Coast Guard January 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is temporarily changing the regulations governing the operation of the east and west spans of the Venetian Causeway bridges across the Miami Beach Channel on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the Miami Avenue bridge and the Brickell Avenue bridge across the Miami River, Miami-Dade County. This temporary rule allows these bridges to remain in the closed position during the running of the Miami Tropical Marathon on January 30, 2005.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the regulation governing the operation of the SR 661 (Houma Nav Canal) swing bridge across the Houma Navigation Canal, mile 36.0, in Houma, Louisiana. An increase in traffic during the noontime time period has facilitated a request to allow the bridge to remain closed to navigation for two (2), 30-minute periods in the middle of the day. These closures will allow local workers to transit the area with minimal delays during the noontime lunch period.

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 closed from 6 a.m. to midnight on the following days: January 19 through January 21; January 26 through January 28; and January 31 through February 5, 2005. This temporary deviation is necessary to facilitate bridge maintenance.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Tule Lake Vertical Lift Span Highway and Railroad Bridge across the Corpus ChristiPort Aransas Channel, mile 14.0, at Corpus Christi, Nueces County, TX. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed to navigation for four hours on two consecutive days. This temporary deviation is necessary for the maintenance of the rope sheaves and for the cleaning and lubrication of the haul and counterweight ropes of the drawbridge.

The Coast Guard announces the stand-up of Sector Baltimore. The Sector Baltimore Commanding Officer has the authority, responsibility and missions of the prior Activities Commander, Captain of the Port (COTP), Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI), Federal On Scene Coordinator (FOSC), Federal Maritime Security Coordinator (FMSC), and Search and Rescue Mission Controller (SMC) Baltimore. The Coast Guard has established a continuity of operations whereby all previous practices and procedures will remain in effect until superseded by an authorized Coast Guard official and/or document.

The Coast Guard is establishing fixed security zones in the navigable waters of the United States around each of the three piers at the Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO), California (formerly United States Naval Weapons Center Concord, California), any combination of which can be enforced by the Captain of the Port (COTP) San Francisco Bay during the onloading or offloading of military equipment and ordnance, depending on which pier, or piers, are being used. In light of recent terrorist actions against the United States, these security zones are necessary to ensure the safe onloading and offloading of military equipment and to ensure the safety of the public from potential subversive acts. The security zones prohibit all persons and vessels from entering, transiting through or anchoring within portions of the Suisun Bay within 500 yards of any MOTCO pier, or piers, where military onload or offload operations are taking place, unless authorized by the COTP or his designated representative.

This notice requests individuals interested in serving on the Houston-Galveston Area Maritime Security Committee (AMSC) to submit their application for membership to the COTP Houston-Galveston. The AMSC advises and assists the Houston-Galveston Federal Maritime Security Coordinator (FMSC) in developing the Area Maritime Security Plan for the Ports of Houston, Texas City, Freeport, and Galveston. Specific vacancies are listed under supplemental information.

The Coast Guard is establishing permanent safety zones on a portion of Lake Ontario. These safety zones are necessary to ensure the safety of spectators and vessels from the hazards associated with fireworks displays. These safety zones restrict vessel traffic from portions of Lake Ontario, New York, during annual fireworks displays.

The Coast Guard's Office of Boating Safety (we) is sponsoring a panel of representatives of the recreational boating community. This panel will discuss, analyze, and propose performance measurement goals that we may use to improve boating safety. This meeting is open to the public.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this request for comments announces that the Coast Guard has forwarded three Information Collection Reports (ICRs)1625-0036, Plan Approval and Records for U.S. and Foreign Tank Vessels Carrying Oil in Bulk, 1625- 0058, Application for Permit To Transport Municipal and Commercial Waste, and 1625-0061, Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Regulationsabstracted below, to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. Review and comment by OIRA ensures that we impose only paperwork burdens commensurate with our performance of duties.

This notice announces a teleconference meeting of the National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee (NOSAC) on the proposed formation of a NOSAC subcommittee. NOSAC will meet to discuss the formation of a subcommittee on the application of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention to the various types of offshore support vessels working in foreign locations, including offshore supply vessels (OSVs), anchor handling vessels, liftboats, crew boats, dive support vessels, and seismic vessels.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Fort Madison Drawbridge, mile 383.9, Fort Madison, Iowa and the Burlington Railroad Drawbridge, mile 403.1, Burlington, Iowa, across the Upper Mississippi River. This deviation allows the drawbridges to remain closed to navigation unless at least 4 hours advance notice is given for an opening from 8 a.m., January 24, 2005, until 8 a.m., March 1, 2005, Central Standard Time. The deviation is necessary to allow time for making repairs of critical mechanical components essential to the continued safe operation of the drawbridges.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Illinois Central Railroad Drawbridge, across the Upper Mississippi River, mile 579.9 at Dubuque, Iowa. This deviation allows the drawbridge to remain closed to navigation unless at least 12 hours advance notice is given for an opening from 6 a.m., January 17, 2005, until 6 p.m., February 28, 2005, Central Standard Time. The deviation is necessary to allow time for making repairs of critical mechanical components essential to the continued safe operation of the drawbridge.

The Captain of the Port, Puget Sound will begin enforcing the Budd Inlet security zone established by 33 CFR 165.1321 on Tuesday, January 11, 2005, at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. The security zone provides for the security of Department of Defense assets and military cargo in the navigable waters of Puget Sound and adjacent waters. The security zone will be enforced until Saturday, January 15, 2005, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

The Coast Guard hereby establishes anchorage regulations for Buzzards Bay, Nantucket Sound, and adjacent waters of Massachusetts by relocating anchorage ground ``L'' in Buzzards Bay to an area near Naushon Island, MA. This action is intended to increase the safety of life and property on Buzzards Bay, improve the safety of anchored vessels in anchorage ``L'', and provide for the overall safe and efficient flow of vessel traffic and commerce along the newly established Recommended Traffic Route for Deep Draft Vessels. This regulation will maintain the original shape and dimension of anchorage ``L'' but move the anchorage to a new location within Buzzards Bay.

The Coast Guard Captain of the Port Puget Sound published in the Federal Register of December 10, 2004, a final rule concerning security zones for the protection of military cargo loading and unloading operations in the navigable waters of Puget Sound. Wording in Sec. 165.1321(c)(3) is being corrected to fix a typographical error in the longitude of the first point listed in the security zone. This document makes this correction.

Under the Oil Terminal and Oil Tanker Environmental Oversight and Monitoring Act of 1990, the Coast Guard may certify, on an annual basis, an alternative voluntary advisory group in lieu of a Regional Citizens' Advisory Council for Prince William Sound. The current certification for Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council (PWSRCAC) will expire February 28, 2005. This notice announces the procedures governing PWSRCAC's recertification for the period March 1, 2005 through February 28, 2006. This period falls under the comprehensive submission provision of 67 FR 58440. Accordingly, PWSRCAC must construct their submission in a format that both follows the order of, and answers the information specified in 57 FR 62600 guidelines.

The location of the public meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 11, 2005, announced in a notice we published in the Federal Register on December 3, 2004 (69 FR 70271), has been changed. The new meeting location is: The Sheraton Suites Philadelphia Airport, 4101 B Island Ave, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, approximately 1.5 miles from the original site. Information concerning this change along with directions will be provided at the original meeting location, and the meeting will begin at 3:30 p.m. and conclude at 7:30 p.m., to allow attendees who have not received this notice time to travel to the new location.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish permanent security zones around all cruise ships while transiting or moored in the Port of Mobile and Mobile Ship Channel shoreward of the Mobile Sea Buoy. These proposed security zones are needed to ensure the safety and security of these vessels. Entry into these proposed zones would be prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Mobile or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary fixed safety zone on the Indian River at Lee Wenner Park, Cocoa, FL. This safety zone is for the Cocoa Village Mardi Gras firework display and is needed to protect participants, vendors, and spectators from the hazards associated with the launching of fireworks. Entry into this safety zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port.

The Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the I Street Drawbridge across the Sacramento River, mile 59.4, at Sacramento, CA. This deviation allows the drawbridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position during essential operating machinery repair, to prevent unexpected failure of the drawspan.

The Coast Guard is proposing to temporarily change the drawbridge operation regulations for the operation of the SR 27 Bridge, at mile 0.7, across Townsend Gut, between Boothbay Harbor and Southport, Maine. This temporary rule would require the bridge to open at specific times between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., each day, from March 1, 2005, through November 30, 2005. Additionally, this temporary rule would also allow the bridge to remain closed for four periods of four days each between March 1, 2005, and May 26, 2005. This action is necessary to help facilitate rehabilitation construction at the bridge.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Columbia River during a New Year's fireworks display. The Captain of the Port, Portland, Oregon, is taking this action to safeguard watercraft and their occupants from safety hazards associated with this display. Entry into this safety zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port.