Coast Guard June 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a safety zone for the Patchogue Grand Prix, a power boat race on Patchogue Bay off of Patchogue, New York on August 22, 23, and 24, 2008, and each year thereafter on dates and times specified in a Federal Register notice. The safety zone would provide for safety of navigation of the maritime public viewing and transiting near the power boat race in order to protect the maritime community from the hazards inherent with a power boat race, namely, a collision and loss of control of the vessels participating in this event. Entry into this zone would be prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Long Island Sound.

The Coast Guard proposes a safety zone, on the navigable waters of Lake Moolvalya region on the lower Colorado River in support of the Bluewater Resort and Casino `300' Enduro. This safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of the participants, crew, spectators, participating vessels, and other vessels and users of the waterway. Persons and vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or anchoring within this safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, or his designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes a safety zone, on the navigable waters of Lake Havasu on the lower Colorado River in support of the IJSBA World Finals. This safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of the participants, crew, spectators, participating vessels, and other vessels and users of the waterway. Persons and vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or anchoring within this safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, or his designated representative.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this request for comments announces that the U.S. Coast Guard is forwarding one Information Collection Request (ICR), abstracted below, to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0109, Drawbridge Operation Regulations. Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. Review and comments by OIRA ensure we only impose paperwork burdens commensurate with our performance of duties.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Clinton Railroad Drawbridge, Mile 518.0, Clinton, Iowa, across the Upper Mississippi River. The deviation is necessary for the bridge to remain closed-to-navigation for intermittent periods of up to 1 hour and 30 minutes in duration, allowing the bridge owner time to perform necessary repairs to the bridge approaches and adjacent rail bed.

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, California. The deviation is necessary to allow the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to conduct major roadwork on Interstate 5 through downtown Sacramento. This deviation allows the drawspan to remain in the closed-to-navigation position during rush hour time periods.

The Coast Guard announces that public meetings for the May 23, 2008 notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on dry cargo residue discharges in the Great Lakes and its supporting Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be held in Duluth, Minnesota, and Cleveland, Ohio, in July 2008. The proposed rule would allow the continued discharge of certain non-toxic and non-hazardous bulk dry cargo residues in the Great Lakes. Existing prohibitions on discharges in certain areas would be continued, and additional sensitive and protected areas would be defined as no-discharge zones. Recordkeeping and reporting requirements would be imposed, and the voluntary use of measures to control residues would be encouraged.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary safety zone upon specified waters of the Upper Potomac River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during a fireworks display launched from a barge located within Washington Channel, in Washington Harbor, DC. This action will restrict vessel traffic in a portion of the Washington Channel.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone around Liquefied Natural Gas Carriers (LNGCs) approaching, engaging, regasifying, disengaging, mooring or otherwise conducting operations at the deepwater port facility in Massachusetts Bay, the Northeast Gateway Deepwater Port. The zone temporarily closes all waters of Massachusetts Bay within a five hundred (500) meter radius of LNCG vessels in the vicinity of the position 42[deg]23' N, 070[deg]36' W. The security zone is necessary to protect LNGCs calling on the deepwater port from security threats or other subversive acts. Entry into this zone is prohibited during the closure period unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Boston, Massachusetts.

The Coast Guard is establishing temporary moving safety zones around Coast Guard and Navy vessels as well as five fixed safety zones off to the west and south of Gerrish Island, south of Kittery Point, east of Jaffrey Point, and east of Odiornes Point during the Frontier Sentinel Exercise on the Piscataqua River, a homeland security exercise that will involve underwater equipment and operations. This rule will establish multiple fixed and moving safety zones that will be enforced from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily on June 9, 2008 through June 12, 2008 from the General Sullivan Bridge, U.S. Route 16 to one mile seaward of the Red ``2KR'' buoy at the mouth of the river. This action is necessary to protect federal, state, and local assets (including unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV)) and others in the maritime community from the safety hazards that may arise from this large scale exercise.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish special local regulations during the ``Pride of Baltimore Recycled Regatta'', a marine event to be held August 2, 2008 on the waters of the Patapsco River, Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This action is intended to temporarily restrict vessel traffic in a portion of the Baltimore Inner Harbor during the event.