Coast Guard November 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at Sunset Beach, North Carolina. The safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of mariners on navigable waters during the installation of bridge girders at the new high-level fixed highway bridge at Sunset Beach, North Carolina.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish four permanent security zones in the Brazos River in Freeport, Texas. This security zone is needed to protect vessels, waterfront facilities, and surrounding areas from destruction, loss, or injury caused by terrorism, sabotage, subversive acts, accidents, or incidents of a similar nature. Entry into this zone will be prohibited except by permission of the Captain of the Port Houston-Galveston.

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: 1625-0100, Advance Notice of Vessel Arrival. 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 establishing two temporary safety zones on the Columbia River to help ensure the safety of the maritime public during blasting and dredging operations taking place near St. Helens, Oregon as well as the movement of explosives for those operations from Portland, Oregon to the work site. The first temporary safety zone is a fixed zone around the area where the blasting and dredging operations will be taking place near St. Helens, Oregon. The second temporary safety zone is a moving zone around the barge KRS 200-6 at any time that it has explosives onboard.

The Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the California Route 160 Drawbridge across Three Mile Slough, mile 0.1, near Rio Vista, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow Caltrans to conduct drawbridge maintenance. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position during the maintenance period.

The Coast Guard announces that a Certificate of Alternative Compliance was issued for the offshore supply vessel GRANT CANDIES as required by 33 U.S.C. 1605(c) and 33 CFR 81.18.

This notice announces a teleconference meeting of the National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee (NOSAC) to discuss items listed in the agenda as well as other items that NOSAC may consider. This meeting will be open to the public.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend its regulations to fully incorporate the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended (STCW Convention), as well as the Seafarer's Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Code (STCW Code) in the requirements for the credentialing of United States merchant mariners as found in 46 CFR Parts 10, 11, 12, and 15. The changes proposed incorporate lessons learned from implementation of the STCW Convention and STCW Code through the interim rule and attempt to clarify those regulations that have generated confusion in the past.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the drawbridge operation regulation for the Port of Coos Bay Railroad Bridge, Coos Bay, mile 9.0, at North Bend, Oregon by deleting the requirement for special sound signals used in foggy weather and to change the name of the owner. This rule is necessary to make the sound signals used at the bridge consistent with other bridges in the area and to eliminate the unnecessary special sound signals.

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

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) Vertical Lift Span Bridge across the Victoria Barge Canal, mile 29.4 at Bloomington, Victoria County, Texas. The deviation is necessary to allow for replacement of the lift span motors. This deviation provides for the bridge to remain closed to navigation for 12 consecutive hours on November 17 and 18, 2009, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

This document removes the interim rule published on September 8, 2009 (74 FR 46011), which announced a permanent safety zone around Seal Island, Maine from the shoreline out to the 60 foot depth curve. The September 8, 2009 interim rule is being removed because a comprehensive survey of Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) in the area has not been completed therefore the Coast Guard is unable to determine if the risk posed warrants permanent establishment of the safety zone. Given the potential negative economic impact of the safety zone created by the Interim Rule and the limited reporting of MECs, this rule cancels the safety zone by removing it as a regulation.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this request for comments announces that the U.S. Coast Guard is forwarding four Information Collection Requests (ICRs), 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 collections of information: (1) 1625-0057, Small Passenger VesselsTitle 46 CFR Subchapters K and T; (2) 1625-0065, Offshore Supply VesselsTitle 46 CFR Subchapter L; (3) 1625-0104, Barges Carrying Bulk Hazardous Materials; and (4) 1625-0105, Regulated Navigation Area; Reporting Requirements for Barges Loaded with Certain Dangerous Cargoes, Inland Rivers, Eighth Coast Guard District and the Illinois Waterway, Ninth Coast Guard District. Review and comments by OIRA ensure we only impose paperwork burdens commensurate with our performance of duties.

The Coast Guard is establishing a regulated navigation area extending from the entrance of East Rockaway Inlet to the Atlantic Beach Bridge, Nassau County, New York. This regulated navigation area will affect commercial vessels carrying petroleum products in excess of 250 barrels by requiring them to plan all transits of the regulated navigation area so that they maintain a minimum of two feet under keel clearance at all times. Additionally, they may not transit the regulated navigation area if a small craft advisory, or more severe weather warning, has been issued, unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Long Island Sound. This action is necessary because significant shoaling in this area has reduced the depths of the navigable channel and has increased the risk of vessels grounding in the channel and the potential for a significant oil spill.

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: 1625-0012, Certificate of Discharge to Merchant Mariners. 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 proposes to change the regulations governing the operation of the LA 75 pontoon bridge and the LA 77 swing bridge across the Lower Grand River, mile 38.4 and 47.0 respectively, in Iberville Parish, Louisiana. The Iberville Parish School Board has requested that the operating regulations of these bridges be changed to allow an additional 30 minutes to the end of each scheduled closure period to provide more time for school buses to transit across the bridge.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a permanent safety zone in San Pablo Bay for Coast Guard Use of Force Training exercises. This safety zone would be established to ensure the safety of the public and participating crews from potential hazards associated with fast-moving Coast Guard smallboats or helicopters taking part in the exercise. Unauthorized persons or vessels would be prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or remaining in the safety zone without permission of the Captain of the Port or his designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the navigable waters in San Francisco Bay proximate to Pier 30-32 in San Francisco, CA in support of a Corporate Party on Hornblower Yacht. This safety zone is established to ensure the safety of participants and spectators from the dangers associated with the pyrotechnics. Unauthorized persons or vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or remaining in the safety zone without permission of the Captain of the Port or his designated representative.