Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is proposing to revise its regulations for permanent safety zones in the Coast Guard Sector New York Captain of the Port Zone for recurring fireworks displays and swim events. Our proposed revision would update the list of events, alter the means of notification, and clarify the function of these safety zone regulations. The establishment of the proposed safety zones is necessary to protect event participants, waterway users, and vessels from the potential hazards associated with these recurring organized water events. When subject to enforcement, no person is authorized to access the proposed safety zones without permission from the Captain of the Port (COTP) or the COTP's designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the Charles Berry Bridge, mile 0.6, and the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge, mile 1.2, both over the Black River. The regulation has not been updated since 1986. The Coast Guard's proposed revisions will ensure the needs of all modes of transportation are being met.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish 63 temporary 500- meter safety zones around the construction of 62 wind turbine generators (WTGs) and one electrical service platform (ESP) located in the Vineyard Wind 1 Wind Farm (VW1WF) project area within federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), specifically in the northern portion of Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Renewable Energy Lease Area OCS-A 0501, approximately 12 nautical miles (NM) offshore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts and 12 NM offshore Nantucket, Massachusetts. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life, property, and the environment during the planned construction of each facility's monopile type foundation and subsequent installation of the WTGs turbines and ESP platform from June 15, 2023, to May 31, 2024. When enforced, only attending vessels and those vessels specifically authorized by the First Coast Guard District Commander, or a designated representative, are permitted to enter or remain in the temporary safety zones. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for certain waters of the Potomac River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters at the old Governor Harry W. Nice/Senator Thomas ``Mac'' Middleton Memorial (US- 301) Bridge during demolition operations from May 1, 2023 through June 9, 2023. This rule will prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, Maryland- National Capital Region or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a temporary safety zone for certain waters of Sturgeon Bay, WI. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters during the boat parade for the Graduates of Sturgeon Bay High School on June 3, 2023. This proposed rulemaking would restrict usage by persons and vessels within the safety zone. At no time during the effective period may non-parade vessels transit the waters of Sturgeon Bay between the Highway 42 Bridge and Michigan Street Bridge. These restrictions would apply to all vessels during the effective period unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan 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 an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0069, Ballast Water Management for Vessels with Ballast Tanks Entering U.S. Waters; without change. 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 is establishing a temporary moving safety zone around the M/V ZHEN HUA 26 while it transits from the Port of Long Beach, CA, from Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT), LB Berth E22, to inner anchorage, and then to Fenix Marine Services (FMS), LA Berth 302. This safety zone is necessary to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with oversized cargo of ship-to-shore gantry cranes which extend more than 200 feet out from the transiting vessel. Entry of persons or vessels into this safety zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Los AngelesLong Beach, or their designated representative. The Coast Guard recently issued a safety zone for the transit of the M/V ZHEN HUA 26, but additional time is needed to complete the cargo delivery.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the waters of the Monongahela River from mile marker 89.8 to mile marker 90.8. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters during a power boat race on May 27 and May 28, 2023. This rulemaking prohibits persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Pittsburgh or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the CSX Railroad Bridge, mile 1.07, the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Bridge, mile 1.80, the Craig Memorial Bridge, mile 3.30, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge, mile 4.30, and the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge, mile 5.76, all over the Maumee River at Toledo, Ohio. The original regulation was published in 1986 and has been amended over the years but a full review of the regulations for the waterway has not been completed. The current regulations are cumbersome, difficult to understand, and cause confusion to recreational vessels and some drawtenders. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

In a final rule the Coast Guard published in the Federal Register on March 16, 2023, an inadvertent error in an amendatory instruction prevented the processing of a change in our regulations. This document corrects that error.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary special local regulation in the navigable waters of the San Francisco Bay in San Francisco, CA in support of the San Francisco Sail Grand Prix, Season 3 race periods. This special local regulation is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters and to ensure the safety of mariners transiting the area from the dangers associated with high- speed sailing vessels participating in the Sail Grand Prix race event. This rulemaking will prohibit persons and vessels from entering, transiting through, anchoring, blocking, or loitering within the event area adjacent to the city of San Francisco waterfront near the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island, unless authorized by the Captain of the Port San Francisco or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the US Route 543 (Riverside-Delanco) Bridge across Rancocas Creek, mile 1.3, at Burlington County, NJ. The proposed rule allows the drawbridge to change its operating schedule to reduce the number of bridge openings during off-peak hours. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard will enforce the special local regulations for the annual Bayview Yacht Club Port Huron to Mackinac Race. This special local regulation is necessary to safely control vessel movements in the vicinity of the race and provide for the safety of the general boating public and commercial shipping. During this enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter the regulated area without the permission of the Coast Guard Patrol Commander (PATCOM).

The Coast Guard is temporarily modifying the operating schedule that governs the draw of the California Department of Transportation (Route 4) highway bridge, mile 14.8 between Victoria Island and Byron Tract, CA. This action is necessary to allow the bridge owner to complete rehabilitation of the bridge after an unexpected delay in construction material delivery related to the COVID-19 pandemic, vandalism, and inclement weather.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters of the Hylebos Waterway in Tacoma, Washington. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by a firefighting efforts onboard the F/V KODIAK ENTERPRISE by emergency response personnel. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Puget Sound.

The Coast Guard will enforce fourteen safety zones for annual firework displays in the Captain of the Port, Sector Puget Sound Zone during the dates and times noted under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. This action is necessary to prevent injury and to protect life and property of the maritime public from the hazards associated with the firework displays. The regulation prohibits persons and vessels from being in the regulated areas unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Puget Sound or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes to temporarily change the operating schedule that governs the E-182 Main Street Bridge, mile 278.93, over the Erie Canal, in Brockport, NY to allow contractors to rehabilitate the bridge. The roadway has been closed since last fall and vehicles are unable to cross the bridge until repairs are completed. New York Department of Transportation has made this request to temporarily modify the bridge operations to allow for the required maintenance. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a safety zone around the ARGOS Semisubmersible Floating Production Unit (FPU), located in Green Canyon Block 780 on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this rule is to protect the facility from all vessel traffic operating outside the normal shipping channels and fairways that are not providing service to or working with the facility. Establishing a safety zone around the facility will significantly reduce the threat of allisions, collisions, security breaches, oil spills, releases of natural gas, and thereby protect the safety of life, property, and the environment.

The Coast Guard will enforce a safety zone for the Shore Thing Independence Day Celebration on June 30, 2023, in Virginia Beach, VA, to protect against hazards associated with a fireworks display and provide for the safety of life on navigable waterways during this event. Our regulation for marine events within the Fifth Coast Guard District identifies the regulated area for this event in Norfolk, VA. During the enforcement period, entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Virginia.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the operating schedule that governs the US41 Bridge, mile 16.0, over the Keweenaw Waterway between the towns of Houghton and Hancock, Michigan. The Michigan Department of Transportation, who owns and operates the bridge, has requested a change to the drawbridge operation schedule to help facilitate the movement of all modes of transportation at the bridge. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone on the navigable waters around the Horn Mountain Spar, located in Mississippi Canyon Block 127 on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this rule is to protect the facility from all vessel traffic operating outside the normal shipping channels and fairways that are not providing service to or working with the facility. Establishing a safety zone around the facility will significantly reduce the threat of allisions, collisions, security breaches, oil spills, releases of natural gas, and thereby protect the safety of life, property, and the environment.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone around the Vito Floating Production System (FPS), located in Mississippi Canyon Block 939 on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this rule is to protect the facility from all vessel traffic operating outside the normal shipping channels and fairways that are not providing service to or working with the facility. Establishing a safety zone around the facility will significantly reduce the threat of allisions, collisions, security breaches, oil spills, releases of natural gas, and thereby protect the safety of life, property, and the environment.

The Coast Guard will enforce the safety zone on the Menominee River in Marinette, WI, on April 15, 2023, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This action is necessary and intended to protect the safety of life and property on navigable waterways before, during and after the launch of a naval vessel from Marinette Marine on the Menominee River in Marinette, WI. During the enforcement period, the Coast Guard will enforce restrictions upon, and control movement of, vessels in the safety zone. No person or vessel may enter, transit, or anchor within the safety zone while it is being enforced unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on certain waters of the Atlantic Ocean near Cocoa Beach, FL. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of the boating public on navigable waters near Cocoa Beach, FL, during the Cocoa Beach Air Show. This rule prohibits persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Jacksonville or a designated representative.