Coast Guard December 22, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule revises Coast Guard requirements for alcohol testing after a serious marine incident to ensure that mariners or their employees involved in a serious marine incident are tested for alcohol use within 2 hours of the occurrence of the incident as required under the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998. This final rule also requires that most commercial vessels have alcohol testing devices on board, and authorizes the use of saliva as an acceptable specimen for alcohol testing. This rule also makes some minor procedural changes, including a 32-hour time limit for collecting specimens for drug testing following a serious marine incident.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the drawbridge operation regulations for the Amtrak Old Saybrook-Old Lyme Bridge (Old Saybrook-Old Lyme Bridge), mile 3.4, across the Connecticut River, Connecticut. This deviation from the regulations allows the bridge to operate on a fixed schedule for bridge openings and two three-day closures from January 3, 2006 through February 1, 2006. This deviation is necessary in order to facilitate necessary scheduled bridge maintenance.