Coast Guard announces publication of notice of intention to terminate the Long Range Aids to Navigation (Loran-C) signal

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard's Director of Prevention Policy announced Thursday publication in the Federal Register of plans to cease broadcasting the North American Loran-C signal Feb. 8.

As a result of technological advancements during the last 20 years and the emergence of the U.S. Global Positioning System, Loran-C is no longer required by the armed forces, the transportation sector or the nation's security interests, and is used by only a small segment of the population.

President Barack Obama's fiscal year 2010 budget supported the termination of outdated systems and specifically cited the terrestrial-based North American Loran-C system as such an example. The president did not seek funding for the Loran-C system in fiscal year 2010. Termination was also supported through the enactment of the 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.

The decision to terminate transmission of the Loran-C signal reflects the president's pledge to eliminate unnecessary federal programs.

The Loran-C system was not established as, nor was it intended to be, a viable systemic backup for GPS. 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.

The notice may be viewed online at www.regulations.gov, docket number: USCG-2009-0299. for more information on terminations, reductions and savings contained in the fiscal year 2010 budget, including Loran-C, visit www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/TRS/.

Coast Guard announces publication of record of decision on Long Range Aids to Navigation (Loran-C) program

WASHINGTON — The Coast Guard's Director of Prevention Policy announced Thursday publication in the Federal Register of the Record of Decision to decommission the Loran-C program and terminate the North American Loran-C signal.

The final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on the future of the nation's Loran-C program was announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on June 12, 2009.

The PEIS considered five alternatives for the future of the Loran-C program and two environmentally preferable alternatives were identified. The first alternative is to take no action; the second alternative is to end or reduce Coast Guard management of the Loran-C program by decommissioning the Loran-C program and terminating the North American Loran-C signal. The PEIS is required under the National Environmental Policy Act.

As supported by the analysis in the PEIS, this record of decision supports and confirms the government decision to end or reduce the Coast Guard's management of the Loran-C program by decommissioning the Loran-C program and terminating the North American Loran-C signal. Implementation of the proposed action through the preferred alternative is consistent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's determination that continued public investment in the Loran-C program is not in the national best interest.

President Barack Obama's fiscal year 2010 budget identified potential savings across the federal government to reduce the nation's deficit and to discontinue outdated programs. Included is termination of the Loran-C program in the coming year, specifically the termination of outdated systems such as the terrestrial-based, long-range radionavigation (Loran-C) operated by the Coast Guard.

Termination of the program was also supported through the enactment of the fiscal year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations bill.

The Record of Decision, PEIS and related materials may be viewed online at http://www.regulations.gov, docket number: USCG-2007-28460.

Top 11 videos of 2009 highlight Coast Guard's 11 missions

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard released Wednesday its top 11 video compilation for 2009, highlighting the year's most compelling cases from the work done every day by America's Guardians.

The top 11 video compilation (presented in no particular order) is available for viewing and downloading from the Coast Guard Visual Information site at http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=731355. The Coast Guard selected 11 videos to remind people of the service's 11 statutory missions.

In 2009 America's Coast Guard:

• Screened more than 248,000 commercial vessels and their 62 million passengers and crewmembers before arrival in U.S. ports, identifying nearly 400 individuals in a person of interest watch list.
• Maintained a contingent of six patrol boats and 400 personnel to enforce United Nations sanctions in the Arabian Gulf, train Iraqi naval forces and protect Iraqi critical maritime oil infrastructure.
• Kept 352,862 pounds of cocaine and 71,234 pounds of marijuana from reaching the United States, while nabbing 322 suspected smugglers.
• Saved more than 4,747 lives and responded to 23,555 emergencies.
• Issued 73,168 merchant mariner credentials to qualified mariners
• Conducted more than 14,000 inspections of U.S. flagged vessels
• Investigated nearly 3,600 pollution incidents
• Conducted 49,276 armed patrols to protect critical infrastructure or key resources
• Maintained a 98 percent rate of availability for 50,000 short-range aids to navigation that helped mariners more safely navigate our nation’s 95,000 miles of coastline, 25,000 miles of waterways and 12,000 miles of inland waterways that comprise the U.S. Marine Transportation System.

“As the 23rd Commandant of the Coast Guard, it has been my pleasure to serve with such dedicated men and women who sacrifice so much to serve our great nation,” said Adm. Thad W. Allen, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.  "I am truly grateful for their hard work and dedication. During 2009, they committed themselves to maintaining the nation's maritime safety, security, and environment. They are America's Maritime Guardians.  The best videos of 2009 clearly illustrate they are always here to protect and ready to serve."

The public is encouraged to vote online at the Coast Guard's YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/USCGImagery, for their favorite video in the Coast Guard’s best video of 2009 contest.  The Coast Guard Compass, http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/, will be highlighting one video per day starting Dec. 21 through Jan. 1. 

The top 11 video compilation includes:

• The rescue of a paraglider pilot who crashed on the shoreline of Cape Lookout near Tillamook, Ore., by an aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.
• The capture of suspected pirates from a response to a vessel distress signal from Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment Team 409 while operating under Combined Task Force 151.
• A medical evacuation of a crewmember from a U.S. Navy submarine off the coast of Wash., by an aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.
• The simultaneous pursuit and interdiction off two drug smuggling boats 80 miles of the coast of Guatemala by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf.
• The rescue of two crewmembers from a fishing vessel on fire 10 miles off the coast of Long Beach, Wash., by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Active and aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.
• The rescue of two people from a burning boat near Corpus Christi, Texas, from an aircrew from Sector Corpus Christi, Texas.
• The rescue of six people from their capsized vessel two miles from the Columbia River, Wash., by a boatcrew from Cape Disappointment, Wash., and an aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.
• The response to US Airways flight 1549 emergency landing in the Hudson River near Manhattan, N.Y., by boatcrews from Sector New York.
• The rescue of a man whose canoe flipped in heavy surf in the Necanicum River near Gearheart, Ore., by an aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.
• The dewatering of the fishing vessel Blue Diamond 90 miles east of Atlantic City, N.J., from the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Sailfish.
• The rescue of three people, their cat and dog during the Red River Valley floods from an aircrew from Air Station Traverse City, Mich.

Coast Guard's gift ideas for 12 nautical days of Christmas

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard, as a public service to holiday gift shoppers, announced Monday its recommended gift ideas for 12 nautical days of Christmas. 

"Nothing says 'I love you' to a mariner like the gift of a marine GPS navigation system, a Coast Guard approved life jacket, boating safety course or 406 MHz electronic position indicating radio beacon," said Lt. Cmdr. Chris O'Neil, the Coast Guard's chief of media relations.  "Regardless of the occasion or holiday, the gifts we recommend this year can save a loved one's life, making them the perfect gift this season, or throughout the year.  Diamonds are pretty, and big-screen, high-definition televisions are great for watching the big game, but they won't help you prevent a boating accident, or survive after you've been in one."

Among the Coast Guard's recommended nautical gifts are:

• A Marine GPS navigation system
• A 406 MHz EPIRB (make sure you register it after purchase, or rescuers may be delayed in reaching you!)
• A Coast Guard-approved life jacket (because they float, you don't...)
• A handheld VHF-FM radio
• A Boating Safety Course (boater education saves lives -- it's a fact)
• Vessel Safety Check (VSC)  from the Coast Guard Auxiliary (it's free!)
• A Coast Guard approved fire extinguisher
• A first aid kit in a watertight container 
• A seamanship book
• Nautical charts for the areas your favorite mariner frequents
• A signaling kit
• A life raft with a survival kit

Some of the most valuable gifts don't cost anything but time, such as scheduling a free vessel safety check with your local Coast Guard Auxiliary.  For more information on scheduling a free vessel safety check visit www.safetyseal.net.  To find a boating safety course in your area visit http://www.aboutboatingsafely.com/.

From the Coast Guard family to yours, Happy Holidays!

Coast Guard NMC launches mariner application e-mail service

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center located in Martinsburg, W.Va., launched Thursday a new service that will automatically send e-mail notifications to mariners informing them of their credential application status as it is being processed.  

"This new automated service will help maintain confidence among mariners that their application is being actively worked by the Coast Guard,” said Capt. David Stalfort, the commanding officer of the National Maritime Center.

Mariners who provide an email address when submitting their merchant mariner credential application will receive an e-mail as their application progresses through the application process. The e-mail is automatically generated when an application and moves to the next stage of the process. Those stages include:

• Transfer from a regional exam center to the NMC.
• Is evaluated by the medical officer.
• Is evaluated for professional qualifications.
• Approval to test.
• Approval to print the credential.
• Credential issuance.
• Confirmation of delivery and request for feedback.

The automated e-mail system will also send an applicant an e-mail if the NMC needs additional information.

The NMC also published Thursday its monthly performance report for November, highlighting a new record for the processing time of merchant mariner credentials of 20.8 days, well below the goal of 30.  Copies of the monthly report can be found on the NMC’s web site at http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/performance_reports/2009_november_performance_report.pdf

For more information about the National Maritime Center's mariner licensing and documentation program visit http://www.uscg.mil/nmc or the Coast Guard’s Homeport site at http://homeport.uscg.mil and then select Merchant Mariners.

Office of Public Affairs  U.S. Coast Guard

Coast Guard holds public meetings to receive comments on proposed regulations

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard is scheduled to hold public meetings in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday and New York City Thursday to hear comments about a proposed rulemaking for ballast water discharge standards.

These meetings are the last two of six public meetings held for the Coast Guard to receive comments about a proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register Aug. 28 (74 FR 44632) that would add ballast water discharge standards to the Coast Guard's ballast water management regulations in Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 151, Subparts C and D. The proposed rule would also add approval procedures for ballast water management systems found in Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, Subchapter Q.

Live webcasts (audio and video) of the public meetings will also be broadcast online at http://ballastwater.us.

The public meeting scheduled for Tuesday will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Hilton Oakland Airport, One Hegenberger Rd., Oakland, Calif. The phone number for the hotel is (510) 635-5000.

The public meeting scheduled for Thursday will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Marriott New York Downtown, 85 West Street at Albany Street, New York City. The phone number for the hotel is (212) 385-4900.

The public is encouraged to participate by submitting written or verbal comments at the meetings. The comment period for the advance notice of proposed rulemaking closes Dec. 4. All comments and related material submitted after the meetings must be submitted to the online docket at http://www.regulations.gov, docket number USCG-2001-10486, on or before Dec. 4, or reach the Docket Management Facility by that date.

Office of Public Affairs  U.S. Coast Guard

Coast Guard hosts World Maritime Day event

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard  is scheduled to host the 2009 International Maritime Organization World Maritime Day parallel event, Friday at 62 Chelsea Piers, New York, to  focus attention on the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment. 

“We are honored to host the 2009 International Maritime Organization World Maritime Day parallel event," said Adm. Thad Allen, Commandant of the U.S Coast Guard. "The Parallel Event is an opportunity for the maritime community to come together with the public to celebrate the contributions of the maritime industry as well as discuss and promote ways in which we can address areas important to us all.” 

Event highlights include a delegate conference, a green ship exhibition, student science fair and a reception.

“The Coast Guard is working diligently with the IMO and industry partners to examine opportunities to reduce our impact on the environment," said Allen.  "With a goal of creating a collaborative venue to discuss these issues and display current advances to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the parallel event will focus on how the maritime community is responding to our changing environment.”

Other ports throughout the United States are scheduled to host simultaneous events within their ports.

For more information go to: http://www.uscg.mil/worldmaritimeday.

Rear Adm. Sally Brice-O'Hara testifies on U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue efforts

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard's Deputy Commandant for Operations is scheduled to testify during a House of Representatives Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation  Subcommittee hearing on Coast Guard search and rescue, Wednesday, 10 a.m., House Rayburn building room 2167, here.

The subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., will hear testimony from Rear Adm. Sally Brice-O'Hara, detailing the Coast Guard's efforts on search and rescue.

The Coast Guard, as the federal agency responsible for maritime search and rescue operations, saved more than 4,000 lives while responding to more than 24,000 search and rescue cases in 2008.

At the heart of search and rescue are the Coast Guard's search and rescue controllers, trained by the Coast Guard's National Search and Rescue School.  For 43 years the school has provided training designed to help reduce the time spent searching for those in distress by aggressively pursuing leads and obtaining all information available.  By reducing search times and search areas, the Coast Guard can save more lives, more efficiently use Coast Guard resources and place fewer Coast Guard personnel at risk.

Only about 10 percent of search and rescue cases involve actual searches for people in distress, with about eight percent of those searches spanning less than 24 hours and about two percent lasting more than 24 hours.

Given the great difficulties inherent in finding people missing at sea due to variations in wind and seas and the vast areas that need to be searched, the Coast Guard continues to acquire new technologies to more rapidly locate persons in distress at sea. These technologies include the Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System, self-locating datum marker buoys, Rescue 21, 406 MHz direction finders on Coast Guard aircraft and high-powered infrared and optical camera systems for vessels and aircraft. Even with advances in technology there is no substitute for boater education, vessel examinations and inspections, proper safety equipment and training when it comes to reducing the severity of maritime accidents.

"The SAR system is reactive in nature – we activate the system based on information received at a specific point in time and respond accordingly," said Rear Adm. Sally Brice-O'Hara, the Coast Guard's deputy commandant for operations. "However, the success of the search and rescue mission relies heavily on mariners doing their part to ensure they are prepared to survive an accident at sea. When mariners are prepared and can sustain themselves until help arrives, our job of rescuing gets much easier, and the mariner’s probability of survival increases considerably. There are many prevention programs that by their very nature support the SAR mission. We would not be as successful in the arena of SAR without the efforts of the National Recreational Boating Safety Program, Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety program, and those members who are involved in marine safety regulatory and standardization efforts. These programs play a crucial role in ensuring mariners are properly equipped and trained to respond to emergencies in the maritime environment."

To download Brice-O' Hara's prepared remarks please click here after10 a.m., and for updates from her testimony, follow https://twitter.com/uscoastguard, #USCGSAR.

Office of Public Affairs  U.S. Coast Guard

Coast Guard enhances diversity outreach

WASHINGTON — A new Coast Guard initiative launched in September charges every service member with the responsibility for attracting and retaining a diverse workforce for the Coast Guard that better reflects the diverse fabric of American society. 

The new Diversity Strategic Plan outlines strategic goals every Coast Guard member should strive to support. The goals address leadership accountability, improved communications, expanded outreach to underrepresented populations, equitable hiring practices, and training and education for service members to underscore the value of diversity within the Coast Guard's workforce.

"Diversity isn’t a program or policy - it is a state of being," said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen.  "My intent is to define an ambitious pathway for change in our efforts to make the Coast Guard workforce reflective of American society."

As part of the service's efforts to diversify its workforce, the Coast Guard has launched the "Born Ready" recruiting campaign in strategic markets critical to the service's recruiting mission.  The Born Ready campaign includes advertisements developed to attract women and Hispanic recruits in addition to male applicants. 

The Coast Guard also recently developed a partnership with Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Va. and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro N.C., to offer scholarships and internships to minorities. This partnership will be a model for other Coast Guard higher education initiatives with historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, and tribal colleges and universities.

Internships, e-mentorning, and academic assistance through staff visits were the topics of discussion during a recent meeting between Rear Adm. Cynthia Coogan, the Coast Guard's assistant commandant for intelligence and criminal investigations and Lincoln University President, Dr. Carolyn Mahoney at the university's campus in Jefferson City, Miss. "Our visit to the Lincoln University was a great success," said Coogan in a recent blog post. "We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership."

For more information on the Coast Guard's diversity initiatives, visit http://www.uscg.mil/diversity/.

Office of Public Affairs  U.S. Coast Guard

Coast Guard statement on media report of gunfire on the Potomac

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard reported on Friday that reports in the media were based on overheard radio calls made over a training frequency and that no shots were fired during the exercise.

The exercise was planned in advance and was being conducted on a marine radio frequency reserved for Coast Guard training and operations. No recreational boaters were involved in this training excercise.

We are still gathering information of how this training event might have been misconstrued as an actual incident. We will conduct a thorough review of this incident.

Coast Guard boats were operating in the vicinity of 14th Street and Memorial Bridges this morning. Whether or not these were the same boats using the marine radio frequency used for training purposes has not yet been confirmed.

The best way that we in the Coast Guard can remember Sept. 11 and our security obligations to the nation is to be always ready and this requires constant training and exercise.  To ensure the appropriate readiness posture we conduct training scenarios across the nation on a daily basis.

How and when this exercise was conducted will be reviewed.