The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is inviting marine
transportation system stakeholders to participate in a January 2014 discussion
to gather ideas for improving the country's cargo opportunities and sealift
capacity while ensuring future sustainability.
The public meeting is planned for 9 am to 4:30 pm daily from
Jan. 14 through Jan. 16, 2014 in the US Department of Transportation (DOT) West
Atrium, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
The public is invited to propose agenda topics and to
comment on the ideas submitted by others at http://www.regulations.gov, DOT
Docket Number MARAD-2013-0101.
Proposed agenda items should focus on, but are not limited
to: fostering and improving the US-flag fleet; improving transportation efficiency,
speed, availability and cost-effectiveness; methods to improve overall US
economic competitiveness though improvements to the Marine Transportation
System; improving transportation efficiency through interoperability with
existing infrastructure systems and other modes of transportation; reduction of
marine transportation pollution and adverse environmental impact; expansion of
the pool of skilled and available US mariners; developing strategically
valuable capacity; increasing economical waterborne carriage for US businesses;
improving US port operations and related businesses; improvement of global
business and employment opportunities for the US; and fostering the
construction and repair of vessels in US shipyards.
Written proposals for agenda items can be submitted at http://www.regulations.gov.
Parties must submit their input identified by DOT Docket Number
MARAD-2013-0101. All submissions must include the agency name and docket
number.
The public meeting will be broadcast via live streaming link
from http://www.MARAD.dot.gov.
The deadline to submit agenda topics and ideas for
discussion is Nov. 29, 2013. Registration for the event opens Dec. 17, 2013 and
closes Jan. 3, 2014.
More information on the event can be found at https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/10/28/2013-25396/national-maritime-strategy-symposium-cargo-opportunities-and-sealift-capacity.
