Coast Guard October 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the U.S. Coast Guard is forwarding Information Collection Requests (ICRs), abstracted below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting approval of revisions to the following collections of information: 1625-0074, Direct User Fees for Inspection or Examination of U.S. and Foreign Commercial Vessels; 1625-0084, Audit Reports under the International Safety Management Code and 1625-0093, Facilities Transferring Oil or Hazardous Materials in BulkLetter of Intent and Operations Manual. Our ICRs describe the information we seek to collect from the public. Review and comments by OIRA ensure we only impose paperwork burdens commensurate with our performance of duties.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Hannibal Railroad Drawbridge across the Upper Mississippi River, mile 309.9, at Hannibal, Missouri. The deviation is necessary to allow the bridge owner time to replace critical control components that are essential to the continued safe operation of the drawbridge. The work is scheduled in the winter, when the impact on navigation is minimal, instead of scheduling the work at other times in the year, when river traffic is prevalent. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position for 39 days.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the SR 170/Centerville Turnpike Bridge, at AICW mile 15.2, across Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, at Chesapeake, VA. The deviation is necessary to facilitate structural repairs to the superstructure of the SR 170/Centerville Turnpike Bridge. This temporary deviation will allow the drawbridge to change the operating schedule on specific dates and times.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the New Jersey State Route 44 lift bridge over the Mantua Creek, mile marker 1.7, at Paulsboro, NJ. Bridge tender logs from 2007- 2013 indicates that the majority of the marine traffic transits Mantua Creek during the summer months. To better align the operating schedule to meet the needs of both land and marine traffic, the proposed change would reduce the number of months the bridge is required to open on signal during the early spring and fall of each year.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the U.S. Route 130 lift Bridge over Raccoon Creek at mile marker 1.8 in Bridgeport, NJ. Bridge tender logs from 2007-2013 indicates that the majority of the marine traffic transits Raccoon Creek during the summer months. To better align the operating schedule to meet the needs of both land and marine traffic, the proposed change would reduce the number of months the bridge is required to open on signal during the early spring and fall of each year.

The Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC) will meet on November 14, 2013 via teleconference, to discuss Task Statement 85, Review of Draft Update to Marine Safety Manual (Volume III), Chapters 20 through 26. This meeting will be open to the public.

The National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee (NOSAC) will meet on November 13 and 14, 2013, in Houston, TX, to discuss various issues related to safety of operations and other matters affecting the oil and gas offshore industry. These meetings are open to the public.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedules that govern the US 90 (Danzinger) Bridge across the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal (IHNC), mile 3.1, and the Senator Ted Hickey (Leon C. Simon Blvd./Seabrook) bridge across the IHNC, mile 4.6, both at New Orleans, LA. This deviation will test changes to the drawbridge operation schedule to determine whether a permanent change to the schedule is needed. These changes would allow for the safe navigation of vessels while reflecting the low volume of vessel traffic through the bridges thereby increasing efficiency of operations. The changes will allow the bridges to operate in a manner that will align the two operating schedules so the bridge owner will be able to use the same bridge crew personnel to operate both bridges with little to no affect on navigation through the bridges.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of Oyster Bay near Oyster Bay, NY for the Oyster Festival 30th Anniversary fireworks display. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect spectators and vessels from the hazards associated with fireworks displays. This rule is intended to restrict all vessels from a portion of Oyster Bay before, during, and immediately after the fireworks event.

The Coast Guard is changing the operating schedule that governs the Walnut Street Bridge at mile 2.8, and the Market Street Bridge at mile 3.0, both located on the Christina River in Wilmington, DE. Originally it was also proposed that the Third Street Drawbridge at mile 2.3 be included in this rule change but that request was withdrawn. Since the two other drawbridges are located near one another and the few vessels that do transit this waterway usually go through all three bridges, the Walnut Street and Market Street bridges will now open on the same eight hour advance notice. This rule will change the current regulations by allowing the Third Street and Walnut Street drawbridges to be opened in sequence with the same eight hour advance notice presently given to the Market Street drawbridge. This schedule clarifies the sequencing of these drawbridge openings, and provides for the reasonable needs of navigation.

The Coast Guard is correcting the docket number in a notice of enforcement that appeared in the Federal Register on September 26, 2013 (78 FR 59240). The correct docket number is USCG-2012-0309.

The Coast Guard seeks applications for membership on the Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC). This Committee advises the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security on matters relating to shallow-draft inland and coastal waterway navigation and towing safety. Applicants selected for service on TSAC via this solicitation will not begin their respective terms until September 30, 2014.

The Coast Guard is establishing five temporary safety zones on waterways near Chicago, IL. These safety zones are intended to restrict vessels from portions of Chicago waterways due to the filming of a motion picture. These temporary safety zones are necessary to protect the surrounding public and vessels from the hazards associated with the stunt work, pyrotechnics, low-flying helicopter, and other hazards involved in the filming of a motion picture.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone at: McCormick & Baxter superfund site, Old Mormon Slough, Stockton, CA. This safety zone supports ongoing efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to decontaminate soil, groundwater, and sediment in Old Mormon Slough and the surrounding basin. This safety zone restricts vessels from entering Old Mormon Slough and disturbing the existing sediment cap needed for site decontamination. This safety zone reduces human health and environmental risks associated with clean up efforts at McCormick & Baxter superfund site.