Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of the San Francisco Bay during the transit of the M/V ZHEN HUA 35, scheduled to arrive between December 6, 2020 and December 20, 2020. This safety zone is necessary to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from heavy equipment which will be extending more than 200 feet over the water from the vessel. Unauthorized persons or vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or remaining in the safety zone without permission of the Captain of the Port San Francisco or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all navigable waters of the Lower Mississippi River between Mile Marker (MM) 364.5 and MM 365.5. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of persons, vessels, and the marine environment during a fireworks display. Entry of persons or vessels into this zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Lower Mississippi River or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard announces that the Eighth Coast Guard District's Prevention Division has issued certificates of alternative compliance from the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (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 the vessel's design and construction. We are issuing this notice because its publication is required by statute. This notification of issuance of certificates of alternative compliance promotes the Coast Guard's marine safety mission.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of the Neuse River in New Bern, North Carolina. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable water near New Bern, NC, during an aerobatic airshow on December 05, 2020. This rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) North Carolina or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is proposing to remove an existing regulated navigation area in Sparkman Channel, located in Tampa, FL. The regulated navigation area is no longer needed to protect vessels navigating in the area. This proposed action would remove the existing regulations related to restricting vessel draft in the channel due to an underwater pipeline that is no longer a navigational concern. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is publishing this notice to satisfy a requirement of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act that requires a detailed accounting of the projects, programs, and activities funded under the national recreational boating safety program provision of the Act be published annually in the Federal Register. This notice specifies the funding amounts the Coast Guard has committed, obligated, or expended during fiscal year 2020, as of September 30, 2020.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a recurring safety zone for navigable waters within Tanapag Harbor, Saipan. This safety zone will encompass the designated swim course for the Escape from Managaha swim event in the waters of Tanapag Harbor, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. This action is necessary to protect all persons and vessels participating in this marine event from potential safety hazards associated with vessel traffic in the area. Race participants, chase boats, and organizers of the event will be exempt from the safety zone. Entry of persons or vessels into the safety zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Guam. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The U.S. Coast Guard is proposing to cease monitoring four, High Frequency (HF) voice distress frequencies within the contiguous United States and Hawaii because they are rarely used. We would continue to monitor HF Digital Selective Calling (DSC) distress alerting for all existing regions and voice distress and hailing from Kodiak, Alaska and Guam. We invite your comments on this proposed action.

The United States (U.S.) Coast Guard (Coast Guard), as the lead agency, announces its intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS)/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (POEIS) for the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Program's Stage 2 acquisition of up to 21 OPCs and operation of up to 25 total OPCs. This acquisition is a continuation of the OPC Program of Record for acquiring up to 25 total cutters. Notice is hereby given that the public scoping process has begun for the preparation of a PEIS/POEIS that will address the reasonable alternatives and potential environmental impacts associated with implementing the Proposed Action. The scoping process solicits public comments regarding the range of issues, information and analyses relevant to the Proposed Action, including potential environmental impacts and reasonable alternatives to address in the PEIS/POEIS. The Coast Guard has determined that a PEIS/POEIS is the most appropriate type of NEPA document for this action because of the scope and complexity of the proposed acquisition and operation of up to 25 OPCs.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary 900-foot radius security zone on the navigable waters of the U.S. off of Broadway Pier in San Diego Bay, San Diego, CA, in support of Fleet Week San Diego on November 11, 2020. This action is necessary to provide for the safety and security of U.S. Coast Guard surface and aerial assets, crews and support personnel who will be performing mission search and rescue demonstrations. This rulemaking prohibits persons and vessels from entering, transiting, or anchoring in the security zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port San Diego or his designated representative.

The Coast Guard is adopting portions of the Navy's Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT) Final 2020 Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Supplemental Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS/SOEIS), dated June 2020. The Coast Guard is doing this in its role as a cooperating agency to the lead agency, which is the Department of the Navy. The Coast Guard is issuing a Record of Decision to implement Alternative 2 to fully meet current and future training requirements.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish permanent safety zones for certain waters of the Christiansted Harbor, St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands when liquefied gas carriers are in transit to, moored, or aredeparting from the Virgin Island Water and Power Authority (WAPA) dock. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters near the WAPA dock. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zones unless authorized by the Captain of the Port San Juan or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is announcing the availability of CG-OES Policy Letter 02-20, Commercial Diving OperationsEquivalent Levels of Safety. This policy letter provides guidance on Coast Guard acceptance of certain industry-recognized standards for commercial diving operations as providing a level of safety that is equivalent to the requirements contained in Coast Guard regulations.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary special local regulation (SLR) on the waters of San Diego Bay, California to provide for the safety of the participants, crew, spectators, sponsor vessels, and general users of the waterway during a boat parade. This SLR temporarily encompasses all navigable waters, from surface to bottom, on a pre-determined course in the northern portion of the San Diego Main Ship Channel from Shelter Island Basin, past the Embarcadero, crossing the federal navigable channel and ending off of Coronado Island. This SLR also establishes a designated section of the commercial anchorage area as a First Amendment area to be used at the discretion of the Captain of the Port, or his designated representative, as a spectator area.

In accordance with the Great Lakes Pilotage Act of 1960, the Coast Guard is proposing new base pilotage rates for the 2021 shipping season. This proposed rule would adjust the pilotage rates to account for changes in district operating expenses, an increase in the number of pilots, and anticipated inflation. Additionally, this proposed rule would make one change to the ratemaking methodology to account for actual inflation, in step 4, and two policy changes. The first policy change would be to always round up numbers, as opposed to rounding to the nearest whole integer, in the staffing model. The second policy change would be to exclude litigation fees incurred in litigation against the Coast Guard regarding ratemaking from necessary and reasonable pilot association operating expenses. The Coast Guard estimates that this proposed rule would result in a 4-percent net increase in pilotage costs compared to the 2020 season. Finally, the Coast Guard is requesting comments on how apprentice pilots (a mariner with a limited registration) should be compensated in future rulemakings.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the National Steel Corporation Railroad Bridge, mile 0.40, the Delray Connecting Railroad Bridge, mile 0.34, and the Delray Connecting Railroad Bridge, mile 0.80. Delray Connecting Railroad Company, the owner and operator of these three bridges, has requested to stop continual drawtender service and to operate the two bridges only while trains are crossing the bridge, and one bridge upon signal if a 4-hour advance notice is received.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the navigable waters of Breton Sound, LA. The safety zone encompasses all navigable waters within a 100-yard radius of environmental response activity taking place at 29 27.000N, 089 17.682W while response operations are being conducted. The safety zone is necessary to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by response operations to repair a damaged platform. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port New Orleans.

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 an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0040, Applications for Merchant Mariner Credentials and Medical Certificates; without change. 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.

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 an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0109, Drawbridge Operation Regulations; without change. 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 is proposing to establish permanent safety zones for certain waters of Vieques, Puerto Rico. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters near the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico due to unexploded ordnances. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit mariners from anchoring, dredging, or trawling in the designated areas. It would also prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zones during clearance operations, unless authorized by the Captain of the Port San Juan 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: 1625NEW, Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Card Readers: Updated Risk Analysis. 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 safety zone for certain waters of Spa Creek. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters within Market Slip (Ego Alley), Annapolis, MD, during a film project on October 22, 2020 (alternate date October 23, 2020). This regulation prohibits 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.

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 an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0084, Audit Reports under the International Safety Management Code; without change. 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 National Boating Safety Advisory Council (Council) and its subcommittees will meet via teleconference to discuss matters relating to recreational boating safety. The meeting will be open to the public.

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: 1625-0078, Credentialing and Manning Requirements for Officers of Towing Vessels; 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.