Department of Homeland Security January 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard announces the availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) and the dates and locations of two public meetings on the Draft EA, which considered the reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts and socio-economic impacts of the proposed modification of the historic Bayonne Bridge across the Kill Van Kull between Bayonne, New Jersey and Staten Island, New York. As a structure over navigable waters of the United States, the proposed bridge modification would require a Coast Guard Bridge Permit Amendment. We request your comments on the Draft EA. Our publication of this notice begins a 45-day comment period and provides information on how to participate in the public comment process for the Draft EA, which includes an opportunity to submit oral or written comments at two public meetings to consider an application by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) for Coast Guard approval of the modification to the Bayonne Bridge across the Kill Van Kull.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation schedule of the S.R. 74 Bridge, across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) mile 283.1, at Wrightsville Beach, NC. This deviation is necessary to accommodate the 2013 Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Full and Half Marathon. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position during the race.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District is extending the previously published stay (suspension) of reporting requirements under the Regulated Navigation Area (RNA) established by 33 CFR 165.830 for barges loaded with certain dangerous cargoes (CDC barges) in the inland rivers of the Eighth Coast Guard District. A two year stay was previously published at 76 Federal Register (FR) 1360 (January 10, 2011), which expires January 15, 2013. This extension is necessary because the Coast Guard continues to analyze future reporting needs and evaluate possible changes in CDC reporting requirements. This extension of the suspension of the CDC reporting requirements in no way relieves towing vessel operators and fleeting area managers responsible for CDC barges in the RNA from their dangerous cargo or vessel arrival and movement reporting obligations currently in effect under other regulations or placed into effect under appropriate Coast Guard authority.