Coast Guard October 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

A working group of the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC) will meet to discuss Task Statement 53, ``Medical Certification Standards and Disqualifying Medical Conditions for Merchant Mariners.'' MERPAC advises the Secretary of Homeland Security on matters relating to the training, qualifications, licensing, certification, and fitness of seamen serving in the U.S. merchant marine. This meeting will be open to the public.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has approved a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the Route 71 Bridge, at mile 0.8, across Shark River (South Channel), at Belmar, New Jersey. This deviation allows the drawbridge to provide vessel openings upon two hours advance notice each day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. beginning on Monday, October 31 until Thursday, November 3, 2005, to facilitate emergency mechanical repairs.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of Tampa Bay, Florida, in the vicinity of the Clearwater Memorial bascule bridge. This safety zone is being established to protect mariners from the hazards associated with the blasting demolition of the concrete portions of the Clearwater Memorial bascule bridge. This rule is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters of the United States.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this request for comments announces that the Coast Guard has forwarded one Information Collection Request (ICR)(1) 1625-0089, The National Recreational Boating Surveyabstracted 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.

The Coast Guard is revising the operating regulations for the Michigan Street and Bayview drawbridges, both in Sturgeon Bay, WI, by establishing a permanent winter operating schedule while still providing for the reasonable needs of navigation.

The Coast Guard is establishing temporary special local regulations for ``Hampton Roads Sailboard Classic'', a marine event to be held on the waters of Willoughby Bay, Norfolk, Virginia. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic in portions of Willoughby Bay during the event.

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 the Federal waters of the Outer Continental Shelf in Blocks NK 19-04 6525 and NK 19-04 6575, approximately 22 miles northeast of Boston, Massachusetts, and approximately 7 miles south-southeast of Gloucester, Massachusetts. 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.

The Coast Guard is continuing temporary security zones encompassing the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (TAPS) Valdez Terminal Complex, Valdez, Alaska and TAPS Tank Vessels and Valdez Narrows, Port Valdez, Alaska, and is reducing the size of one of these zones. These temporary security zones will remain effective until January 12, 2006, while we complete a separate rulemaking to create permanent security zones in these locations.

The Chemical Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC) and its Subcommittees on Outreach and Hazardous Cargo Transportation Security (HCTS) will meet to discuss various issues relating to the marine transportation of hazardous materials in bulk. These meetings will be open to the public.

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 including approximately 29,000 mariners in those three states, was flooded, destroying vital records and equipment, and rendering the facility temporarily inoperable. The Coast Guard is opening temporary offices in Morgan City, LA and Memphis, TN to provide services to mariners that have been affected by the closure of the REC in New Orleans.

The Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) announce that they have received an application for the licensing of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) deepwater port, and that the application appears to contain the required information. This notice summarizes the applicant's plans and the procedures that will be followed in considering the application.

The Coast Guard is temporarily changing the drawbridge operation regulations for the operation of the Route 280 Bridge, mile 5.8, across the Passaic River, at Harrison, New Jersey. Under this temporary rule the Route 280 Bridge may remain in the closed position for the passage of vessel traffic from March 1, 2006 through November 30, 2007. This temporary rulemaking is necessary to facilitate rehabilitation repairs at the bridge.

The Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Tower Drawbridge across the Sacramento River, mile 59.0, at Sacramento, CA. This deviation allows the drawbridge to not open for vessel traffic and remain in the closed-to-navigation position. The deviation is necessary to rehabilitate the bridge deck.

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.

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.