Coast Guard 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is modifying the operating schedule that governs SR 175 Bridge across Lewis Channel and Black Narrows, mile 3.5 at Chincoteague, VA. The change will eliminate the need for the current operating schedule and return the bridge to open on demand. The change does not include the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July for the annual Pony swim.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting approval of revision to the following collection of information: 1625-0118, Various International Agreement Certificates and Documents. Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. Before submitting this ICR to OIRA, the Coast Guard is inviting comments as described below.

The Coast Guard announces that the First Coast Guard District's Prevention Department has issued certificates of alternative compliance with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (72 COLREGS), to vessels of special construction or purpose that cannot fully comply with the light, shape, and sound signal provisions of 72 COLREGS without interfering with their special function. This notice promotes the Coast Guard's maritime safety and stewardship missions.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the New Jersey Transit Rail Operations (NJTRO) Upper Hack Drawbridge across the Hackensack River, mile 6.9, at Secaucus, New Jersey. This deviation is necessary to allow the bridge owner to replace rails, ties, walkways, and handrails at the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed for two weekends.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Blynman (SR127) Bridge across the Annisquam River and Blynman Canal at mile 0.0 at Gloucester, MA. This deviation is necessary to facilitate public safety during a public event, the annual Saint Peter's Fiesta 5K Road Race. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed for thirty minutes to facilitate public safety.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend and update its annual and recurring safety zones that take place in the Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River area of responsibility (AOR). This document informs the public of regularly scheduled events that require additional safety measures through establishing a safety zone. This document also proposes to update the current list of recurring safety zones with revisions, additional events, and removal of events that no longer take place in Sector Upper Mississippi River's AOR. Additionally, this one proposed rulemaking project reduces administrative costs involved in producing separate proposed rules for each individual recurring safety zone and serves to provide notice of the known recurring safety zones throughout the year. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard announces that it has received approval from the Office of Management and Budget for an information collection request associated with automatic identification system requirements in a final rule we published in the Federal Register on January 30, 2015. In that rule we stated we would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of these collection-of- information related paragraphs. This rule establishes today as the effective date for those paragraphs.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a special local regulation on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in Bucksport, South Carolina during the Bucksport/Southeastern Drag Boat Summer Extravaganza, on July 9 and July 10, 2016. This special local regulation is necessary to ensure the safety of participants, spectators, and the general public during the event. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard has issued a deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Senator Ted Hickey (Leon C. Simon Blvd./ Seabrook) bascule bridge across the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, mile 4.6, at New Orleans, Louisiana. This deviation is necessary to accommodate the rescheduling of the New Orleans Endurance Festival event. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed to navigation during the event.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the Metro-North WALK Bridge across the Norwalk River, mile 0.1, at Norwalk, Connecticut. The bridge owner submitted a request to require a greater advance notice for bridge openings and to increase time periods the bridge remains in the closed position during the weekday morning and evening rush hours. It is expected that this change to the regulations will create efficiency in drawbridge operations while continuing to meet the reasonable needs of navigation.

The Coast Guard is extending the comment period for the proposed safety zone. In response to public requests, the Coast Guard is extending the comment period until April 17, 2016.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary moving safety zone for navigable waters of the Hudson River, in the vicinity of the Tappan Zee Bridge around a 100-yard radius of DECK BARGE WITTE 1406. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by salvage operations on the sunken vessel TUG SPECIALIST. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port New York.

The Coast Guard is establishing a special local regulation on the waters of Charleston Harbor in Charleston, SC during the Charleston Race Week from April 15, 2016 through April 17, 2016. This special local regulation is necessary to ensure the safety of participants, spectators, and the general public during the event. This regulation prohibits persons and vessels from being in the regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Southern Railroad Drawbridge across the Tennessee River, mile 304.4, at Decatur, Alabama. The deviation is necessary to allow the bridge owner time to perform repairs and maintenance essential to the continued safe operation of the drawbridge. This deviation allows the bridge to open to vessel traffic with a two-hour advance notice.

The Coast Guard is disestablishing thirteen anchorage grounds and one special anchorage area that are now obsolete in Newark Bay, the East River, Western Long Island Sound, Raritan Bay, and Lower New York Bay, and reducing the size of three anchorage grounds in Raritan, Sandy Hook, and Lower New York Bays.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a permanent safety zone for an annually recurring marine event in the Red River, from MM 88.0 to MM 88.5. This action is necessary to protect persons and vessels from the potential safety hazards associated with a dragon boat race taking place in early May, 2016 and recurring annually thereafter. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP), Lower Mississippi River or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the U.S. Coast Guard is forwarding an Information Collection Request (ICR), abstracted below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting approval for reinstatement, with change, of the following collection of information: 1625-0009, Oil Record Book for Ships. Our ICR describes 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 Fremont Bridge, mile 2.6, and the University Bridge, mile 4.3, both crossing the Lake Washington Ship Canal at Seattle, WA. The deviation is necessary to accommodate the Brooks Trailhead 10K & 15K foot race event. This deviation allows the bridges to remain in the closed-to-navigation position to allow for the safe movement of event participants.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a permanent security zone within Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound's Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone on the waters in the vicinity of escorted vessels. This security zone would be enforced around any escorted vessel in the Sector Long Island Sound COTP Zone in order to protect the vessel and the public from destruction, loss, or injury from sabotage, subversive acts, or other malicious acts of a similar nature. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Towing Safety Advisory Committee and its subcommittees will meet to discuss matters relating to shallow-draft inland and coastal waterway navigation and towing safety. The meetings will be open to the public.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a special local regulation on the waters of the Atlantic Ocean offshore from Cocoa Beach, FL during the Space Coast Super Boat Grand Prix, a series of high-speed boat races. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters surrounding the event. This special local regulation will be enforced from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 15, 2016. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Jacksonville or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting approval of revisions to the following collection of information: 1625-0104, Barges Carrying Bulk Hazardous Materials. Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. Before submitting this ICR to OIRA, the Coast Guard is inviting comments as described below.

The Coast Guard seeks applications for membership on the National Boating Safety Advisory Council. This Council advises the Coast Guard on recreational boating safety regulations and other major boating safety matters.

The Coast Guard is conducting a Port Access Route Study (PARS) to determine whether it should revise existing regulations to improve navigation safety in Nantucket Sound due to factors such as increased vessels traffic, changing vessel traffic patterns, weather conditions, or navigational difficulty.

The Coast Guard requests public comments on its draft strategic plan of the National Recreational Boating Safety Program for 2017-2021. This plan is under development to coordinate efforts of stakeholders to prevent future deaths and injuries of recreational boaters.