Coast Guard April 13, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is withdrawing its correction published on March 29, 2012, to a direct final rule published on December 14, 2011 and withdrawn on April 6, 2012. The correction was published to correct an inadvertent transposition in the titles of two tables in our amendatory instructions and to publish vessel inspection tables in their entirety so that the format of the tables would be consistent with current Federal Register format requirements. The direct final rule was withdrawn on April 6, 2012, because we received two adverse comments and the direct final rule will not become effective as scheduled. Therefore, we must also withdraw the vessel inspection tables published as part of the correction because they are not consistent with the current regulatory text.

The Coast Guard is establishing four separate security zones on both the waters and waterfront area of Chicago Harbor and the Chicago River. These temporary security zones are intended to restrict vessels, regardless of the mode of propulsion, and people from certain land and water areas in Chicago Harbor and the Chicago River during the NATO Summit and associated events, which will be held in Chicago from May 16, 2012, through May 24, 2012. These security zones are necessary to protect visiting government officials and dignitaries from the potential dangers associated with a large scale, international political event.

The Commander, Seventh Coast Guard District, has issued temporary deviations from the regulations governing the operation of the following two bridges that span across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in Fort Lauderdale, Florida: The East Sunrise Boulevard (SR 838) Bridge, mile 1062.6; and the East Las Olas Bridge, mile 1064. The deviations are necessary due to the high volume of vessel and vehicle traffic anticipated during the Lauderdale Air Show. With the exception of opening for passage of public vessels of the United States, vessels in distress, and tugs with tows, the bridges will not open in the evening during during the Lauderdale Air Show.

The Coast Guard is temporarily changing the enforcement periods of three permanent safety zone regulations for recurring air and water shows that occur within the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan zone. These regulations apply to only the enforcement periods of three recurring Air and Water Shows. These safety zones are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during these potentially dangerous events. This action is intended to notify the public about the temporary changes to the published enforcement periods for these three events.