Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Chicago River, Chicago, IL, 19659-19660 [2020-06823]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 68 / Wednesday, April 8, 2020 / Rules and Regulations
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with RULES
Effective date: This deviation is
effective from midnight on May 1, 2020
to midnight on October 15, 2020.
Comment date: Comments and relate
material must reach the Coast Guard on
or before October 16, 2020.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
identified by docket number USCG–
2020–0033 using Federal eRulemaking
Portal at https://www.regulations.gov.
See the ‘‘Public Participation and
Request for Comments’’ portion of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
below for instructions on submitting
comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If
you have questions on this rule, call or
email Mr. Lee D. Soule, Bridge
Management Specialist, Ninth Coast
Guard District; telephone 216–902–
6085, email Lee.D.Soule@uscg.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background, Purpose and Legal Basis
Rainy River and Rainy Lake serve as
the border between the United States of
America and Canada. The Canadian
National bridge is a single leaf bascule
type railroad bridge that provides a
horizontal clearance of 125 feet. The
water level on Rainey Lake and under
the bridge is controlled by a hydroelectric dam facility at International
Falls, Minnesota. Charted datum is
based on the water level surface of
Rainy Lake. When the gauge at Fort
Frances, Canada reads 1107.0 feet, it
results in a variable vertical clearance of
6 to 10 feet in the closed position. The
railroad bridge carries significant train
traffic across the international border
and is the customs port of entry. The
drawbridge currently operates under
title 33 of the Code of Federal
Regulation (CFR), § 117.664.
Prior to March 2011, the Canadian
National Bridge was remotely operated
without authorization from the District
Commander and the railroad failed to
operate the bridge in a manner that
supported good stewardship of the
waterway. After review of the
complaints, meetings with the town
mayor, and after inquiries from the
office of the Honorable Senator James
Oberstar, the District Commander
ordered the bridge owner to reinstate
drawtenders at the bridge by March
2011.
The bridge owner has requested to
resume remote operations at the bridge
after operating the bridge without
complaint for seven boating seasons.
Several trains cross the bridge daily
traveling from a Canadian train control
district to a United States train control
district and must stop at the United
States port of entry to debark Canadian
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:34 Apr 07, 2020
Jkt 250001
train crews and embark United States
train crews and vice versa, depending
on direction of travel. The train is also
inspected prior to entering the United
States.
Most of the vessels in the area are
Customs and Border Protection patrol
boats, houseboats, and other runabouts.
Unpowered sail and paddle craft will
pass through the bridge if the current is
slow. Eight vessels on average request
bridge openings each year.
The test schedule will run from
midnight on May 1, 2020 to midnight on
October 15, 2020. During this test
schedule, the bridge will operate
remotely with tenders at the bridge to
monitor the effectiveness of the remote
equipment. The length of the test
deviation is necessary to allow all
seasonal residents the opportunity to
comment on the operations of the
bridge. The bridge operates several
cameras, a 2-way public address system,
and a VHF–FM Marine Radio that
monitors channel 16. The bridge owner
will continue to maintain a
drawtender’s log and provide those logs
at the end of the test deviation. Vessels
able to safely pass under the bridge
without an opening may do so at any
time.
The Coast Guard will also inform the
users of the waterways through our
Local and Broadcast Notices to Mariners
of the change in operating schedule for
the bridge so that vessel operators can
arrange their transits to minimize any
impact caused by the temporary
deviation.
In accordance with 33 CFR 117.35(e),
the drawbridge must return to its regular
operating schedule immediately at the
end of the effective period of this
temporary deviation. This deviation
from the operating regulations is
authorized under 33 CFR 117.35.
II. Public Participation and Request for
Comments
We view public participation as
essential to effective rulemaking, and
will consider all comments and material
received during the comment period.
Your comment can help shape the
outcome of this rulemaking. If you
submit a comment, please include the
docket number for this rulemaking,
indicate the specific section of this
document to which each comment
applies, and provide a reason for each
suggestion or recommendation.
We encourage you to submit
comments through the Federal
eRulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov. If your material
cannot be submitted using https://
www.regulations.gov, contact the person
in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
19659
CONTACT section of this document for
alternate instructions.
We accept anonymous comments. All
comments received will be posted
without change to https://
www.regulations.gov and will include
any personal information you have
provided. For more about privacy and
submissions in response to this
document, see DHS’s Correspondence
System of Records notice (84 FR 48645,
September 26, 2018). All public
comments will be in our online docket
at https://www.regulations.gov and can
be viewed by following that website’s
instructions. Additionally, if you go to
the online docket and sign up for email
alerts, you will be notified when
comments are posted or a final rule is
published.
D.L. Cottrell,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander,
Ninth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2020–06822 Filed 4–7–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–04–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Coast Guard
33 CFR Part 117
[Docket No. USCG–2020–0034]
Drawbridge Operation Regulation;
Chicago River, Chicago, IL
Coast Guard, DHS.
Notice of temporary deviation
from regulations; request for comments.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Coast Guard authorizes
the Amtrak Railroad Bridge, mile 3.77,
across the South Branch of the Chicago
River, to be operated remotely and
establish an intermediate opening
position. The request was made by the
bridge owner. This test deviation will
test if the intermediate position
improves vessel flow through the river.
The bridge will continue to open on
signal for commercial and recreational
vessels.
DATES:
Effective date: This deviation is
effective from midnight on June 1, 2020
to midnight on September 1, 2020.
Comment date: Comments and relate
material must reach the Coast Guard on
or before September 2, 2020.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
identified by docket number USCG–
2020–0034 using Federal eRulemaking
Portal at https://www.regulations.gov.
See the ‘‘Public Participation and
Request for Comments’’ portion of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\08APR1.SGM
08APR1
19660
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 68 / Wednesday, April 8, 2020 / Rules and Regulations
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with RULES
below for instructions on submitting
comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If
you have questions on this rule, call or
email Mr. Lee D. Soule, Bridge
Management Specialist, Ninth Coast
Guard District; telephone 216–902–
6085, email Lee.D.Soule@uscg.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background, Purpose, and Legal
Basis
The Amtrak Railroad Bridge, mile
3.77, over the South Branch of the
Chicago River provides a vertical
clearance of 10 feet in the closed
position and 65 feet in the open position
based on International Great Lakes
Datum of 1985 (IGLD85). The bridge
opens an average of twelve times a day
for vessels. An average of 150,000 rail
commuters cross the bridge daily along
with freight and other passenger trains.
The South Branch of the Chicago River
is part of a network of waterways that
allows vessels to travel from Chicago, IL
to New Orleans, LA. Cook County, IL,
described the Chicago River as the fifth
largest port in the United States, hosting
commercial vessels over 300 tons,
recreational power and sailing vessels,
several passenger vessels, water taxies,
paddle boats, and various paddle craft.
With the exception of the Amtrak
Bridge, vessels can pass under all the
bridges in the Chicago metropolitan area
without an opening.
In accordance with general bridge
regulations found in 33 CFR 117.5, a
drawbridge must open promptly and
fully when signaled to open. Not every
vessel needs the Amtrak Bridge to open
to the full 65 feet and we believe the test
deviation will show the Amtrak Bridge
can open half way and allow most
vessels to pass. Vessels that need a full
opening can request it without advance
notice. We believe that opening to an
intermediary position will increase the
bridge availability by 50% to both rail
and vessels. It was recently discovered
the remote operations of the Amtrak
Bridge has not been included in the
current regulation; but has been
operating without concerns from the
maritime community. The drawbridge
currently operates under title 33 of the
Code of Federal Regulation (CFR),
§ 117.391.
The test deviation is necessary to
allow the public to observe the bridge in
operation and allow the permanent and
seasonal residents of the area the
opportunity to comment on the
operation of the bridge in the
intermediate position. The test schedule
will run from midnight on June 1, 2020
to midnight on September 1, 2020.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:34 Apr 07, 2020
Jkt 250001
The bridge owner will continue to
maintain a drawtender’s log and provide
those logs at the end of the test
deviation. Vessels able to safely pass
under the bridge without an opening
may do so at any time and vessels may
request a full opening without advance
notice.
In accordance with 33 CFR 117.35(e),
the drawbridge must return to its regular
operating schedule immediately at the
end of the effective period of this
temporary deviation. This deviation
from the operating regulations is
authorized under 33 CFR 117.35.
II. Public Participation and Request for
Comments
We view public participation as
essential to effective rulemaking, and
will consider all comments and material
received during the comment period.
Your comments can help shape the
outcome of this rulemaking. If you
submit a comment, please include the
docket number for this rulemaking,
indicate the specific section of this
document to which each comment
applies, and provide a reason for each
suggestion or recommendation.
We encourage you to submit
comments through the Federal
eRulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov. If your material
cannot be submitted using https://
www.regulations.gov, contact the person
in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section of this document for
alternate instructions.
We accept anonymous comments. All
comments received will be posted
without change to https://
www.regulations.gov and will include
any personal information you have
provided. For more about privacy and
submissions in response to this
document, see DHS’s eRulemaking
System of Records notice (85 FR 14226,
March 11, 2020).
All public comments will be in our
online docket at https://
www.regulations.gov, and can be viewed
by following that website’s instructions.
Additionally, if you go to the online
docket and sign up for email alerts, you
will be notified when comments are
posted or a final rule is published.
D.L. Cottrell,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander,
Ninth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2020–06823 Filed 4–7–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–04–P
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
36 CFR Part 251
RIN 0596–AD38
Land Uses; Special Uses; Streamlining
Processing of Communications Use
Applications
Forest Service, USDA.
Final rule.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture is issuing this final rule to
implement the Agriculture
Improvement Act of 2018, providing for
streamlining the Agency’s procedures
for evaluating applications to locate or
modify communications facilities on
National Forest System (NFS) lands.
DATES: This rule is effective April 8,
2020.
SUMMARY:
Information on this final
rule may be obtained via written request
addressed to the Director, Lands and
Realty Management, USDA Forest
Service, 201 14th Street, Washington,
DC 20250–1124 or by email to
SM.FS.WO_LandStaff@usda.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joey
Perry, Lands Staff, 707–441–3569 or
joey.perry@usda.gov. Individuals who
use telecommunication devices for the
deaf may call the Federal Relay Service
at 800–877–8339 between 8:00 a.m. and
8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time,
Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
ADDRESSES:
Background
On December 20, 2018, the President
signed the Agriculture Improvement Act
of 2018 (the Farm Bill). Title VIII,
Subtitle G, section 8705, of the Farm
Bill requires the Forest Service to issue
regulations that streamline the Agency’s
procedures for evaluating applications
to locate or modify communications
facilities on NFS lands.
The Forest Service is responsible for
managing NFS lands that are adjacent to
rural and urban areas. The Forest
Service authorizes the occupancy and
use of NFS lands for communications
facilities (buildings, towers and
ancillary improvements) and fiber optic
lines, which provide critical
communications services, including
television, radio, cellular services,
emergency services and broadband, to
these areas. The Forest Service
administers over 3,700 special use
authorizations for communications uses
at 1,530 communications sites and more
than 400 communications use
E:\FR\FM\08APR1.SGM
08APR1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 68 (Wednesday, April 8, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 19659-19660]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06823]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
33 CFR Part 117
[Docket No. USCG-2020-0034]
Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Chicago River, Chicago, IL
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of temporary deviation from regulations; request for
comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Coast Guard authorizes the Amtrak Railroad Bridge, mile
3.77, across the South Branch of the Chicago River, to be operated
remotely and establish an intermediate opening position. The request
was made by the bridge owner. This test deviation will test if the
intermediate position improves vessel flow through the river. The
bridge will continue to open on signal for commercial and recreational
vessels.
DATES:
Effective date: This deviation is effective from midnight on June
1, 2020 to midnight on September 1, 2020.
Comment date: Comments and relate material must reach the Coast
Guard on or before September 2, 2020.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2020-0034 using Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov.
See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion
of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
[[Page 19660]]
below for instructions on submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this rule,
call or email Mr. Lee D. Soule, Bridge Management Specialist, Ninth
Coast Guard District; telephone 216-902-6085, email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background, Purpose, and Legal Basis
The Amtrak Railroad Bridge, mile 3.77, over the South Branch of the
Chicago River provides a vertical clearance of 10 feet in the closed
position and 65 feet in the open position based on International Great
Lakes Datum of 1985 (IGLD85). The bridge opens an average of twelve
times a day for vessels. An average of 150,000 rail commuters cross the
bridge daily along with freight and other passenger trains. The South
Branch of the Chicago River is part of a network of waterways that
allows vessels to travel from Chicago, IL to New Orleans, LA. Cook
County, IL, described the Chicago River as the fifth largest port in
the United States, hosting commercial vessels over 300 tons,
recreational power and sailing vessels, several passenger vessels,
water taxies, paddle boats, and various paddle craft. With the
exception of the Amtrak Bridge, vessels can pass under all the bridges
in the Chicago metropolitan area without an opening.
In accordance with general bridge regulations found in 33 CFR
117.5, a drawbridge must open promptly and fully when signaled to open.
Not every vessel needs the Amtrak Bridge to open to the full 65 feet
and we believe the test deviation will show the Amtrak Bridge can open
half way and allow most vessels to pass. Vessels that need a full
opening can request it without advance notice. We believe that opening
to an intermediary position will increase the bridge availability by
50% to both rail and vessels. It was recently discovered the remote
operations of the Amtrak Bridge has not been included in the current
regulation; but has been operating without concerns from the maritime
community. The drawbridge currently operates under title 33 of the Code
of Federal Regulation (CFR), Sec. 117.391.
The test deviation is necessary to allow the public to observe the
bridge in operation and allow the permanent and seasonal residents of
the area the opportunity to comment on the operation of the bridge in
the intermediate position. The test schedule will run from midnight on
June 1, 2020 to midnight on September 1, 2020.
The bridge owner will continue to maintain a drawtender's log and
provide those logs at the end of the test deviation. Vessels able to
safely pass under the bridge without an opening may do so at any time
and vessels may request a full opening without advance notice.
In accordance with 33 CFR 117.35(e), the drawbridge must return to
its regular operating schedule immediately at the end of the effective
period of this temporary deviation. This deviation from the operating
regulations is authorized under 33 CFR 117.35.
II. Public Participation and Request for Comments
We view public participation as essential to effective rulemaking,
and will consider all comments and material received during the comment
period. Your comments can help shape the outcome of this rulemaking. If
you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this
rulemaking, indicate the specific section of this document to which
each comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or
recommendation.
We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be
submitted using https://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in the
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate
instructions.
We accept anonymous comments. All comments received will be posted
without change to https://www.regulations.gov and will include any
personal information you have provided. For more about privacy and
submissions in response to this document, see DHS's eRulemaking System
of Records notice (85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020).
All public comments will be in our online docket at https://www.regulations.gov, and can be viewed by following that website's
instructions. Additionally, if you go to the online docket and sign up
for email alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted or a
final rule is published.
D.L. Cottrell,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Ninth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2020-06823 Filed 4-7-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
