Department of Homeland Security January 17, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the coastlines of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The Regional Examination Center at New Orleans, which provided credentialing services to approximately 29,000 mariners in those three states and 14 percent of mariners nationwide, was completely flooded, destroying vital records and equipment and rendering the facility temporarily inoperable. Mariners in the area may have lost their credentials in the storm and subsequent flooding, or may be in possession of credentials that either have expired or will soon be expiring. The Coast Guard has previously implemented temporary measures to relieve the hardship on mariners in the Gulf Coast area who need replacement documents. With new temporary authority granted by Congress, the Coast Guard is implementing the additional measure of extending the expiration dates for the credentials of eligible mariners until February 28, 2006.

This rule amends the Department of Homeland Security regulations pertaining to the field organization of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection by extending the geographical limits of the port of entry at Rockford, Illinois, to include the City of Rochelle, Illinois. The extension of the port is necessary to accommodate the Union Pacific Railroad Company's new intermodal facility in Rochelle. This change is part of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection's continuing program to utilize more efficiently its personnel, facilities, and resources, and to provide better service to carriers, importers, and the general public.