Media Advisory

Coast Guard Headquarters
2100 2nd St. SW
Washington, D.C. 20593-000

Contact: Jolie Shifflet, 202-267-2050

December 31, 2002

Coast Guard to hold public meetings on Maritime Security

            The U.S. Coast Guard announces a series of public meetings on the implementation of the recently passed Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code as well as recent amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).  These meetings will be held in New Orleans; Louisiana, Cleveland, Ohio; St. Louis, Missouri; Seattle, Washington; San Pedro, California; Jacksonville, Florida; and New York, New York.  The purpose of these meetings is to outline the requirements of the MTSA and the ISPS Code and solicit public input that will be used in drafting regulations.  The meetings will also include representatives from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) to address various issues in the MTSA.

            The MTSA contains several provisions intended to enhance America’s maritime community against the threat of terrorism.  Many of the requirements in the MTSA directly align with the international security requirements adopted this December during a Diplomatic Conference on Maritime Security at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) with broader application for domestic vessels and facilities.  These meetings will include discussion on issues such as:

·         Port Security Committees and Port Security Plans.

·         Vessel Security Assessments and Plans.

·         Vessel and Company Security Officers.

·         Facility Security Assessments and Plans.

·         Facility Security Officers

The public meetings will be held on the following dates and at the following locations.

• January 27, 2003, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST, New Orleans, LA, at the Hilton Riverside on 2 Poydras Street.
• January 30, 2003, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST, Cleveland, OH, at the Sheraton Cleveland City Centre Hotel on 777 St. Clair Ave. in the Dorothy Fuldheim Room.
• January 31, 2003, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. CST, St. Louis, MO, at the Robert A. Young Federal Building on 1222 Spruce St.
• February 3, 2003, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST, Seattle, WA, at the Boeing Field Building 2-22, Auditorium on 7755 East Marginal Way South.
• February 5, 2003, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST, San Pedro, CA, at the Port of Los Angeles Building on 425 S. Palos Verdes St.
• February 7, 2003, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Jacksonville, FL at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Building on 921 N. Davis St., Building E.
• February 11, 2003, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, New York City, NY at the Customs House Auditorium in the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Customs House on 1 Bowling Green.

            The addresses and dates of these public meetings were published yesterday in a Federal Register notice that also further explains the requirements of MTSA, the SOLAS amendments and the ISPS Code as well as the type of information that Coast Guard is requesting comment on at these meetings.  The Federal Register docket number is [USCG-2002-14069] and can be viewed on the internet at http://dms.dot.gov/. 

-USCG-