Coast Guard February 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is revising its first supplemental notice of proposed rule rulemaking published October 31, 2005, establishing permanent moving security zones around all escorted High Capacity Passenger Vessels (``HCPV'') and escorted Alaska Marine Highway System Vessels (``AMHS vessels'') during their transit in the navigable waters of the Seventeenth Coast Guard District to exempt from the provisions of this rule all commercial fishing vessels, as defined by applicable United States Code, only while actively engaged in fishing.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary security zone on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. This action is necessary to provide for the security of a large number of participants during the 2006 Bay Bridge Walk across the William P. Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge between Sandy Point and Kent Island, Maryland. The security zone will allow for control of a designated area of the Chesapeake Bay and safeguard the public at large.

The Coast Guard proposes to temporarily amend the regulations governing the operation of the N.E. 14th Street Bridge across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 1055.0, Pompano, Broward County, Florida. This proposed temporary rule provides for solely single-leaf bridge operations between May and June 2006. From July through September 2006, we propose this bridge operate on a single-leaf schedule unless four hour notice is provided for double-leaf openings.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this request for comments announces that the Coast Guard has forwarded three Information Collection Requests (ICRs), abstracted below, to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICRs are as follows: (1) 1625-0097, Plan Approval and Records for Marine Engineering Systems46 CFR Subchapter F; (2) 1625-0103, Mandatory Ship Reporting System for the Northeast and Southeast Coasts of the United States; (3) 1625-0104, Barges Carrying Bulk Hazardous Materials. The ICRs describe 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 establishing a temporary safety zone in the Gulf of Alaska, encompassing the navigable waters in the vicinity of Narrow Cape and Ugak Island. The zone is needed to protect persons and vessels operating in the vicinity of the safety zone during a rocket launch from the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation, Narrow Cape, Kodiak Island facility. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard District, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Western Alaska, or their on-scene representative. The intended effect of the safety zone is to ensure the safety of human life and property during the rocket launch.

On August 8, 2005, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) requested Dominion Cove Point Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Limited Partnership to prepare a Waterway Suitability Assessment (WSA) for the proposed Cove Point LNG Expansion Project to be submitted to the United States Coast Guard in accordance with the Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 05-05. The purpose of the WSA is to identify credible security threats and safety hazards associated with increased LNG marine transportation in the Chesapeake Bay and identify appropriate risk management measures. The Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Baltimore, and the Captain of the Port, Hampton Roads, received the WSA from Dominion Cove Point on January 17, 2006. The conclusions of the WSA are included in this notice. The Coast Guard solicits public comments on these conclusions to consider when preparing recommendations to FERC for inclusion in their final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding the suitability of the Chesapeake Bay for increased LNG traffic.

The Houston/Galveston Navigation Safety Advisory Committee (HOGANSAC) and its working groups will meet to discuss waterway improvements, aids to navigation, area projects impacting safety on the Houston Ship Channel, and various other navigation safety matters in the Galveston Bay area. All meetings will be open to the public.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the drawbridge operation regulations governing the operation of the AMTRAK Old Saybrook-Old Lyme Bridge, across the Connecticut River at mile 3.4, at Old Lyme, Connecticut. This deviation from the regulations allows the bridge to operate on a fixed schedule for bridge openings from February 4, 2006 through March 6, 2006, and also authorizes one 12-hour and two 72-hour bridge closures. This deviation is necessary in order to facilitate scheduled bridge maintenance.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend the special local regulations at 33 CFR 100.533, established for the ``Maryland Swim for Life'' held annually on the waters of the Chester River, near Chestertown, Maryland by changing the event date to the third Saturday in June. This proposed rule is intended to restrict vessel traffic in portions of the Chester River and is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to seek the approval of OMB for the renewal of four Information Collection Requests (ICRs). The ICRs are: (1) 1625- 0047, Plan Review and Records for Vital System Automation; (2) 1625- 0063, Marine Occupational Health and Safety Standards for Benzene46 CFR 197 Subpart C; (3) 1625-0070, Vessel Identification System; and (4) 1625-0084, Audit Reports under the International Safety Management Code. Before submitting the ICRs to OMB, the Coast Guard is inviting comments on them as described below.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has approved a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the New Jersey Transit Railroad Drawbridge, at mile 0.9, across the South Channel of the Shark River at Belmar, New Jersey, south of Avon. To facilitate electrical repairs, this deviation allows the drawbridge to remain closed-to-navigation from 11 p.m. on February 10, 2006, until 12 p.m. (noon) on February 11, 2006, and from 11 p.m. on February 24, 2006, until 12 p.m. (noon) on February 25, 2006. If required, a rain date has been set from 11 p.m. on March 10, 2006, until 12 p.m. (noon) on March 11, 2006.

The Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) and its working groups will meet as required to discuss various issues relating to shallow-draft inland and coastal waterway navigation and towing safety. All meetings will be open to the public.

This document contains a correction to effective date of the temporary final rule establishing a temporary safety zone on the Columbia River, in the vicinity of Hayden Island at North Portland Harbor (CGD-13-06-002) published on January 25, 2006, in the Federal Register (71 FR 4043).