Coast Guard, DHS.
Notice of meeting; request for comments.
The United States Coast Guard will hold a public workshop in Washington, DC on topics related to the development of a mandatory code for ships operating in polar waters by the International Maritime Organization (IMO Polar Code). Various safety topics will be discussed including design, equipment, and operational requirements. This workshop is intended to be an interactive exchange of information between policymakers, industry experts, and interested members of the public.
The public workshop will be held for two days beginning Thursday, August 22, 2013 at 9 a.m., Eastern Time and ending Friday, August 23, 2013 at 4 p.m., Eastern Time. The daily meeting schedule will be from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. This workshop is open to the public. See
The public workshop will be held at the United States Coast Guard Headquarters Transpoint Building,
You may submit written comments identified by docket number USCG–2013–0642 before or after the meeting using any one of the following methods:
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(2)
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To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods. Our online docket is available on the Internet at
If you have questions concerning the workshop, please call or email Lieutenant Andrew Gibbons, U.S. Coast Guard; telephone 202–372–1485, email
If you are interested in formally presenting information on a topic on the agenda please contact Lieutenant Andrew Gibbons at the telephone number or email address indicated under the
If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this notice (USCG–2013–0642) 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 email address, or a phone 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
To view comments, as well as documents mentioned in this notice as being available in the docket, go to
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 notice regarding our public dockets in the January 17, 2008, issue of the
The Coast Guard will hold a public workshop regarding various safety topics including design, equipment, and operational requirements related to the development of the IMO Polar Code. For more information regarding the dates and times of the public workshop please see the
This workshop is intended to be an interactive exchange of information between policymakers, industry experts, and interested members of the public. The public workshop scope will include current regulations, additional risks and hazards unique to the Arctic and Antarctic regions, draft provisions in the IMO Polar Code, industry best practices, and any additional safeguards to be considered. The primary topics that will be considered at the public meeting include:
• General Overview of the IMO Polar Code;
• Ship Categories/Polar Class Rules;
• Operational Requirements including a Polar Water Operations Manual, Voyage Planning, and Contingency planning;
• Life-saving Equipment;
• Low Temperature Impacts on Design/Equipment.
Please note that the workshop has a limited number of seats and may close early if all business is finished.
Members of the public may attend this workshop up to the seating capacity of the room. To facilitate the security process related to building access, or to request reasonable accommodation, those who plan to attend should contact the meeting coordinator, Lieutenant Andrew Gibbons, at the telephone number or email address indicated under the
Members of the public are encouraged to participate and join in discussions, subject to the discretion of the moderator. If you bring written comments to the meeting, you may submit them to Coast Guard personnel specified at the meeting to receive written comments. These comments will be submitted to our online public docket. All comments received will be posted without change to
For information on facilities or services for individuals with disabilities or to request special assistance at the meeting, contact Lieutenant Andrew Gibbons at the telephone number or email address indicated under the