Coast Guard February 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking comments and recommendations from the public for optimizing domestic International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) port reception facilities and will conduct a public meeting on the subject on Thursday, March 12, 2009, at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street, SW., Washington, DC 20593. The purpose of the meeting is to assist and complement efforts by the Coast Guard's Chemical Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC) on implementing MARPOL regulations with respect to providing adequate port/terminal MARPOL reception facilities.

The Coast Guard proposes a safety zone, on the navigable waters of the lower Colorado River, Laughlin, NV, in support of a fireworks display near the AVI Resort and Casino. 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 establishing a temporary safety zone within the Lake Moolvalya region of the navigable waters of the Colorado River in Parker, Arizona for the Blue Water Resort and Casino APBA National Tour Rounds 1 and 2. This temporary 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 is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Chickahominy River in the vicinity of Charles City County and James City County, VA in support of the demolition of the Route 5 Bridge over the Chickahominy River. This action will protect the maritime public on the Chickahominy River from the hazards associated with bridge demolition and explosive blasting.

The Coast Guard proposes a temporary safety zone within the navigable waters of Oceanside Harbor for the Ironman 70.3 California. This temporary safety zone is necessary to provide safety for the swimmers, crew, spectators, vessels and other 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 Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operations of the Southern Railroad Drawbridge across the Tennessee River, mile 304.4, at Decatur, Alabama. The deviation is necessary to allow time for conducting needed maintenance and repairs to the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed to navigation position and not open to vessel traffic.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Upper Hack Bridge across the Hackensack River, mile 6.9, at Secaucus, New Jersey. Under this temporary deviation the bridge may remain in the closed position for two days to facilitate bridge maintenance. Vessels that can pass under the draw without a bridge opening may do so at all times.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the drawbridge operation regulations of the Figure Eight Swing Bridge, at AIWW mile 278.1, at Scotts Hill, NC. This proposal would allow for the drawbridge to open on signal every hour on the half hour for the passage of pleasure vessels. At all times, the draw will continue to open on signal for commercial vessels. The proposed change would result in more efficient use of the bridge.

On February 13, 2009, the Coast Guard published a Federal Register notice announcing a teleconference meeting of the National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee (NOSAC). NOSAC will discuss data on foreign vessels arriving on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf from abroad as well as other items that it may consider. This notice supplements that original teleconference meeting notice.

The Coast Guard is reopening the period for public comment on its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on regulations governing the stability of passenger vessels and the maximum number of passengers that may safely be permitted on board a vessel. The comment period will close on March 20, 2009.

The Commander, Seventh Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Pinellas Bayway Structure ``C'' and Corey Causeway (SR 693) Bridges across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, miles 114 and 117.7, at St. Petersburg Beach, and South Pasadena, FL. This deviation will test a change to the drawbridge operation schedules to determine whether a permanent change to the schedule is needed. This deviation will allow both drawbridges to operate on a twice an hour schedule during the day. This deviation may be terminated/cancelled at any time via a Broadcast Notice to Mariners.

This final rule modifies several aspects of the permanent safety and security zones within the New York Captain of the Port Zone. This action modifies existing safety and security zones, consolidates and modifies safety and security zones currently found in separate regulations, and removes certain safety and security zones so as to better meet the safety and security needs of the New York and New Jersey port community.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted, with the support of the U.S. Government, through its delegation to IMO's Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC-58) meeting in October 2008, standardized formats for an Advanced Notice Form (ANF) and a Waste Delivery Receipt (WDR) relating to vessel waste streams. We anticipate that the new form and receipt will be widely distributed to vessels making port calls to the U.S. The Coast Guard encourages their use.

This document informs owners and operators of facilities located on the island of American Samoa within Captain of the Port Zone Honolulu that the date by which they must implement access control procedures utilizing TWIC has been extended to no later than April 14, 2009. This extension is due to the fact that a large percentage of the maritime workforce in American Samoa is not native to the island, and do not need to comply with United States immigration laws.

The Coast Guard proposes the expansion of a naval security zone. This action would expand an existing security zone, which in doing so would encompass a nearby security zone in its entirety. The subsumed security zone would be removed. This action also proposes the installation of water barriers within the expanded security zone. These water borne barriers will provide a line of demarcation and a defensive measure as a safeguard from destruction, loss, or injury from sabotage or other subversive acts, accidents, or other causes of a similar nature. No persons or vessel may enter or remain in the security zone without the permission of the Captain of the Port, the Commander of Naval Base Point Loma, the Commander of Naval Region Southwest, or a designated representative of those individuals.

The Coast Guard is establishing a regulated navigation area and safety zone on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Romeoville, IL. This temporary interim rule places navigational and operational restrictions on all vessels transiting the navigable waters located adjacent to and over the Army Corps of Engineers' electrical dispersal fish barrier system.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has approved a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the SR 36 Bridge, at mile 0.5, across Cedar Creek, in Cedar Beach, Delaware. Under this temporary deviation, the drawbridge will be allowed to operate on an advance notice basis on particular dates and times. The deviation is necessary to perform inspections of the electrical and mechanical systems.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the SR 661 Vertical Lift Bridge across Bayou Lacarpe, mile 7.5, at Houma, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. The deviation is necessary to replace all the wire ropes used to lift the movable span of the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed during daytime hours and requires an advance notice for openings during the nighttime.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has approved a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the Norfolk Southern 7 Railroad Bridge, at AIWW mile 5.8, across the Elizabeth River (Southern Branch) in Chesapeake, VA. Under this temporary deviation, the drawbridge may remain in the closed position on specific dates and times to facilitate structural repairs.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this request for comments announces that the U.S. Coast Guard is forwarding an 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: 1625-0035, Title 46 CFR Subchapter Q: Lifesaving, Electrical, and Engineering Equipment, Construction and Materials & Marine Sanitation Devices (33 CFR 159). 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 Coast Guard is changing the drawbridge operation regulation for the Broadway and Burnside Bridges across the Willamette River, mile 11.7, in Portland, Oregon so that one-hour notice is required from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and two-hour notice at all other times. Also, the Broadway Bridge is deleted as a point of contact for upstream vessels, leaving the Hawthorne Bridge as the point of contact for both upstream and downstream travel directions. These changes are necessary to reduce the staffing requirements for the bridges, which has been made possible by the infrequent number of requests for openings received.

The Coast Guard is establishing a Regulated Navigation Area on the Willamette River, Portland, Oregon. This action is necessary to preserve the integrity of the engineered pilot cap placed over contaminated sediments as part of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund cleanup action at the McCormick & Baxter Creosoting Company Superfund Site. This rule is needed to prohibit activities that would cause disturbance of pilot cap material, which was placed to isolate and contain underlying contaminated sediment.