Department of Homeland Security October 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) announce that the Coast Guard intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) as part of the environmental review of this license application. The application describes a project that would be located in Massachusetts Bay, in Block 125, approximately 13 miles south-southeast of Gloucester, MA. Publication of this notice begins a scoping process that will help identify and determine the scope of environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS. This notice requests public participation in the scoping process and provides information on how to participate in the process.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the drawbridge operation regulations for the Metropolitan Avenue Bridge, mile 3.4, across English Kills at New York City, New York. Under this temporary deviation the bridge may remain in the closed position from 11 p.m. on October 21, 2005 through 6 a.m. on October 24, 2005. This temporary deviation is necessary to facilitate scheduled bridge maintenance.

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the coastlines of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The Regional Examination Center (REC) at New Orleans, which serves 14% of mariners nation-wide and reflects about 29,000 mariners in those three states, was completely flooded, destroying vital records and equipment, and rendering the facility temporarily inoperable. Since mariners in the area may also have lost their credentials in the storm and subsequent flooding, the Coast Guard is hereby implementing temporary measures to relieve some hardship on mariners in the Gulf coast area who need replacement credentials.

Technical information or comments are requested on the proposed Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs) and proposed BFE modifications for the communities listed below. The BFEs and modified BFEs are the basis for the floodplain management measures that the community is required either to adopt or to show evidence of being already in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

This interim rule lists communities where modification of the Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs) is appropriate because of new scientific or technical data. New flood insurance premium rates will be calculated from the modified BFEs for new buildings and their contents.

Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations and modified Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) are made final for the communities listed below. The BFEs and modified BFEs are the basis for the floodplain management measures that each community is required either to adopt or to show evidence of being already in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster for the State of Alabama (FEMA-1605-DR), dated August 29, 2005, and related determinations.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of Louisiana (FEMA-1607-DR), dated September 24, 2005, and related determinations.

Pursuant to section 641 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, (19 U.S.C. 1641) and the Customs Regulations (19 CFR 111.51), the following Customs broker licenses are cancelled without prejudice.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the drawbridge operation regulations of three North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) bridges: the S.R. 74 Bridge, across the AICW mile 283.1 at Wrightsville Beach; the Cape Fear River Memorial Bridge, mile 26.8, at Wilmington; and the Isabel S. Holmes (US 117) Bridge, at mile 1.0, across Northeast Cape Fear River at Wilmington, North Carolina. This proposal will allow the bridges to remain in the closed position at particular dates and times to accommodate road races, marathons and triathlons. Vessels that can pass under the bridges without a bridge opening may do so at all times.

The Coast Guard announces the availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) of the Integrated Anti- Swimmer System (IAS). The Coast Guard is proposing to deploy and operate the IAS for temporary periods at various U.S. ports throughout the U.S. Maritime Domain, when necessary. The purpose of the Proposed Action is to increase the Coast Guard's ability to detect, track, classify, and interdict, if necessary, potential underwater threats and as a result, protect personnel, ships, and property from sabotage and/ or other subversive acts. Potential threats targeted by the IAS include combat divers and unmanned vehicles. The IAS will be co-located with, and used by, the Coast Guard's newly established Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSSTs). The IAS is proposed to be used at a range necessary to maintain situational awareness and allow the MSSTs sufficient time to react and counter a detected threat. Extensive research and analysis of alternatives has led to the conclusion that an active sonar system is the only currently available technology that affords this capability.