Coast Guard 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a safety zone on the Missouri River between miles 616 and 617. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters near Council Bluffs, IA and Omaha, NE during high speed boat races on July 7, 8, and 9, 2017. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Upper Mississippi River or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters on the Upper Mississippi River from mile 179.2 to mile 180. This safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created during a fireworks display on and over the navigable waterway. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Upper Mississippi River or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary safety zone for certain waters of the Buffalo Outer Harbor during the Thunder on the Outer Harbor boat races. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Buffalo or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary safety zone for certain waters of the Buffalo River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters near Buffalo River Works, Buffalo, NY, during the Hope Chest Buffalo Niagara Dragon Boat Festival on June 17, 2017, which includes boat races. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from passing through the safety zone during race heats unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Buffalo or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard will enforce the Navy Pier East Safety Zone within the Chicago Harbor on June 27, 2017. This action is necessary and intended to ensure the safety of life and property on navigable waters prior to, during, and immediately after the fireworks display. During the enforcement period listed below, the Coast Guard will enforce restrictions upon, and control movement of vessels that transit this regulated area with the approval from the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a special local regulation in the Coast Guard Captain of the Port Columbia River Zone for recurring marine events. During the recurring events, these regulated areas would be activated and would restrict vessels from portions of the waterway. These events were previously published as safety zones, temporary safety zones or individual regulated areas and have been revised and consolidated into a single as special local regulation in order to expedite public notification of events and ensure the protection of the maritime public from hazards associated with the annual events. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend and update its annual and recurring safety zones that take place in the Sector Upper Mississippi River Captain of the Port Zone (COTP Zone). This proposed rulemaking informs the public of regularly scheduled events that require additional safety measures through establishing of a safety zone. This proposed rulemaking 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 the COTP Zone. Additionally, this 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 is adding an additional 30 days to the comment period on the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking for ``Great Lakes Pilotage Rates2017 Annual Review'' published in the Federal Register on April 5, 2017. We are extending the comment period to allow the public more time to comment on the proposed rulemaking. The comment period is now open through June 5, 2017.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary safety zone for certain waters of the Potomac River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during a fireworks display in Charles County near Newburg, MD, on June 17, 2017. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from entering the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Maryland- National Capital Region or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend its anchorage regulations to establish a new offshore anchorage area approximately 7 nautical miles northeast of the St. Johns River inlet, Florida. Currently, there is not a dedicated deep draft offshore anchorage for commercial ocean- going vessels arriving at the Port of Jacksonville. Establishing an adequate and dedicated offshore anchorage will alleviate hazardous conditions with vessels anchoring in the common approaches to the St. Johns River. This action is necessary to ensure the safety and efficiency of navigation for all vessels transiting in and out of the Port of Jacksonville. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone on the waters of the Schuylkill River, Philadelphia, PA. This temporary security zone is intended to restrict vessels from portions of the Schuylkill River during the 2017 National Football League (NFL) Draft from April 27 through April 29, 2017. During the enforcement period, no unauthorized vessels or people will be permitted to enter or move within the security zone without permission from the Captain of the Port or designated representative. This security zone is necessary to provide security on navigable waters near the event.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Hutchinson River Parkway Bridge across the Hutchinson River, mile 0.9 at New York, New York. This deviation is necessary to complete application of protective coating on the bridge as well as maintenance of operating machinery.

The Coast Guard announces that a Certificate of Alternate Compliance was issued for the U.S. Coast Guard's National Security Cutters (WMSL Class). We are issuing this notice because its publication is required by statute. Due to their unique purpose, these vessels cannot fully comply with the masthead light provisions of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (72 COLREGS) without interfering with their special function.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Coleman Memorial (US 17) Bridge which carries US 17 across the York River, mile 7.0, at Yorktown, VA. The deviation is necessary to facilitate bridge maintenance. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position.

The Coast Guard will enforce the special local regulation on the South Branch of the Chicago River for the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce Dragon Boat Race in Chicago, Illinois. This regulated area will be enforced from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on June 24, 2017. This action is necessary and intended to ensure safety of life and property on navigable waters prior to, during, and immediately after the Dragon Boat Race. During the enforcement period, no vessel may enter, transit through, or anchor within the regulated area without the approval from the Captain of the Port or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard has modified a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the S37 Bridge across the Barnegat Bay, mile 14.1, New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway, at Seaside Heights, NJ. This modified deviation is necessary to perform bridge maintenance and repairs. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to- navigation position.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the SR 401 Drawbridge, mile 5.5 at Port Canaveral, Florida. This deviation is necessary to reduce vehicular traffic congestion and to ensure the safety of the roadways while passengers are transiting to and from Cruise Terminal 10, which is used by Norwegian Cruise Line at Port Canaveral. Since the arrival of the cruise ship Norwegian Epic to the Port of Canaveral, massive traffic back-ups have been caused by the drawbridge openings. This deviation allows the bridge to not open to navigation during prime cruise ship passenger loading and unloading times on Saturdays.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on Mill River in New Haven, CT around the Chapel Street Bridge. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by the Mohawk Northeast, Inc. Chapel Street Bridge Rehabilitation Project. When enforced, this regulation prohibits entry of vessels or people into the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Long Island Sound.

The Coast Guard is establishing special local regulations for certain waters of the Bush River, including Otter Point Creek. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters located near Flying Point Park in Harford County, MD, during a high-speed power boat racing event on May 6, 2017, and May 7, 2017. This rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Maryland-National Capital Region or Coast Guard Patrol Commander.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the Mathers Bridge across the Banana River, mile 0.5, in Indian Harbour Beach, FL. Inconsistent bridge openings for vessels passing through the bridge have been causing vehicle traffic backups on the roads in and around the vicinity of the bridge. This action is necessary to help reduce vehicle traffic congestion in this area. The proposed rulemaking would only allow the bridge to open for vessels at specific periods.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for underwater detonation operations in the waters of Apra Outer Harbor and Piti, Guam. This rule is effective from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on April 27th through April 28th, 2017. The Coast Guard believes this safety zone regulation is necessary to protect all persons and vessels that would otherwise transit or be within the affected areas from possible safety hazards associated with underwater detonation operations. Entry of vessels or persons into these zones is prohibited, unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Guam.

The Coast Guard will enforce the safety zone on the Sheboygan Harbor, near the Sheboygan South Pier in Sheboygan, WI for the Rockets for Schools Rocket Launch on May 13, 2017. This action is necessary and intended to ensure safety of life on navigable waters immediately prior to, during, and after the rocket launch. During the aforementioned period, the Coast Guard will enforce restrictions upon, and control movement of, vessels in the safety zone. No person or vessel may enter the safety zone while it is being enforced without permission of the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the regulations that govern the drawbridges over the St. Louis River at Duluth-Superior Harbor. This waterway borders Minnesota and Wisconsin and is listed under Minnesota as St. Louis River (Duluth-Superior Harbor) and under Wisconsin as Duluth-Superior Harbor (St. Louis River) in the CFR. This proposed rule would affect both regulations. The owner of the Burlington Northern Grassy Point Railroad Bridge at mile 5.44 requested the regulation be updated to include permanent winter operating schedule. This proposed rule would also align river mile numbers with the United States Coast Pilot and delete bridges from the regulations that have been removed from the waterway and make the regulation easier to read and less confusing to the mariner.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary special local regulation for all navigable waters of the Ohio River miles 598-602.7. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters near Louisville, KY, during the Thunder over Louisville Air Show and Fireworks Display. This regulation prohibits vessels from anchoring within the navigation channel and along the left descending bank of the Ohio River from mile 598 to 602.7 as well as establishes a buffer area restricting transit to slowest safe speed creating minimum wake from mile 598 to 602.7.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary moving safety zone on the waters surrounding Key West, Florida, during the 2017 Key West Paddle Classic, a paddle board race event. The safety zone is necessary to ensure the safety of participant vessels, spectators, and the general public during the event. This regulation prohibits persons and non-participant vessels from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Key West or a designated representative.