Coast Guard 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the US 70 (Alfred Cunningham) Bridge, at mile 0.0, over the Trent River, at New Bern, NC. The deviation restricts the operation of the draw span to facilitate the general maintenance of the Bridge.

The Lower Mississippi River Waterway Safety Advisory Committee (LMRWSAC) will hold its bi-annual meeting on December 6, 2011, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The meeting will be open to the public.

The Coast Guard will enforce a segment of the Safety Zone; Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan including Des Plaines River, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Chicago River, Calumet-Saganashkee Channel on all waters of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal from Mile Marker 296.1 to Mile Marker 296.7 at various times from October 31, 2011 until November 8, 2011. This action is necessary to protect the waterways, waterway users, and vessels from hazards associated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' dispersal barrier maintenance operations. During the enforcement period, entry into, transiting, mooring, laying-up or anchoring within the enforced area of this safety zone by any person or vessel is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, Sector Lake Michigan, or his or her designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Savannah River in Augusta, Georgia during the 2011 Head of the South Regatta, which will consist of a series of rowing races. The 2011 Head of the South Regatta is scheduled to take place on Friday, November 11, 2011 and Saturday, November 12, 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 Savannah or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is clarifying that the public comment period on its July 19, 2011, temporary interim rule remains open for the duration of the rule's effective period. The rule established a Regulated Navigation Area (RNA) on the navigable waters of the Chelsea River under and surrounding the Chelsea Street Bridge (CSB) that crosses the Chelsea River between East Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts.

The Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Third Street Drawbridge across Islais Creek, mile 0.4, at San Francisco, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow the City of San Francisco to make emergency electrical repairs on the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to be secured in the closed-to-navigation position during the deviation period.

The Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee (CFSAC) will meet in Seattle, Washington to discuss various issues relating to safety in the commercial fishing industry. This meeting will be open to the public.

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 will establish special local regulation during the Chesapeake Bay Workboat Race, a series of boat races to be held on the waters of Back River, Poquoson, Virginia. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the events. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic during the power boat races on the Back River in the vicinity of Messick Point, in Poquoson, Virginia.

The Coast Guard announces that it is removing the conditions of entry on vessels arriving from the country of the Republic of Congo.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the Neuse River Railroad Bridge, at mile 33.7, over the Neuse River, at New Bern, NC. The deviation restricts the operation of the draw span to facilitate repairs to the main mechanism of the bridge.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the US 70 Alfred Cunningham Bridge across the Trent River, mile 0.0, at New Bern, NC. The deviation is necessary to accommodate racers in the three Neuse River Bridge Runs. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position to ensure safe passage for the racers.

The Commander Fifth Coast Guard District has issued a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the Corson Inlet Bridge (County Route 619), at mile 0.9, across Corson Inlet, in Strathmere, NJ. The deviation is necessary to facilitate the replacement of the steel railing. This deviation restricts operation of the draw span by not allowing openings during the project while the railings on the moveable span portion of the bridge are replaced.

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: 1625-0034, Ships' Stores Certification for Hazardous Materials Aboard Ships; and 1625-0043, Ports and Waterways SafetyTitle 33 CFR Subchapter P. 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 Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on Lake St. Clair, Muscamoot Bay, Harsens Island, MI. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake St. Clair during the Cannonade event.

Based on a review of safety and security zones around critical infrastructure in the Chicago area, the Captain of the Port Sector Lake Michigan has determined that to better protect such infrastructure, while also mitigating burdens on waterway users, it is necessary to amend the Lake Michigan at Chicago Harbor & Burnham Park HarborSafety and Security Zone regulation and the Security Zones; Captain of the Port Lake Michigan regulation. Specifically, the Coast Guard is amending these two regulations to reduce the size of an existing security zone, disestablish another security zone, and create three new security zones.

The Coast Guard is amending its regulations for certain lifesaving equipment, including launching appliances (winches and davits), release mechanisms, survival craft (lifeboats, inflatable liferafts, and inflatable buoyant apparatuses), rescue boats, and automatic disengaging devices. The amended regulations harmonize the Coast Guard's design, construction, and performance standards for this lifesaving equipment with international standards. In addition, the regulations provide for the use of qualified independent laboratories, instead of Coast Guard inspectors, during the approval process and for production inspections of certain types of lifesaving equipment. Because the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has recently changed its international standards for lifeboat release mechanisms, the Coast Guard is issuing these amended regulations as an interim rule and will finalize the regulations after proposing amendments as necessary to address the recent IMO changes regarding release mechanisms. Additionally, recent IMO action modified the international standards for liferafts, and the Coast Guard is proposing new changes to its regulations to implement the modified international standards. The Coast Guard is publishing the proposal regarding liferafts separately in the Proposed Rules section of this issue of the Federal Register.

The Coast Guard is establishing special local regulations on the waters of the East River and the Brunswick River in Brunswick, Georgia during the Line of Sail Marine Parade on Saturday, October 8, 2011. The marine parade will consist of approximately 10 to 20 vessels. The marine parade will begin at Brunswick Landing Marina. From Brunswick Landing Marina, the marine parade will transit southeast on the East River, head east on the Brunswick River, and then turn around at St. Simons Pier. The marine parade will then return to Brunswick Landing Marina by the same route. 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 Brunswick Landing Marina to St. Simons Pier and back. 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 Savannah or a designated representative.

The purpose of this notice is to inform the public that the Coast Guard has recertified the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens' Advisory Council (CIRCAC) as an alternative voluntary advisory group for Cook Inlet, Alaska. This certification allows the CIRCAC to monitor the activities of terminal facilities and crude oil tankers under the Cook Inlet Program established by statute.

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: 1625-0001, Marine Casualty Information & Periodic Chemical Drug and Alcohol Testing of Commercial Vessel Personnel; 1625-0013, Plan Approval and Records for Load LinesTitle 46 CFR Subchapter E.; 1625-0097, Plan Approval and Records for Marine Engineering Systems46 CFR Subchapter F; and 1625- 0101, Periodic Gauging and Engineering Analyses for Certain Tank Vessels Over 30 Years Old. 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 Coast Guard is establishing four temporary security zones on the navigable waters of Oahu's southern and western shores in support of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in Oahu, Hawaii. The establishment of these security zones is necessary to ensure the safety of all APEC attendees to include the President of the United States, as well as numerous foreign dignitaries and senior government officials. Entry into the temporary security zones established by this rule is prohibited unless authorized by the Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Honolulu, or her designated representatives.

The Coast Guard is establishing safety zones for Fireworks displays within the Captain of the Port (COTP) Long Island Sound Zone. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during these events. Entry into, transit through, mooring or anchoring within these zones is prohibited unless authorized by the COTP Sector Long Island Sound.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the specified navigable waters near Seacliff State Beach Pier in Aptos, California in support of the Monte Foundation Fireworks Extravaganza. 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 their designated representative.

The Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory Committee (GLPAC) will meet on October 18, 2011, in Washington, District of Columbia. The meeting will be open to the public.

This final rule makes non-substantive changes throughout Titles 46 and 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The purpose of this rule is to make conforming amendments and technical corrections to Coast Guard shipping and transportation regulations. This rule will have no substantive effect on the regulated public. These changes are provided to coincide with the annual recodification of Titles 46 and 49 on October 1, 2011.