Coast Guard August 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee (MMMAC) will hold its inaugural meeting starting Monday, September 19, and ending Wednesday September 21, 2011. The meetings will be open to the public.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Savannah River in Augusta, Georgia during the ESI Ironman 70.3 Augusta Triathlon on Sunday, September 25, 2011. The temporary safety zone is necessary for the safety of the race participants, participant vessels, spectators, and the general public during the 1.1 mile swim portion of the competition. Persons and vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Savannah or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is extending the effective period for the temporary safety zone restricting navigation on the Big Sioux River from the Military Road Bridge in North Sioux City, South Dakota to the confluence of the Missouri River and extending the entire width of the river. Temporary section 33 CFR 165.T11-0511, which established the temporary safety zone, was set to expire August 30, 2011. Extending the effective period for this safety zone provides continued and uninterrupted protection of levees and personnel involved in ongoing high water response. Continuing the safety zone will significantly reduce the threat of destruction to levees. Additionally, to avoid duplicative temporary section numbers, section 33 CFR 165.T11-0511 is redesignated as 33 CFR 165.T11-0528.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the US 70 (Alfred C. Cunningham) Bridge across Trent River, mile 0.0, at New Bern, NC, to accommodate a bike race. This deviation allows the drawbridge to be maintained in the closed position to vessels at specific dates and times.

The Coast Guard is updating and consolidating the list of marine events occurring annually within the Eleventh Coast Guard District. These amendments standardize the special local regulations language, update listed events, delete events that are no longer occurring, add new unlisted annual events to the regulation, and standardize the format for all tables in these four sections. When these special local regulations are activated, and thus subject to enforcement, this rule would enable vessel movement restrictions in the regulated area.

The U.S. Coast Guard will establish a safety zone during the construction of the TriMet Bridge on the Willamette River, in Portland, OR. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of recreational vessels and commercial vessels transiting in close proximity to cranes and overhead work associated with this construction project. During the enforcement period, all vessels will be required to transit through the area at a no wake speed and at a safe distance from the work being conducted.

The Coast Guard is establishing special local regulations during the ``Chesapeake Challenge'' power boat races, a marine event to be held on the waters of the Patuxent River, near Solomons, MD on September 24 and 25, 2011. 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 Patuxent River during the event.

The Coast Guard is establishing a Regulated Navigation Area (RNA) on the navigable waters of the Arthur Kill in New York and New Jersey. This temporary interim rule is necessary to enhance navigation, vessel safety, marine environmental protection, and provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters during drilling, blasting and dredging operations in support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers channel deepening project. We seek comments regarding this rule and will consider those comments before issuing a final rule.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the CSX Railroad Vertical Lift Bridge across the Anacostia River, mile 3.4, at Washington, DC. This deviation will test a change to the drawbridge operation schedule to determine whether a permanent change to the schedule is necessary. This deviation will change the current eight hour advance notice requirement for a bridge opening to a 48 hour advance notice requirement for a bridge opening.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Elgin Joliet and Eastern Railroad Drawbridge, across the Illinois Waterway, mile 290.1, at Joliet, Illinois. The deviation is necessary to allow the replacement of the existing bridge miter rail joints and installation of lift span alignment guides to ensure precise seating. This deviation allows the bridge to be maintained in the closed-to- navigation position for ten hours.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting approval of revisions to the following collection of information: 1625-0006, Shipping Articles. Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. Before submitting this ICR to OIRA, the Coast Guard is inviting comments as described below.

The Coast Guard will enforce the Navy Pier East Safety Zone in Chicago Harbor from August 12, 2011 through August 14, 2011 and again from September 28, 2011 through October 1, 2011. This action is necessary and intended to ensure safety of life on the navigable waters of the United States immediately prior to, during, and immediately after match race events. This rule will establish restrictions upon, and control movement of, vessels in a specified area immediately prior to, during, and immediately after match race events. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter the safety zone without the permission of the Captain of the Port, Sector Lake Michigan.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to submit Information Collection Requests (ICRs) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting approval of revisions to the following collections of information: 1625-0032, Vessel Inspection Related Forms and Reporting Requirements Under Title 46 U.S. Code; 1625-0094, Ships Carrying Bulk Hazardous Liquids; and 1625-0096, Report of Oil or Hazardous Substance Discharge; and Report of Suspicious Maritime Activity. Our ICRs describe the information we seek to collect from the public. Before submitting these ICRs to OIRA, the Coast Guard is inviting comments as described below.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Grassy Sound/Ocean Drive Bascule Bridge across the Grassy Sound Channel, mile 1.0, at Middle Township, NJ. The deviation is necessary to accommodate racers in ``The Wild Half'' half marathon. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position to ensure safe passage for the half marathon racers.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone during the ``NAS Patuxent River Air Expo '11,'' which consists of aerial practices, performance demonstrations and air shows, to be held over certain waters of the Patuxent River adjacent to Patuxent River, Maryland from September 1, 2011 through September 4, 2011. This rule is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This action is intended to temporarily restrict vessel traffic in portions of the Patuxent River during the event.

The Coast Guard proposes to add to its regulations a description of the procedures for requesting and processing waivers of citizenship requirements on commercial fishing vessels. The Coast Guard aims to improve its efforts to inform the commercial fishing industry of this opportunity by publishing the application procedure policy into the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

The Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC) will meet on October 6, 2011 and October 7, 2011 in Washington, DC to discuss various issues related to the training and fitness of merchant marine personnel. This meeting will be open to the public.

The Coast Guard is establishing a regulated navigation area on the Piscataqua River near Portsmouth, NH. This temporary final rule places speed restrictions on all vessels transiting the navigable waters on the Piscataqua River, Portsmouth, NH near the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard between Henderson Point Light on Seavey Island and Badgers Island Buoy 14. This rule is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters during ongoing ship construction.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend 33 CFR 165.1154, Security Zones; Cruise Ships, San Pedro Bay, California, by providing a common description of all security zones created by this section to encompass only navigable waters within a 100-yard radius around any cruise ship that is located within the San Pedro Bay port area landward of the sea buoys bounding the Port of Los Angeles or Port of Long Beach or at designated anchorages within 3 nautical miles of the Federal breakwater. This notice of proposed rulemaking is necessary to provide for the safety of the cruise ship, vessels, and users of the waterway. Entry into these security zones would be prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Los AngelesLong Beach, or his designated representative.

The Coast Guard is amending multiple permanent safety zones to ensure public safety during annual firework displays at various locations in the Eleventh Coast Guard District. These amendments will standardize the safety zone language, update listed events, delete events that are no longer occurring, add new unlisted annual fireworks events to the regulations, and standardize the format for all tables in these four sections. When these safety zones are activated, and thus subject to enforcement, this rule would limit the movement of vessels within the established firework display area.

The Coast Guard is establishing temporary safety zones for marine events within the Captain of the Port (COTP) Boston Zone. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the events. Entering into, transiting through, mooring or anchoring within these zones is prohibited unless authorized by the COTP Boston.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the regulations that govern the operation of two New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) bridges: The Route 30/Abescon Boulevard Bridge across Beach Thorofare, NJICW mile 67.2 and the US 40-322 (Albany Avenue) Bridge across Inside Thorofare, NJICW mile 70.0, both at Atlantic City, NJ. The proposed changes will alter the dates that these bridges are allowed to have delayed openings or remain in the closed position to accommodate heavy volumes of vehicular traffic due to the annual July 4th fireworks shows and the annual Air Show at Bader Field.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Waccamaw River during the East Coast Drag Boat Bucksport Blowout in Bucksport, South Carolina. The East Coast Drag Boat Bucksport Blowout will consist of a series of high-speed boat races. The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 17, 2011 and Sunday, September 18, 2011. The temporary safety zone is necessary for the safety of race participants, participant vessels, spectators, and the general public during the event. Persons and vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston or a designated representative.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Grassy Sound/Ocean Drive Bascule Bridge across the Grassy Sound Channel, mile 1.0, at Middle Township, NJ. The deviation is necessary to accommodate racers in ``The Wild Half'' half marathon. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position to ensure safe passage for the half marathon racers.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish safety regulations governing the inspection, standards, and safety management systems of towing vessels. The proposal includes provisions covering: Specific electrical and machinery requirements for new and existing towing vessels, the use and approval of third-party auditors and surveyors, and procedures for obtaining Certificates of Inspection. Without making a specific proposal at this time, the Coast Guard also seeks additional data, information and public comment on potential requirements for hours of service or crew endurance management for mariners aboard towing vessels. The Coast Guard would later request public comment on specific hours of service or crew endurance management regulatory text if it seeks to implement such requirements. The intent of the proposed rulemaking is to promote safer work practices and reduce casualties on towing vessels by requiring that towing vessels adhere to prescribed safety standards and safety management systems or to an alternative, annual Coast Guard inspection regime. The Coast Guard promulgates this proposal in cooperation with the Towing Vessel Safety Advisory Committee and pursuant to the authority granted in section 415 of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004.