In order to provide timely notification and to identify potential participants to each other so they may examine how they can best work together to maximize use of coastwise-qualified vessels, the Maritime Administration will require early notification as outlined in this section.

(a) Registration of coastwise-qualified vessel for platform jacket transportation. In January of each calendar year, the Maritime Administration will publish a notice in the Federal Register requesting that owners or operators or potential owners or operators of coastwise-qualified launch barges, or other interested parties notify the agency of:

(1) Their interest in participating in the transportation and, if needed, the launching or installation of offshore platform jackets;

(2) Provide the agency with their contact information; and,

(3) Provide specifications of any currently owned or operated coastwise-qualified launch barges or plans to construct same.

(b) Registration requirement for transportation of platform jackets when non-coastwise-qualified vessels may be required. When a current or potential owner or operator of any type of offshore exploration, development, or production structure expects to require the use of a non-coastwise-qualified vessel in the transportation of a platform jacket it must notify the Maritime Administration. Such notification must be on the earlier of either:

(1) The date of filing of the Development and Production Plan (DPP) or Development Operations Coordination Document (DOCD) with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement as required by 30 CFR 250.201; or

(2) A date not later than twenty-one (21) months before the proposed date of using a non-coastwise qualified vessel for transportation of a platform jacket.

(c) The early notification information to be provided to the Maritime Administration by a platform owner or operator shall include:

(1) A summary of technical details of the platform jacket to be transported and, if needed, launched or installed;

(2) The projected physical specification of a suitable vessel to be used in the project;

(3) The projected time period, and load and destination sites, for the platform jacket transportation; and

(4) Full contact information for the applicant and its representatives having decision-making authority with respect to the utilization of vessels for transportation and, if needed, the launching or installation of a platform jacket.

(d) The information in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section must be submitted either electronically to cargo.MARAD@dot.gov or delivered to the Secretary, Maritime Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. Any information that is business confidential must be so identified and accompanied by a justification for that characterization.

(e) The Maritime Administration will publish a list of potential coastwise-qualified launch barge owners/operators on the agency's Web site at http://MARAD.dot.gov. The Maritime Administration will publish a summary of early notification information delineated by paragraph (c) of this section on its Web site and also disseminate it to registered potential coastwise-qualified launch barge owners/operators and other interested parties.