargoes,' the Coast Guard said in a statement. The temporary final rule is effective from Sept. 17 through March 20, 2006.
The Coast Guard determined that there are approximately 9,213 barges in the United States that could transport the chemicals named above, and as many as 50 fleeting stations that can potentially receive those cargoes. 'We note that there are only 600 movements of these cargoes a year,' the Coast Guard noted, basing its cost estimate for the rule on the premise that 'the industry may want to retain the flexibility to use any of these 9,213 barges to carry these cargoes.'
The change of definition means that some ships and port facilities that were previously exempt from maritime security requirements will now come under those regulations and must develop and implement security plans.
Public comments on the change of definition must be submitted to the Coast Guard by Nov. 16 and should be identified by the docket number USCG-2003-16688. Comments may be sent by e-mail to the Department of Transportation's docket management facility, http://dms.dot.gov . For more information, contact Kimberly Anderson at (202) 267-2562.