[Federal Register: January 17, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 12)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 2329-2330]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17ja02-7]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Coast Guard
33 CFR Parts 84 and 183
46 CFR Part 25
[USCG-1999-6580]
RIN 2115-AF70
Certification of Navigation Lights for Uninspected Commercial
Vessels and Recreational Vessels
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.
ACTION: Final rule; delay of effective date.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is delaying the effective date of the final
rule on Certification of Navigation Lights for Uninspected Commercial
Vessels and Recreational Vessels published in the Federal Register on
November 1, 2001. The final rule requires domestic manufacturers of
vessels to install only certified navigation lights on all newly
manufactured uninspected commercial vessels and recreational vessels.
This rule aligns the requirements for these lights with those for
inspected commercial vessels and with requirements for all other
mandatory safety equipment carried on board all vessels. The Coast
Guard expects the resulting reduction in the use of noncompliant lights
to improve safety on the water.
EFFECTIVE DATE: The final rule is effective on November 1, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Comments and material received from the public, as well as
documents mentioned in this preamble as being available in the docket,
are part of docket USCG-1999-6580 and are available for inspection or
copying at the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC,
between 9 a.m. and 5p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. You may also find this
[[Page 2330]]
docket on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this rule,
contact Randolph J. Doubt, Project Manager, Office of Boating Safety,
Coast Guard, by telephone at 202-267-6810 or by e-mail at
rdoubt@comdt.uscg.mil. If you have questions on viewing the docket,
call Dorothy Beard, Chief, Dockets, Department of Transportation, by
telephone at 202-366-5149.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 1, 2001, the Coast Guard
published a final rule entitled ``Certification of Navigation Lights
for Uninspected Commercial Vessels and Recreational Vessels'' in the
Federal Register (66 FR 55086). The final rule, which was to become
effective on November 1, 2002, directs manufacturers of uninspected
commercial vessels and recreational vessels to install only navigation
lights certified and labeled by a laboratory listed by the Coast Guard
as meeting the technical requirements of the Navigation Rules.
Upon publication of the final rule, the Coast Guard noted that the
implementation date may not provide enough time to complete the testing
of navigation lights by laboratories listed by the Coast Guard to allow
the recreational boat manufacturers to comply with the regulation. July
2002 is the date most of next year boat models will appear on show room
floors. Photo boats for sales brochures will be built in March and
April 2002 so that these brochures can be printed in time for the
introductions. Actual new model year production will start in April and
May 2002. Thus, boat builders must make their navigation light
selections for the upcoming model year as early as February 2002. Each
navigation light manufacturer will have to make tooling changes to meet
the new marking requirements, and many will have to retest their
applicable product line. Sufficient time is not available to do this by
February 2002. The alternative would be to pull all unsold boats off
the market on November 1, 2002, replacing them either with new boat
models equipped with compliant navigation lights or modifying their
navigation lights to meet the new marking and certification
requirements. Most, if not all, agree that this latter alternative is
not a reasonable course to take.
Based upon this concern, the Coast Guard is delaying the effective
date of the final rule to November 1, 2003.
Accordingly, in FR Doc. 01-27320 published in the Federal Register
on November 1, 2001, at 66 FR 55086, the effective date for the
referenced final rule is changed from November 1, 2002, to November 1,
2003.
Dated: January 9, 2002.
Terry M. Cross,
Rear Admiral, U. S. Coast Guard, Assistant Commandant for Operations.
[FR Doc. 02-1252 Filed 1-16-02; 8:45 am]
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