Coast Guard 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing four temporary safety zones for marine events within the Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) New York Zone for fireworks displays and swim events. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the events. Entry into, transit through, mooring or anchoring within these zones is prohibited unless authorized by the COTP New York.

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 these security zones in our regulations. Specifically, the Coast Guard proposes to reduce the size of an existing security zone, disestablish another security zone, and create three new security zones.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Allegheny River from mile marker 5.7 to mile marker 5.9 (the parking area on either side of the 13th Street boat ramp), extending 300 feet from the right descending bank. The safety zone is needed to protect the public from the hazards associated with the Guyasuta Days Festival fireworks display. Entry into, movement within, and departure from this temporary safety zone, while it is activated and enforced, is prohibited, unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes the establishment of a Regulated Navigation Area (RNA) at the Zidell Waterfront Property located on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. This RNA is necessary to preserve the integrity of an engineered sediment cap as part of an Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) required remedial action. This proposed RNA will do so by prohibiting activities that could disturb or damage the engineered sediment cap.

The Coast Guard is reopening the comment period before issuing a final rule regarding the Approval of Classification Societies (USCG- 2007-27668). We previously published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) proposing application procedures and performance standards that classification societies must meet in order to obtain approval by the Coast Guard before conducting work in the United States. We published the proposed regulations to implement the requirements imposed by the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004, but before the publication of the final rule, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 changed the applicability to require that all classification societies be approved by the Coast Guard prior to conducting any work on a vessel in the United States. The published NPRM proposed allowing full members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) to be exempt from Coast Guard approval prior to working in the United States. Because of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, we are reopening the comment period to allow for any additional or updated comments from the public before publishing the final rule.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Route 1 & 9 Bridge across the Passaic River, mile 1.8, at Jersey City, New Jersey. The deviation is necessary to facilitate bridge painting operations at the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position for 58 days.

The Coast Guard proposes adjustments to the rates for pilotage services on the Great Lakes, which were last amended in February 2011. The proposed adjustments would establish new base rates and are made in accordance with a required full ratemaking procedure. They result in an average decrease of approximately 4 percent from the rates established in February 2011. This rulemaking promotes the Coast Guard's strategic goal of maritime safety.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the U.S. Coast Guard is forwarding an Information Collection Request (ICR), 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 collection of information: 1625-0109, Drawbridge Operation Regulations. Before submitting this ICR to OMB, the Coast Guard is inviting comments as described below.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of Milwaukee Harbor in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Milwaukee Harbor during two separate firework displays on July 31, 2011 and August 26, 2011. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect spectators and vessels from the hazards associated with these firework displays.

The Coast Guard has changed the drawbridge operation regulations that govern the operation of the Arthur Kill (AK) Railroad Bridge at mile 11.6, across Arthur Kill between Staten Island, New York and Elizabeth, New Jersey. This final rule provides relief to the bridge owner from crewing their bridge by allowing the bridge to be operated from a remote location while continuing to meet the present and future needs of navigation.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a permanent regulated navigation area (RNA) on a portion of Elliott Bay in Seattle, Washington. The RNA would protect the seabed in portions of the bay that are subject to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Pacific Sound Resources (PSR) and Lockheed Shipyard superfund cleanup remediation efforts. This RNA would prohibit activities that would disturb the seabed, such as anchoring, dragging, trawling, spudding or other activities that involve disrupting the integrity of the sediment caps that cover the superfund sites. It will not affect transit or navigation of the area.

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 public to cross the bridge to participate in the scheduled San Francisco Marathon, a community event. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to- navigation position during the deviation period.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the Houma Navigation Canal, from Waterway Mile Markers 19.0 to 20.0, Southwest of Bayou Plat, bank to bank, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. This temporary safety zone is needed to protect the general public, vessels and tows from destruction, loss or injury due to the installation of flood control structures/barriers. Vessels and tows transiting this zone transiting the specified water are required to proceed at slowest safe speed to minimize wake. If necessary, entry into, transit through, mooring, or anchoring within the safety zone during time of enforcement may be prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, Morgan City or designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes to implement fixed and moving security zones around High Capacity Passenger Vessels (HCPVs) and vessels carrying Certain Dangerous Cargo (CDC) while they are being escorted in the navigable waters of the Captain of the Port (COTP), Sector Ohio Valley Zone. As used in this section, HCPVs are defined as any commercial vessel carrying 500 or more passengers and CDC is defined in 33 CFR 160.204. The proposed security zones would control the movement of vessels within 50 yards of a HCPV or vessel carrying a CDC. These security zones would mitigate potential terrorist acts and would enhance public and maritime safety and security.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish 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 would be 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 will establish a temporary special local regulation for the annual Port Huron to Mackinac Island Sail Race. This action is necessary to safely control vessel movements in the vicinity of the race's starting point and to provide for the safety of the general boating public and commercial shipping. No person or vessel may enter the regulated area without the permission of the Ninth District Commander or the Coast Guard Patrol Commander (PATCOM).

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation in 33 CFR 117.478(b) governing the operation of the LA 77 bridge across the Lower Grand River, mile 47.0 (Alternate Route) at Grosse Tete, Iberville Parish, Louisiana. This deviation allows the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to maintain the bridge in the closed-to-navigation position from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20, 2011. At all others times, the bridge will operate normally for the passage of vessels. This temporary deviation was issued to allow for the repairs to the main girder of the bridge.

The Coast Guard is proposing to change the operating schedule for the State Route 433 (S433) bridge across Liberty Bayou, mile 2.0, at Slidell, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. The proposed rule provides for an opening upon one-hour notice from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., allowing the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, owner of the bridge, to reduce the hours of manned operation of the bridge in order to make more efficient use of personnel and operating resources. This Supplemental Notice follows a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published in the Federal Register [USCG-2010-0972] on November 22, 2010 (75 FR 71061).

The Coast Guard will enforce the Special Local Regulation for the Columbia Unlimited Hydroplane Races. This regulation which restricts navigation and anchorage on the Columbia River for six days at the end of July. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of the vessels involved in the Annual Kennewick, Washington, Columbia Unlimited Hydroplane Races (Water Follies). During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may operate their vessels in this area without permission from the on scene Patrol Commander.

The Coast Guard is establishing Special Local Regulations for ``The Crystal Coast Grand Prix'' powerboat race, to be held on the waters of Bogue Sound, adjacent to Morehead City, North Carolina. This Special Local Regulation is necessary to protect spectators and vessels from hazards associated with powerboat races. This regulation will close a portion of the waters of Bogue Sound to vessel traffic during the boat race.

The Coast Guard announces the availability of, and seeks comments on, the application for recertification submitted by the Cook Inlet Regional Citizen's Advisory Council (CIRCAC) for September 1, 2011, through August 31, 2012. Under the Oil Terminal and Tanker Environmental Oversight Act of 1990, the Coast Guard may certify on an annual basis, an alternative voluntary advisory group in lieu of a Regional Citizens' Advisory Council for Cook Inlet, Alaska. This advisory group monitors the activities of terminal facilities and crude oil tankers under the Cook Inlet program established by the statute. The current certification for CIRCAC will expire August 31, 2011.

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 alteration of the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railroad Drawbridge.

The Coast Guard will enforce this safety zone for annual fireworks events in the Captain of the Port Sector Lake Michigan zone at various times from 10 p.m. on July 21, 2011 through 11 p.m. on July 30, 2011 and then again from 10:15 p.m. through 11 p.m. on August 21, 2011. This action is necessary and intended to ensure safety of life on the navigable waters immediately prior to, during, and immediately after fireworks events. During the aforementioned periods, the Coast Guard will enforce restrictions upon, and control movement of, vessels in a specified. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter these safety zones without permission of the Captain of the Port, Sector Lake Michigan.

The Coast Guard's Office of Port and Facility Activities (CG- 544) is sponsoring information and listening sessions in St. Louis, MO and Houston, TX to discuss the progress and development of a CDC Security National Strategy to reduce risks associated with the transport, transfer, and storage of Certain Dangerous Cargo (CDC) in bulk within the U.S. Marine Transportation System. These sessions will be open to the public.

The Coast Guard is establishing security zones around cruise ships in the Southeastern New England Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone. This final rule creates a 100-yard radius security zone encompassing all navigable waters around any cruise ship anchored or moored, and 200-yard radius security zone encompassing all navigable waters around any cruise ship underway that is being escorted by Coast Guard or law enforcement agencies assisting the Coast Guard. These zones are needed to protect cruise ships and the public from destruction, loss, or injury from sabotage, subversive acts, or other malicious acts of a similar nature. Persons or vessels may not enter these security zones without permission of the COTP or a COTP designated representative.