Coast Guard August 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is removing the existing drawbridge operation regulation for the Pinellas Bayway Structure ``C'' Bridge across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway mile 114, St Petersburg Beach, Florida. The drawbridge was replaced with a fixed bridge in 2014 and the operating regulation is no longer applicable or necessary.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the operating schedule that governs the Pinellas Bayway Structure ``E'' (SR 679) Bridge, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway mile 113.0, St. Petersburg Beach, FL. This proposal would extend the time period when the bridge is subject to periodic openings. During this extended time period the bridge will not open on demand.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone on the navigable waters of the James River in Newport News, VA for multiple periods, one hour in length each, on all weekdays from August 6 until August 15, 2014. This action will restrict vessel traffic movement in the designated area during the United States Navy's operation involving unmanned and remote-operated crafts. This action is necessary in order to protect the life and property of the maritime public due to the high speed maneuvering of the vessels and the experimental nature of the control technology.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Amtrak Portal Bridge across the Hackensack River, mile 5.0, at Little Snake Hill, New Jersey. The deviation is necessary for installation of new ties, miter rails and drive motors at the bridge. This temporary deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position for five nights to perform scheduled maintenance.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the U.S. Coast Guard is forwarding the Information Collection Request (ICR), abstracted below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting approval of a revision to the following collection of information: 1625-0036, Plan Approval and Records for U.S. and Foreign Tank Vessels Carrying Oil in Bulk. Review and comments by OIRA ensure we only impose paperwork burdens commensurate with our performance of duties.

The Coast Guard announces the availability of Change-1 to the Marine Safety Manual (MSM), Volume III, Marine Industry Personnel, and the corresponding Commandant Change Notice that highlights the changes made to that manual. MSM Volume III provides information and interpretations on international conventions and U.S. statutory and regulatory issues relating to marine industry personnel. Change-1 is presented in a new format to facilitate future revisions by creating three distinct parts; Part A: Mariner Credentialing (Chapters 1-17), Part B: Vessel Manning (legacy Chapters 20-26, now Chapters 1-7), and Part C: Shipment and Service (legacy Chapters 18-19, now Chapters 1-2). The Commandant Change Notice discusses the substantive changes to Part B, Chapters 1 through 7. This Change includes revisions to Part C, Chapters 1 and 2, to account for revised regulations, updated forms, and reformatting. Part A will be reviewed and revised as part of a separate initiative.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Montlake Bridge across the Lake Washington Ship Canal, mile 5.2, in Seattle, WA. The deviation is necessary to accommodate vehicular traffic attending football games at Husky Stadium at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position two hours before and two hours after each game. Please note that the game times for five of the seven games scheduled for Husky Stadium have not yet been determined due to NCAA television scheduling.

The Coast Guard will enforce the San Diego Bayfair special local regulations on Friday, September 12, 2014 through Sunday, September 14, 2014. This recurring marine event occurs on the navigable waters of Mission Bay in San Diego, California. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of the high speed boat race participants, crew, spectators, safety vessels, and general users of the waterway. During the enforcement period, persons and vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or anchoring within this regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, or his designated representative.

The Coast Guard is amending its safety of life on navigable waters regulations by adding two Special Local Regulations within the Captain of the Port Detroit Zone on the Maumee River, Toledo, Ohio. These special local regulated areas are necessary to protect spectators, participants, and vessels from the hazards associated with these races. These regulations are intended to regulate vessel movement in portions of the Maumee River during the annual Dragon Boat Races and Frogtown Races.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of North Coast Harbor, Cleveland, OH. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of North Coast Harbor during the Gay Games 9 Triathlon. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect participants, spectators, and vessels from the navigational hazards associated with a large swimming event.

The Coast Guard is changing the operating schedule that governs the New Jersey State Route 44 lift bridge over Mantua Creek at mile marker 1.7, near Paulsboro, NJ. The new rule will change the time of year that the bridge opens on signal. For the months that no longer open on signal, the bridge will open with four hours advanced notice.