Coast Guard March 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is issuing regulations applicable to newly constructed mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs), floating outer continental shelf (OCS) facilities, and vessels other than offshore supply vessels (OSVs) that engage in OCS activities. The regulations expand the list of acceptable national and international explosion protection standards and add the internationally accepted independent third-party certification system, the International Electrotechnical Commission System for Certification to Standards relating to Equipment for use in Explosive Atmospheres (IECEx), as an accepted method of testing and certifying electrical equipment intended for use in hazardous locations. The regulations also provide owners and operators of existing U.S. MODUs, floating OCS facilities, vessels other than OSVs, and U.S. tank vessels that carry flammable or combustible cargoes, the option of following this compliance regime as an alternative to the requirements contained in existing regulations.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of the Port of New York for the transit of the M/V GREY SHARK. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the transit of the vessel in distress due to a shipboard fire and ongoing damage control operations. Entering into, transiting through, remaining, anchoring or mooring within this safety zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) New York.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the upper deck of the Steel Bridge across the Willamette River, mile 12.1, at Portland, OR. This deviation is necessary to accommodate the annual Bridge to Brews 8K and 10K run. This deviation allows the upper deck of the Steel Bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position and need not open for marine traffic.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Snake Creek Bridge across Snake Creek, at Islamorada, FL. This deviation will test a change to the drawbridge operation schedule to determine whether a permanent change to the schedule is needed. This deviation will allow Snake Creek Bridge to open once an hour between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Local officials are requesting this action to assist in reducing traffic caused by bridge openings.

Conditions of entry are imposed on vessels arriving in U.S. waters from foreign ports that do not maintain effective anti-terrorism measures. In 2012, the Coast Guard announced the imposition of conditions of entry on vessels arriving from all ports in Yemen, except for the Ash Shihr Terminal, the Port of Hodeidah, and the Balhalf LNG Terminal. Today, the Coast Guard announces that conditions of entry will be imposed on vessels arriving from the Ash Shihr Terminal and the Port of Hodeidah. The 2012 exception remains in place for vessels arriving from the Balhalf LNG Terminal.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone around the barge ARCTIC CHALLENGER within the waters of the Captain of the Port Zone Puget Sound. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of the maritime public and the crews involved in operational testing of the Arctic Containment System, and will do so by prohibiting all persons and vessels not involved with the operational testing of the Arctic Containment System from entering, transiting, or remaining in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or his Designated Representative.

The Coast Guard proposes to update special local regulations and permanent safety zones in the Coast Guard Sector Northern New England Captain of the Port Zone for annual recurring marine events. When enforced, these proposed special local regulations and safety zones would restrict vessels from portions of water areas during certain annually recurring events. The proposed special local regulations and safety zones are intended to expedite public notification and ensure the protection of the maritime public and event participants from the hazards associated with certain maritime events.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to submit Information Collection Requests (ICRs) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting approval of a revision to the following collections of information: 1625-0006, Shipping Articles and 1625-0018, Official Logbook. Our ICRs describe the information we seek to collect from the public. Before submitting these ICRs to OIRA, the Coast Guard is inviting comments as described below.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a safety zone on the navigable waters of the Chesapeake Bay in Cape Charles, VA. This proposed safety zone would restrict vessel movement in the specified area during the Cape Charles Clam Slam fireworks display between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on August 1, 2015. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life and property on the surrounding navigable waters during the fireworks displays.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a safety zone on the waters of the Atlantic Ocean east of Daytona Beach, Florida during the Daytona Beach Grand Prix of the Seas, a series of high-speed personal watercraft boat races. This proposed safety zone would be enforced from 7 a.m. on Friday until 7 p.m. on Sunday during the last weekend in April. Approximately 50 high-speed personal watercrafts are anticipated to participate in the races, and approximately 20 spectator vessels are expected to attend the event. This safety zone is necessary to ensure the safety of life on navigable waters of the United States during the races. The regulated area would consist of the following location: All waters of the Atlantic Ocean encompassed within the following points: starting at Point 1 in position 29[deg]14.601' N, 81[deg]00.767' W; thence south to Point 2 in position 29[deg]13.677' N, 81[deg]00.283' W; thence east to Point 3 in position 29[deg]13.860' N, 080[deg]59.763' W; thence north to Point 4 in position 29[deg]14.781' N, 80[deg]59.802' W; thence west back to origin. All persons and vessels, except those persons and vessels participating in the high-speed personal watercraft event, are prohibited from entering, transiting, anchoring, or remaining in the regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Jacksonville or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Commodore Schuyler F. Heim highway bridge across the Cerritos Channel, mile 4.9 at Long Beach, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow Southern California Edison Company to temporarily disconnect electric service to the bridge while performing circuit switching. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position during the deviation period.

The National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee and its Commercial Diving Safety on the Outer Continental Shelf Subcommittee will meet on April 7 and 8, 2015, in New Orleans, LA to discuss the safety of operations and other matters affecting the offshore oil and gas industry. These meetings are open to the public.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the draw of the Coleman Memorial Bridge (US 17/George P. Coleman Memorial Swing Bridge) across the York River, mile 7.0, between Gloucester Point and Yorktown, VA. This deviation is necessary to facilitate maintenance work on the moveable spans on the Coleman Memorial Bridge. This temporary deviation allows the drawbridge to remain in the closed to navigation position.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Washington State Department of Transportation Montlake Bridge across the Lake Washington Ship Canal, mile 5.2, at Seattle, WA. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position to accommodate the safe movement of ``Beat the Bridge Run'' event participants.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish several safety zones within the Sector St. Petersburg Captain of the Port Zone. This action would establish safety zones restricting port operations in the event of reduced or restricted visibility or disasters including hurricanes. It would also establish safety zones around firework platforms, structures or barges during the storage, preparation, and launching of fireworks.

The Coast Guard published a document in the Federal Register of February 19, 2015, (80 FR 8892) concerning the Port Access Route Study (PARS) in the Chukchi Sea, Bering Strait and Bering Sea. The February 19, 2015, PARS document was erroneously published and should be disregarded in its entirety.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the SR 529 Bridges across the Snohomish River, mile 3.6 near Everett, WA, and the SR 529 Bridges across Steamboat Slough, mile 1.1, near Marysville, WA. The deviation is necessary to accommodate the Everett Marathon. The deviation allows the bridges to remain in the closed-to-navigation position during the marathon to allow safe movement of event participants.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone on the Manitowoc River in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Manitowoc River due to a fireworks display. This safety zone is necessary to protect the surrounding public and vessels from the hazards associated with the fireworks display.

The purpose of this notice is to inform the public that the Coast Guard has recertified the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council (PWSRCAC) as an alternative voluntary advisory group for Prince William Sound, Alaska. This certification allows the PWSRCAC to monitor the activities of terminal facilities and crude oil tankers under the Prince William Sound Program established by statute.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the California Department of Transportation highway drawbridge across the Mokelumne River, mile 3.0, at East Isleton, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow the bridge owner to perform structural repair work to the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position during the deviation period.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on Lake Washington around the east span of the State Route 520 Bridge in Seattle, Washington for the construction of the new bridge. The safety zone is necessary to ensure the safety of the maritime public and workers involved in the bridge construction. The safety zone will prohibit any person or vessel from entering or remaining in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or his Designated Representative.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Bridge across the Columbia River, mile 105.6, at Vancouver, WA. This deviation is necessary to accommodate maintenance to replace movable rail joints. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position during maintenance activities.

The Towing Safety Advisory Committee will meet in Louisville, Kentucky March 25 and 26, 2015 to review and discuss recommendations from its Subcommittees and to receive briefs listed in the agenda under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. All meetings will be open to the public. The Subcommittees will meet on Wednesday, March 25, 2015 and work on five assigned tasks listed in the referenced agenda. The full Towing Safety Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, March 26, 2015.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in all navigable waters within the northern portion of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, including the western portion of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, located between the Delaware/Maryland Boundary Line across the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal east of Chesapeake City, MD, and a line drawn across the Chesapeake Bay at the William P. Lane, Jr. (US-50/301) Memorial Bridges, located between Sandy Point and Kent Island, MD. The temporary safety zone restricts vessels from transiting the zone during the effective period, unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Baltimore or his designated representative. This safety zone is necessary to protect mariners from the hazards associated with ice in the navigable waterways.

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 a currently approved collection: 1625-0037, Certificates of Compliance, Boiler/Pressure Vessel Repairs, Cargo Gear Records and Shipping Papers. Review and comments by OIRA ensure we only impose paperwork burdens commensurate with our performance of duties.