Enrolled HJR 47: Urging the United States Coast Guard to amend its regulations relating to small vessels transporting fuel and supplies to remote communities and businesses in the state.
00Enrolled HJR 47 01 Urging the United States Coast Guard to amend its regulations relating to small vessels 02 transporting fuel and supplies to remote communities and businesses in the state. 03 _______________ 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 WHEREAS many towns, villages, and settlements, as well as businesses in those 06 towns, villages, and settlements, are located in remote areas of the state; and 07 WHEREAS not all communities, businesses, and individual residences in the state are 08 able to receive goods and supplies on large barges; and 09 WHEREAS there is a need in the state for delivery of goods and supplies to isolated 10 communities and businesses that cannot be served by large barges; and 11 WHEREAS, because of the state's unique geography, 46 U.S.C. 3302(i)(1) allows for 12 single vessel exemptions from certain Coast Guard regulations relating to transportation and 13 delivery of cargo in the state; and 14 WHEREAS many isolated communities and businesses rely on smaller vessels, rather 15 than large tug-and-barge operations, to survive; and 16 WHEREAS vessels used to transport small quantities of fuel in shallow coastal water 17 of the state are most appropriately built using modern construction methods and light
01 materials; and 02 WHEREAS there is a need in the state for smaller vessels to carry fuel, cargo, and 03 passengers at the same time; and 04 WHEREAS federal regulations in 46 C.F.R. Chapter 1, Subchapters D, I, and T, do 05 not allow smaller vessels in the state to carry fuel, cargo, and passengers concurrently, unless 06 granted an exemption under 46 U.S.C. 3302(i)(1); 07 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States Coast 08 Guard to amend its regulations to allow small vessels to transport concurrently fuel, cargo, 09 and passengers for delivery to remote communities and businesses in the state; and be it 10 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States 11 Coast Guard to adopt regulations that allow for vessels used to transport small quantities of 12 fuel to be constructed of aluminum. 13 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Janet A. Napolitano, United 14 States Secretary of Homeland Security; Admiral Thad W. Allen, Commandant, United States 15 Coast Guard; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Mark Begich, U.S. 16 Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska 17 delegation in Congress.