Coast Guard September 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing special local regulations on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of Clearwater, Florida during the Clearwater Super Boat National Championship Race. The race is scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 30, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Approximately 35 boats ranging in length from 24 feet to 50 feet traveling at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour are expected to participate. Additionally, it is anticipated that 400 spectators will be present along the race course. The special local regulation is necessary to protect the safety of race participants, participant vessels, spectators, and the general public on the navigable waters of the United States during the event. The special local regulation will temporarily restrict vessel traffic in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of Clearwater, Florida. The special local regulation will establish the following three 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 through, anchoring in, or remaining within; 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 through, anchoring in, or remaining within; and a spectator area, where all vessels must be anchored or operate at No Wake Speed.

The Coast Guard is establishing three temporary safety zones within Sector Boston's Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone for the drilling, blasting, and dredging operation on the navigable waters of Boston Inner Harbor, in the main ship channel near Castle Island. These temporary safety zones are necessary to enhance navigation, vessel safety, marine environmental protection, and provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters during the drilling, blasting and dredging operations in support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rock removal project. Entering into, transiting through, mooring or anchoring within these safety zones is prohibited unless authorized by the COTP or the designated on-scene representative.

The Coast Guard announces the availability of CG-ENG Policy Letter 04-12, ``Alternative Pressure Relief Valve Settings on Vessels Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk in Independent Type B and Type C Tanks.'' Existing Coast Guard regulations regarding the allowable stress factors for type B and type C independent cargo tanks are more stringent than the International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards for such cargo tanks. Materials, manufacturing, and inspections have advanced since the Coast Guard first promulgated regulations on allowable stress factors on May 3, 1979. CG-ENG Policy Letter 04-12 establishes that for certain type B and type C independent cargo tanks that are designed and manufactured using advanced techniques, the IMO standards for allowable stress factors provide a level of safety protection equivalent to the standards in 46 CFR 154.447 and 46 CFR 154.450.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone around vessels involved in a Coast Guard Ready for Operations exercise in Hood Canal, WA that will take place between Oct 16, 2012 and Oct 18, 2012. A safety zone is necessary to ensure the safety of the maritime public during the exercise and will do so by prohibiting any person or vessel from entering or remaining in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) or his Designated Representative.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Metro North (Peck) Bridge across the Pequonnock River, mile 0.3, at Bridgeport, Connecticut. The deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position to facilitate electrical repairs.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Broadway Bridge across the Willamette River, mile 11.7, at Portland, OR. This deviation is necessary to accommodate the running of the Portland Marathon. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the down or closed position during the marathon.

The Coast Guard will enforce the safety zone for the Fleet Week Fireworks in the Captain of the Port, San Francisco area of responsibility during the dates and times noted below. This action is necessary to protect life and property of the maritime public from the hazards associated with the fireworks display. During the enforcement period, unauthorized persons or vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or anchoring in the safety zone, unless authorized by the Patrol Commander (PATCOM).

The Coast Guard proposes to extend a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of mariners on navigable waters during maintenance of the NC 58 Fixed Bridge crossing the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 226, at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The safety zone extension would temporarily restrict vessel movement within the designated area starting on December 12, 2012 through February 14, 2013.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Bridge across the Lake Washington Ship Canal, mile 0.1, at Seattle, WA. This deviation is necessary to facilitate heavy maintenance on the bridge including replacing operating strut guides on the bascule span. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the down or closed position during the maintenance period.

The Coast Guard is adding a regulation to govern the Louisiana and Delta Railroad (LDRR) vertical lift bridge across Carlin Bayou in Delcambre, Iberia Parish, Louisiana. The bridge currently remains in the open-to-navigation position and only lowers for the passage of trains. This rule codifies the current schedule as a special operating regulation.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the operation of the draws of three bridges which operate as one unit, specifically, the S71 bridge, mile 0.8, the railroad bridge, mile 0.9, and the S35 bridge, mile 0.9, all of which are across the Shark River (South Channel), at Avon Township, NJ. This deviation is necessary to facilitate stringer replacement on the Shark River railroad bridge. This temporary deviation will allow the drawbridges, which operate in unison, to remain in the closed-to- navigation position on specific dates and times.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone while the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Squadron conducts aerobatic performances over Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. This safety zone encompasses a small area of the Kane'ohe Bay Naval Defensive Sea Area, including an area that extends approximately 150 yards northeast and 250 yards southwest of the Defensive Sea Area. This safety zone extends from the surface of the water to the ocean floor. This safety zone is necessary to protect watercraft and the general public from hazards associated with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels aircraft low flying, high powered jet aerobatics over open waters. Vessels desiring to transit through the zone can request permission by contacting the Honolulu Captain of the Port at telephone number 808- 842-2600.

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 at Oxon Hill in Prince Georges County, Maryland. This safety zone is intended to protect the maritime public in a portion of the Potomac River.

The U. S. Coast Guard is making available an interim report issued by the Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study (ACPARS) workgroup. The interim report provides status of the workgroup efforts and the remaining requirements to complete the study. The Coast Guard welcomes comments on the interim report or submission of additional information for consideration by the workgroup.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a permanent security zone on the waters of the East River and Bronx Kill, in the vicinity of Randalls and Wards Islands, New York; revise the description of the Wall Street Heliport security zone on the East River, New York; and clarify the enforcement times and locations of the security zones that are located near the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York, as set forth in 33 CFR 165.164(a)(4) and (a)(5). This action is necessary to protect visiting dignitaries and the Port of New York/New Jersey against terrorism, sabotage or other subversive acts and incidents of a similar nature during the dignitaries' visit to New York City. The zones are intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the East River and Bronx Kill when public officials are scheduled to arrive and depart the area. Persons or vessels would not be allowed to enter these security zones without permission from the Captain of the Port New York (COTP) or the COTP's designated on-scene representative.

On June 13, 2012, the Coast Guard published in the Federal Register an announcement of effective date that announced an information collection approval for the Standards for Living Organisms in Ships' Ballast Water Discharged in U.S. Waters (BWDS) Final Rule (77 FR 35268). The rulemaking triggered new information collection requirements affecting vessel owners and their potential requests for an extension of the compliance date if they cannot practicably comply with the compliance date otherwise applicable to their vessels. The June 13, 2012, document announced that the request to revise the existing collection of information to add the new request for an extension provision was approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and may now be enforced. The OMB control number is 1625-0069. The approval for this collection of information expires on May 31, 2015. In the June 13, 2012, document, the Coast Guard inadvertently failed to indicate that we received public submissions to the BWDS Final Rule (77 FR 17254). The Coast Guard is now publishing a document to advise the public that we received four public submissions to this collection of information. As the four public submissions were not collection of information-related, we did not revise our collection of information estimates. You may view copies of the public submissions and the Coast Guard responses to them in the BWDS docket online by going to https://www.regulations.gov, inserting USCG-2001-10486 in the ``Keyword'' box, and then clicking ``Search.'' A corrected information collection request package has been submitted to OMB for their review. The current 1625-0069 approval by OMB is still effective. If OMB decides to amend the current 1625-0069 approval, a copy of that decision will be placed in the docket.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Loop Parkway Bridge, mile 0.7, across Long Creek, and the Meadowbrook Parkway Bridge, mile 12.8, across Sloop Channel, at Hempstead, New York. This deviation is necessary to facilitate the 2012 March of Dimes Motorcycle Run. The deviation allows the two bridges listed above to remain in the closed position during this public event.

The Coast Guard proposes establishing a permanent Special Local Regulation on the Maumee River, Toledo, Ohio. This regulation is intended to regulate vessel movement in portions of the Maumee River during the annual Dragon Boat Races. This special local regulated area is necessary to protect race participants from other vessel traffic.

The Coast Guard will enforce the Special Local Regulation, Hydroplane Races within the Captain of the Port Puget Sound Area of Responsibility for the 2012 Fall Championship hydroplane event in Lake Sammamish, WA from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. each day from September 28, 2012 through September 30, 2012. This action is necessary to restrict vessel movement in the vicinity of the race courses thereby ensuring the safety of participants and spectators during these events. During the enforcement period non-participant vessels are prohibited from entering the designated race areas. Spectator craft entering, exiting or moving within the spectator area must operate at speeds which will create a minimum wake.

The Coast Guard is seeking public comment regarding criteria for granting medical waivers to mariners who have anti-tachycardia devices or implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). Current Coast Guard guidance found in Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular 04-08, Medical and Physical Evaluation Guidelines for Merchant Mariner Credentials (NVIC 04-08), states that anti-tachycardia devices or ICDs are generally not waiverable. The Coast Guard is considering changing that policy. Prior to issuing a policy change on whether to grant waivers for anti-tachycardia devices or ICDs and the criteria for such waivers, the Coast Guard will accept comments from the public on whether the proposed criteria would adequately address safety concerns regarding merchant mariners with ICDs.

The Coast Guard will establish a temporary safety zone on the Cuyahoga River, Cleveland, OH. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Cuyahoga River during the Head of the Cuyahoga, the U.S. Rowing Masters Head Race International Championship, and the Cleveland Dragon Boat Festival. This safety zone is necessary to protect spectators, participants, and vessels from the hazards associated with rowing regattas.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone for sailing regattas to be conducted on the waters of San Francisco Bay adjacent to the City of San Francisco waterfront in the vicinity of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. This rule will regulate the on-water activities associated with 2012 America's Cup World Series regattas scheduled for October 2-3, 2012. This safety zone is established to ensure the safety of mariners transiting the area from the dangers associated with the sailing events. 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 Coast Guard proposes to establish a special anchorage area in Stockton Springs, Maine. This proposed action is necessary to facilitate safe navigation in that area and provide safe and secure anchorages for vessels not more than 20 meters in length. This action is intended to increase the safety of life and property in Stockton Springs, improve the safety of anchored vessels, and provide for the overall safe and efficient flow of vessel traffic and commerce.

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 an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0071, Boat Owner's Report, Possible Safety Defect. 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 United States Coast Guard announces that it will impose conditions of entry on vessels arriving from the country of the Republic of Yemen, with the exception of vessels arriving from the Ash Shihr Terminal, the Balhalf LNG Terminal, and the Port of Hodeidah.