Comment Submitted by Anonymous

I am commenting on your Shipping Safety Fairways Along the Atlantic Coast Proposed Rule (Docket Number USCG-2019-0279). Sea-Level Rise Expected on the East Coast of the United States In the introduction of your September 2025 Supplemental Regulatory Analysis, you state that it “further quantifies the cost savings associated with the proposed routing measures.” On page 7, you note that you are not estimating any cost savings from various types of vessels – primarily because they are not expected to use the proposed routing measures as much as other vessels. Should similar consideration be given to the expected use of the proposed routing measures by the remaining vessels because of an expected sea-level rise on the East Coast of the United States? According to a NOAA 2022 Technical Report, sea level along the U.S. East Coast is expected to rise 10 to 14 inches, on average, in the next 30 years (https://earth.gov/sealevel/us/resources/2022-sea-level-rise-technical-report/). You do mention sea-level rise on page 3-61 of your Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for Establishing Shipping Safety Fairways and Associated Vessel Routing Measures Along the Atlantic Coast, but you exclude it from the list of “potential threats to coastal habitats from activities associated with the Proposed Action and alternatives.” I would agree that I don’t see any obvious adverse environmental impacts associated with sea-level rise attributable to your proposed rule. But from a transportation planning and economic perspective, did you consider what impact sea-level rise might have on use of your proposed routing measures and the anticipated costs or benefits of the proposed rule? For example, if it is appropriate, is there an easy way to adjust the routing measures to factor in sea-level rise? And would more frequent flooding of ports change the efficiency attributed to the proposed routing measures? I don’t know if sea-level rise would have an equal impact on a No Action alternative. But even if that were so, you may reach a different estimate of the costs and benefits of your proposed action if you factor in expected sea-level rise. Uncertain Fate of NOAA’s Speed Restrictions with Respect to Atlantic Right Whales On pages 2-18, 2-20, 2-22, and 3-129 (and possibly elsewhere) in your draft PEIS/OEIS, you reference speed restrictions imposed by NOAA. On March 4, 2026, however, NOAA announced (91 FR 10580) that it is “considering possible deregulatory action to modify and modernize the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule.” Does this NOAA announcement change your assumptions about the impact of the proposed routing measures on the Atlantic Right Whale? And if so, would it be best to change some routing measures in your rule?