Office of the DOD Executive Agent for Maritime Domain Awareness

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Mr. Bruce B. Stubbs, Director, Office of the DOD Executive Agent for Maritime Domain Awareness.


Those who threaten us today care little about boundary lines. Many of these threats originate in or take advantage of the anonymity afforded by the maritime domain. Understanding the nature of these and many other challenges is critical to global security.

Since the challenges we face are global, our responses to them must be global as well. At its most fundamental, maritime domain awareness supports a broad spectrum of operations. From our perspective, MDA is a global process to understand what is going on in the maritime domain, how that might affect our vital interests, and how best we should respond across a broad spectrum of traditional and transnational threats to the good order and security of the maritime commons, and, by extension, to national homelands, as well.

However, MDA is not a specific mission area or “thing.” Instead, maritime domain awareness is an enabler of capabilities for actionable intelligence, informed decision making, and effective responses to a complex set of problems shared by all nations.

Executive Agent for MDA
That is the primary reason why the Office of the DOD Executive Agent for Maritime Domain Awareness was established in August 2008 and placed within the Department of the Navy: to help enable MDA throughout the Department of Defense, the U.S. interagency community, and with our friends and partners worldwide.

The office works with other U.S. government departments and agencies, foreign government partners, other organizations, and commercial entities worldwide to enhance our ability to know what we need to know and share critical security information.

In short, the office is responsible for:

• Increasing communication and building trust in the United States and overseas,
• Performing international and domestic outreach,
• Making maritime information available and easily shared.

From an international perspective, this already has a significant impact on the way we are focusing on a global MDA capability. Our tasks are to align, guide, and advocate efforts focused on but not limited to the maritime domain. We serve as the U.S. “bridge” that links domestic and international efforts to provide the right information to the right organization at the right time to safeguard the security of the global maritime commons.

MDA cannot be a segmented sphere that is alongside but separate from the land, air, space, and cyber domains. We need broad and deep collaboration and cooperation among interagency, other government, international, and industry partners at home and abroad crossing physical, geographical, cultural, and governmental boundaries. In this way we will achieve a “whole-of-government” solution to maritime domain awareness and a crucial way by which maritime security and safety can be assured.

The Way Ahead
There is thus increasing emphasis among naval and maritime forces worldwide to improve partnerships and increase data sharing as important ways to enhance maritime domain awareness. The responsibility for MDA primarily belongs to world navies and coast guards, but none of them, including the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy, have the resources and manpower to do everything needed. Only by sharing maritime information and data as widely as possible will navies and coast guards have the collective means to perform their vital missions.


For more information:
The Maritime Domain Awareness Information Exchange: http://www.mda.gov/.

The National Maritime Domain Awareness Coordination Office: http://www.gmsa.gov/index.html.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/summer2010.

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

U.S. Commerce and Maritime Domain Awareness

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Mr. Lennis G. Fludd, Maritime Administration Office of Security and Chief of Staff, National MDA Coordination Office Executive Secretariat.


Considering the “economy” piece of maritime domain awareness, 90 to 95 percent of all goods and services enter the U.S. from the ocean. As we develop and improve MDA, we must remember who it is that we’re serving.

A principal role of the Department of Transportation is to protect and improve the efficiency, resiliency, and recovery of U.S. commerce. Catastrophic events such as 9/11, natural disasters, incidents resulting in longshore stoppages, and any activity that can obstruct maritime trade are of great concern to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), specifically because these incidents can seriously impair the U.S. economy.

MARAD’s goal is to develop a more prominent role for the maritime industry in improving MDA. This goal will be realized when the industry has the information and actionable intelligence it needs to protect commerce and keep the supply chain moving. Industry has the closest knowledge of maritime trade processes, activities, and concerns; they are the first to see anomalies that might be important for the U.S. government to know.

We have made significant strides toward improving MDA through maritime industry engagement in such forums as the Global Maritime Information Sharing Symposium. We have begun to reduce the number of small, less effective meetings, and are leveraging more significant venues for a broader conversation. Both government and industry are beginning to think more inclusively, and the dialogue is improving.

Continuing work should include these actions:

• Apply the lessons learned from past dialogue, working through the National Maritime Intelligence Center, the National Committee on the Marine Transportation System, the National MDA Coordination Office, and other partnerships.
• Identify a process for industry representation within the federal MDA stakeholder board governance.
• Expand outreach in order to collect and give visibility to industry’s national and global concerns.
• Develop the ability to model the transportation system in order to anticipate obstructions to commerce.

In short, one of the most important ways in which we can increase MDA is by increasing our knowledge of maritime commerce. The health of our economy and the safety and security of our nation depend on it.


For more information:
The Maritime Domain Awareness Information Exchange: http://www.mda.gov/.

The National Maritime Domain Awareness Coordination Office: http://www.gmsa.gov/index.html.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/summer2010.

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

Maritime Domain Awareness—Knowledge Is Good

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Mr. Dana Goward, Director, U.S. Coast Guard Marine Transportation Systems Management; and Mr. Curt Dubay, U.S. Coast Guard Director of Maritime Domain Awareness Program Integration.


In the movie “Animal House,” the film opens with a shot of the college’s motto: “Knowledge Is Good,” which is a great summary of maritime domain awareness (MDA).

As the Department of Homeland Security’s lead federal agency protecting the U.S. maritime domain and our marine transportation system, awareness is essential to all the U.S. Coast Guard does. Enhancing MDA reduces risk and facilitates collaboration.

Your Contribution to MDA
Why is contributing to maritime domain awareness important to the Proceedings reader? Enforcement authorities—the Coast Guard and all local, state, federal, and international agencies—need to know whether laws and regulations are being followed, and, if not, how to deploy their resources to enforce them.

MDA is equally important because:

• Transparency leads to self-correcting behavior. It is a rule of human nature that people will behave better if they know there is a chance someone is watching.
• It helps level the playing field. Those who play by the rules are rewarded, and they are encouraged to identify to authorities those who are not.
• Scarce enforcement assets can be focused on response rather than patrol. Effective awareness can provide a virtual presence and deterrence at a fraction of the cost of fielding boats or enforcement personnel.

Awareness Network
Even more importantly, maritime domain awareness is the key to countering our biggest challenge—maritime criminal and terrorist networks. Because they are organized as networks, they are incredibly effective in thwarting the efforts of hierarchies such as governments. Fortunately, governments can effectively combat networks if they also operate as networks.

Shared awareness allows the local fish and wildlife officer, the national intelligence analyst, and everyone in between to bring their own experiences, capabilities, and authorities together in a widely distributed but unified effort. The general public can also join in a network for maritime good by identifying suspicious behavior and helping to counter illegal activity.

In upcoming posts we will feature a cross-section of articles that cover the efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard and our partners to transform maritime domain awareness through a whole-government approach to policy, capabilities, and technology led by the newly formed National MDA Coordination Office.

For more information:
The Maritime Domain Awareness Information Exchange: http://www.mda.gov/

The National Maritime Domain Awareness Coordination Office: http://www.gmsa.gov/index.html

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/summer2010.

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

Understanding Ethyl Alcohol

This “Chemical of the Quarter” excerpt is from the U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine.


Ethyl Alcohol

What is it?
Ethyl alcohol, also known as ethanol or ethyl hydroxide, is the proper name for grain alcohol “spirits.”

Retail gasoline typically contains 10 percent ethanol.

How is it shipped?
In the U.S., ethanol is shipped almost exclusively in rail tank cars and in tank barges from the chemical plant where it was produced to the refinery or plant where it’s blended with gasoline. Additionally, large quantities of ethanol are shipped from one region to another on tank ships.

Ethanol is shipped and stored at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure and, like gasoline and diesel fuel, is never heated prior to being pumped through a hose or pipeline.

Why should I care?
Shipping concerns. Ethanol is a grade “C” flammable liquid, with a closed-cup (sealed lid) flashpoint of 55°F, meaning it can be expected to be above its flashpoint in warm weather (see endnote 1). Gasoline is always above its closed-cup flashpoint of -38°F, but automotive diesel fuel is almost always transported and stored below its 125°F closed-cup flashpoint. Therefore, the level of concern among transportation workers handling ethanol is midway between gasoline and diesel fuel.

Ethanol, like other alcohols, is somewhat corrosive. However, there is little concern for the structure of an ethanol-carrying barge or its pumps and piping because the tanks are inspected (for certification) by the Coast Guard and because ethanol is only mildly corrosive.

As far as the stability and seaworthiness of the vessel is concerned, it’s a physical impossibility to overload a barge because the specific gravity of ethanol is considerably lower than fresh water: 0.79 (at 68°F) vs. 1.00. The principal concern is for the flammable vapors.

Fire or explosion concerns. One characteristic of ethanol vapor that causes concern is the width of its flammable range (see endnote 2). Ethanol’s range, from 3.3 to 19.0 percent (by volume in air) is considered somewhat wide in comparison to gasoline’s narrow range of 1.4 to 7.4 percent. The wider the range, the greater the chance of a flammable mixture should a leak or spill occur. Since ethanol is heavier than air, its vapor spreads out downwind and downhill, hugging the ground or deck.

Health concerns. The short-term exposure limit is 1,000 parts per million (ppm). Exposure to a concentration of ethanol vapor of more than 1,000 ppm may cause headache and eye irritation. Exposure to ethanol vapor also causes dizziness, double vision, and other classic alcohol intoxication symptoms. A victim of vapor exposure should always be removed to fresh air.

What's the Coast Guard doing about it?
Domestic tank vessels are inspected and certificated under Title 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Subchapter “D” (rather than subchapter “O”) because alcohol has a relatively low danger threat. If an alcohol-carrying tank ship is of foreign registry, it must be issued the appropriate certificate of compliance by the Coast Guard.

Additionally, the Coast Guard monitors ethanol spill statistics. Over the past six years, there have been only two ethanol spills from tank vessels in the U.S. while loading or discharging, and they were both under five gallons. Waterfront facilities have averaged one spill a year, and only one of these spills has been more than 100 gallons.

Endnotes:
1. Flashpoint: The lowest temperature at which the vapor can be ignited momentarily. A “closed-cup” (sealed lid) flashpoint tester with a low-mass thermocouple is used. In general, the closed-cup value is 10 to 15°F lower than the “open cup” value.
2. Flammable range: The range of vapor concentration (percent by volume in air) that will burn or explode if an ignition source is present. Limiting concentrations are called the “lower explosive limit” (LEL) and the “upper explosive limit” (UEL). Below the LEL the mixture is too lean to burn. Above the UEL it is too rich to burn.


For more information:
Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2010.

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

Social Media in Rulemaking—Challenges

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine. Click here for Part 1.


Using social media tools in the rulemaking process presents several challenges.

First, developing and maintaining social media tools is expensive and time-consuming. With the exception of CGPortal and certain HomePort features, the Coast Guard does not currently maintain its own social media technologies.

The Coast Guard does use commercial “off-the-shelf” products such as Blogger, YouTube, Flickr, and Twitter, generally at no cost to the Coast Guard or the public. However, using these products presents questions, such as whether the Coast Guard may agree to standard terms of service, how it can prevent inappropriate information appearing on sites associated with the Coast Guard, and how to control data that is saved on external web servers.

Moreover, providing new content, responding to public comments, intercepting inappropriate comments, and maintaining the system all require Coast Guard resources.

Second, many types of social media tools require users to submit identifying information such as a name or pseudonym and/or an e-mail address. Although most blogging tools can accept anonymous comments, wikis generally require an identifier to track content changes. Users could view webcasts anonymously, but most likely would require an identifier to participate. Many commercial websites require users to provide a birth date, as well. Even though the Coast Guard would have no direct access to personal information provided by the public, it may need to consider whether privacy protections are appropriate.

Third, the Coast Guard has legal obligations to provide adequate public notice of its regulatory actions via the Federal Register, and to keep records associated with its rulemaking activities. Accepting public comment through other avenues without giving notice in the Federal Register may not satisfy existing law and could open any eventual rule to legal challenge. Collecting and preserving comments from a blog or—even more challenging—a wiki is a daunting task because of the potential volume of comments and because the informal tone used on social media tools makes it difficult to identify which comments are directed at the potential rulemaking.

As the Coast Guard moves forward with social media, it will need to maintain a clear line between idea generation conducted using social media tools and comments on the record that may be taken into account during the rulemaking process.

These and other legal obligations prevent the Coast Guard from conducting any rulemaking entirely through social media tools at this time. The Coast Guard must and will continue to publish its notices in the Federal Register, and accept comment through traditional means (mail, fax, hand delivery, or online at www.regulations.gov). However, the Coast Guard is actively working to address the challenges, and to implement social media tools in a way that promotes public participation and results in better rules.


For more information:
Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2010.

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

THE COAST GUARD ONLINE

Coast Guard Compass blog
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/

Coast Guard Marine Safety blog
http://cgmarinesafety.blogspot.com/

Coast Guard YouTube channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/USCGImagery

Coast Guard Flickr album
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coast_guard/

Coast Guard Facebook fan page
http://www.facebook.com/UScoastguard

Coast Guard Twitter
http://twitter.com/uscoastguard

The USCG and Social Media

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by LT Anthony Migliorini, U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs, and Ms. Rebecca Day, Attorney Advisor, U.S. Coast Guard Office of Regulations and Administrative Law.


The Coast Guard’s first foray into social media came with the development of a YouTube channel in February 2007. ADM Thad Allen, then-Commandant of the Coast Guard, debuted his official blog in September 2008. The Coast Guard also started accounts on Facebook and on the photo-sharing website Flickr in September 2008.

RDML James Watson, then-Director of Prevention Policy, started using a video blog to inform the public of the importance of the Coast Guard’s role in the global maritime transportation system. Headquarters staff have utilized wiki technology to collaborate real-time with field personnel on policy changes. Most recently, the Coast Guard established an internal collaborative tool, CGPortal, which incorporates wikis and blogs for improved knowledge management within the Coast Guard.

Many field units have also begun to utilize social media tools. Deployed cutters are staying connected with families and friends through Facebook and blogs. District public affairs staffs are fielding questions and informing media outlets about Coast Guard activities through Twitter updates.

Social Media in Rulemaking
In light of the Coast Guard’s success using social media in other missions, it is exploring how social media tools might become useful in the regulatory context. The use of social media tools—particularly blogs, wikis, and webcasts—could enhance public participation before and during rulemaking.

The use of blogs and wikis could help the Coast Guard improve public access to rulemaking documents by making those documents more easily detected by search engines, allowing the public to provide direct input into draft documents. Using live webcasts could make public meetings more accessible to the public and more cost-effective for the Coast Guard. Social media tools could also lower barriers to commenting and idea-sharing; dialogue conducted using social media tools could refine and improve the ideas eventually submitted for rulemaking.

In Part 2 we will explore how using social media tools presents challenges to the rulemaking process.


For more information:
Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2010.

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

THE COAST GUARD ONLINE

Coast Guard Compass blog
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/

Coast Guard Marine Safety blog
http://cgmarinesafety.blogspot.com/

Coast Guard YouTube channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/USCGImagery

Coast Guard Flickr album
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coast_guard/

Coast Guard Facebook fan page
http://www.facebook.com/UScoastguard

Coast Guard Twitter
http://twitter.com/uscoastguard

The National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Capt. Bill Donaldson, NOSAC Deep Water Ports Representative.


From its beginnings, the Coast Guard has depended on existing internal resources to provide guidance for missions including public safety, national security, environmental stewardship, and exploration and development of mineral and energy resources beneath the U.S. outer continental shelf.

The Coast Guard’s role in public safety and national security has changed over the years. More focus has been directed toward security, which consequently significantly increased the Coast Guard’s role in offshore activities, particularly since the tragic events of 9/11. These additional mandated tasks prompted the Coast Guard to look for alternative means to gather information to fulfill its role in the rulemaking process for offshore activities. The Coast Guard found one means in the National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee (NOSAC).

NOSAC is a voluntary group assembled to assist the Coast Guard in gathering information for the rulemaking process, particularly with regard to rules related to protection of the safety and welfare of offshore workers, safeguarding the environment, and resource management. The passage of the Federal Advisory Committee Act laid the groundwork for forming NOSAC. In 1988, the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, under which the Coast Guard operated, created NOSAC to provide a public forum capable of rendering advice on, consultation with, and discussions of safety matters and concerns related to OCS activities.

The group acts in an advisory capacity to the Commandant of the Coast Guard on matters related to the offshore mineral and energy recovery industry. The committee is also responsive to specific assignments related to conducting studies, inquiries, and workshops as authorized or directed by the Commandant.

NOSAC reports to the Commandant of the Coast Guard through its sponsor, the Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security, and Environmental Protection, who designates NOSAC’s executive director. The National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee is composed of not more than 15 members from various sectors of the offshore industry, appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security from recommendations made by the Commandant of the Coast Guard.

The majority of NOSAC members are made up of those involved in offshore exploration and energy recovery resources who have devoted time to assisting the Coast Guard in its mission to protect the offshore community’s workforce. Additional members come from the environmental community, the general public, and the deepwater ports community. NOSAC meets bi-annually, and the meetings are open to the public.


For more information:
Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2010.

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

The Paperwork Reduction Act—Collecting information, collecting your input, protecting you

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Ms. Esa L. Sferra-Bonistalli, Attorney Advisor, United States Coast Guard Office of the Judge Advocate General.


To keep the amount of paperwork you fill out for the federal government in check, there is a federal administrative law: the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), which requires a federal agency to follow certain procedures before asking you to take the time (and possibly spend money) to provide certain information to that agency.

The type of information the Coast Guard collects:

• The Coast Guard requires commercial crewmembers to present on demand an acceptable identification to verify identity. Crewmembers must provide certain information to the Coast Guard to obtain the identification document.
• The Coast Guard also requires any vessel destined for the United States to provide pre-arrival messages containing certain information.
• Masters of certain vessels must provide information to the Coast Guard that details the vessel operator’s ballast water management efforts.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Coast Guard must obtain the approval of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs before collecting information from the public.

Collecting Your Input
In order to obtain OMB’s approval, the Coast Guard must first solicit public comments on its collection of information. Regardless of whether the collection is a stand-alone or part of a rulemaking, the Coast Guard specifically asks for comments on:

• the practical utility of the collections—whether the agency will be able to actually use the information collected in a timely and useful manner;
• the accuracy of the estimated burden of the collections;
• ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of information subject to the collections;
• ways to minimize the burden of collections on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments help the Coast Guard identify issues it may not have been aware of that may have an impact on the persons being asked to provide information. The Coast Guard reviews all comments and may change the COI in response.

While it is unlikely that the Paperwork Reduction Act will ever completely eliminate federal agency paperwork, it does provide you the opportunity to become involved in the creation of that paperwork.


For more information:
To find a list of currently approved collections of information (COIs), including specific information such as estimated paperwork burdens and expiration dates, visit OMB’s website at http://www.reginfo.gov/.

For more information on the Paperwork Reduction Act and collections of information, see the OMB website at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg_infocoll/.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2010.

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.