Coast Guard November 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing special local regulations on the waters of Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida during the Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta, a series of sailboat races. The Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta is scheduled to take place from Tuesday, December 27, 2011 through Friday, December 30, 2011. The regatta will be at four separate race courses. Approximately 50 to 200 participants will race on each race course. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the regatta. The special local regulations establish four race areas, one around each race course. All persons and vessels that are not participating in the regatta are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within any of the race areas unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Miami or a designated representative.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the General Edwards Bridge at mile 1.7, across the Saugus River between Lynn and Revere, Massachusetts. The deviation is necessary to facilitate scheduled bridge rehabilitation. This deviation allows the bridge to open upon a 48 hour advance notice during the rehabilitation period.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Illinois River near Morris, Illinois. This zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Illinois River due to the Truman-Hobbs alteration of the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railroad Drawbridge. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect the surrounding public and vessels from the hazards associated with the removal of the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railroad Drawbridge's old bridge piers and pier protection cells.

The Coast Guard is establishing four temporary safety zones during New Year's Eve fireworks displays on certain navigable waterways in Naples, St. Petersburg, Cape Coral, and Sarasota, Florida. These safety zones are necessary to protect the public from the hazards associated with launching fireworks over navigable waters of the United States. Persons and vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within any of the four safety zones unless authorized by the Captain of the Port St. Petersburg or a designated representative.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Illinois Central Railroad Drawbridge across the Upper Mississippi River, mile 579.9, at Dubuque, Iowa. The deviation is necessary to allow the bridge owner time to perform preventive maintenance that is essential to the continued safe operation of the drawbridge. Maintenance is scheduled in the winter when there is less impact on navigation; instead of scheduling work in the summer, when river traffic increases. This deviation allows the bridge to open on signal if at least 24-hours advance notice is given.

The Coast Guard is removing the existing drawbridge operation regulation for the U.S. 17 bridge across Neuse River, mile 33.7 at New Bern, NC. The drawbridge was replaced with a fixed bridge in 1999. Therefore, the operating regulation pertaining to the U.S. 17 drawbridge is no longer applicable or necessary.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the U.S. Coast Guard is forwarding Information Collection Requests (ICRs), abstracted below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting approval of a revision to the following collections of information: 1625-0045, Adequacy Certification for Reception Facilities and Advance Notice33 CFR Part 158, 1625-0060, Vapor Control Systems for Facilities and Tank Vessels, 1625-0081, Alternate Compliance Program, 1625-0083, Operational Measures for Existing Tank Vessels Without Double Hulls and l625-0113, Crewmember Identification Documents. Our ICRs describe 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, Eleventh Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Third Street Drawbridge across China Basin, mile 0.0, at San Francisco, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow the City of San Francisco to inspect the bridge structure as required by the U.S. Department of Transportation. This deviation allows the bridge to be secured in the closed-to-navigation position during the deviation period.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone upon specified waters of the Potomac River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during a fireworks display launched from a floating platform located within the National Harbor Access Channel, in Prince Georges County, Maryland. This safety zone is intended to protect the maritime public in a portion of the Potomac River.

The Coast Guard is establishing special local regulations on the waters of the New River and the Intracoastal Waterway in Fort Lauderdale, Florida during the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade on Saturday, December 10, 2011. The marine parade will consist of approximately 120 vessels. The marine parade will begin at Cooley's Landing Marina and end at Lake Santa Barbara. From Cooley's Landing Marina, the marine parade will transit east on the New River, then head north on the Intracoastal Waterway to Lake Santa Barbara. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the marine parade. The special local regulations consist of a series of moving buffer zones around participant vessels as they transit from Cooley's Landing Marina to Lake Santa Barbara. Persons and vessels that are not participating in the marine parade are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within any of the buffer zones unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Miami or a designated representative.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the S168 Bridge across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, mile 12.0, at Chesapeake (Great Bridge), VA. This deviation is necessary to accommodate the annual Christmas parade event.

The Coast Guard proposes a change to drawbridge operations for the Canadian Pacific Railroad Drawbridge across the Black River at Mile 1.0 near La Crosse, Wisconsin. Drawspan is currently operated by an onsite bridge tender, opening on signal following two-hour notification. The proposed change is for drawspan operation by remote operator, opening immediately upon demand.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Lapalco Boulevard bascule span drawbridge across the Harvey Canal Route, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), mile 2.8 at Harvey, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. The deviation is necessary to allow for the cleaning and painting of bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed during the day Monday through Saturday for three months.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the Norfolk Southern 5 Railroad Bridge, mile 1.1, Norfolk, VA. Under this temporary deviation, the drawbridge may remain in the closed position on specific dates and times to facilitate laying new rail.

The Coast Guard is amending special local regulations (SLR) and establishing permanent safety zones in the Coast Guard Sector Boston Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone for annually recurring marine events. The revised SLRs and safety zones are implemented to reduce administrative overhead, expedite public notification of events, and to ensure the protection of the maritime public and event participants from the hazards associated with firework displays, boat races, and other marine events.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the Neuse River Railroad Bridge across the Neuse River, mile 34.2, at New Bern, NC. The deviation restricts the operation of the draw span to facilitate repairs to the main mechanism of the bridge.

The Coast Guard is removing, adding, and consolidating special local regulations and establishing permanent safety zones in the Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) New York Zone for annual recurring swim events, fireworks displays, and marine events (annual recurring events). When these special local regulations or safety zones are activated and subject to enforcement, this will restrict vessels from portions of water areas during these annual recurring events. The special local regulations and safety zones will facilitate public notification of events and help protect the public and event participants from the hazards associated with these annual recurring events.

The Commander, Thirteenth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Bridge across the Lake Washington Ship Canal, mile 0.1, at Seattle, WA. The deviation is necessary to facilitate replacement of a counterweight trunnion bearing. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the down or closed position during the maintenance period.

The Coast Guard is establishing special local regulations on the waters of the Atlantic Ocean located southwest of Key West, Florida during the Key West World Championship, a series of high-speed boat races. The event is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, November 9, 2011; Friday, November 11, 2011; and Sunday, November 13, 2011. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. The special local regulations will temporarily restrict vessel traffic in certain waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The special local regulations will establish the following four areas: A race area, where all persons and vessels, except those persons and vessels participating in the high-speed boat races, are prohibited from entering, transiting, anchoring, or remaining; a buffer zone around the race area, where all persons and vessels, except those persons and vessels enforcing the buffer zone, are prohibited from entering, transiting, anchoring, or remaining; and two spectator areas, where all vessels are prohibited from anchoring unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Key West or a designated representative.

Under existing statutes, at least 75% of the ownership of vessels eligible to engage in the coastwise or fisheries trades must be vested in United States citizens. The Coast Guard is seeking comments and information on the various mechanisms that publicly traded companies have chosen to employ in order to assure compliance with those citizenship requirements. Although the Coast Guard may use information obtained in response to this notice to inform future rulemakings, we are not presently developing a new or revised regulation on this subject.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Florida during the Fourth Annual Chillounge Night St. Petersburg Fireworks Display on Saturday, November 19, 2011. The safety zone is necessary to protect the public from the hazards associated with launching fireworks over navigable waters of the United States. 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 St. Petersburg or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard announces the availability of a Port Access Route Study (PARS) which evaluated the continued applicability of and the potential need for modifications to the traffic separation schemes in the approaches to Los Angeles-Long Beach and in the Santa Barbara Channel. The study was completed in June 2011. This notice summarizes the study and final recommendation.