Coast Guard December 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all navigable waters from mile marker (MM) 229.5 to MM 230.5 Above Head of Passes on the Lower Mississippi River. This temporary safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters near downtown, Baton Rouge, LA, during a fireworks display on December 31, 2017. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector New Orleans or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the SR 401 Drawbridges, mile 5.5 at Port Canaveral, Florida. The deviation is necessary to reduce vehicular traffic congestion and to ensure the safety of roadways while passengers are transiting to and from the cruise ship terminals. Since the arrival of additional cruise ships to the Port of Canaveral, massive traffic back-ups have been caused by the on demand drawbridge openings. This deviation allows the bridges to not open to navigation during prime cruise ship passenger loading and unloading times on Saturdays and Sundays.

The U.S. Coast Guard seeks applications for membership on the Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee. The Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee provides advice and makes recommendations to the Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security on various matters relating to the safe operation of commercial fishing industry vessels. Both positions were previously advertised under Docket No. USCG-2017-0829 but no applications for either of the two positions were received.

The Coast Guard has modified a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the US 64/Alligator River Bridge which carries US 64 over the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW), Alligator River, mile 84.2, near Columbia, NC. The deviation is necessary to facilitate bridge maintenance. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the US1 Bridge across the Merrimack River, mile 3.4, at Newburyport, MA. The deviation is necessary to replace the electrical power and control systems which are at the end of their life cycle. This deviation allows the bridge to be closed to navigation.

This notice announces proposed changes to the 2016 PREP Guidelines and solicits public comment to the proposed changes. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is publishing this notice on behalf of the Preparedness for Response Exercise Program Compliance, Coordination, and Consistency Committee (PREP 4C). The PREP 4C includes representatives from the USCG under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) under the Department of Transportation (DOT); and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) under the Department of the Interior (DOI).

This document provides notice of substantive rules issued by the Coast Guard that were made temporarily effective but expired before they could be published in the Federal Register. This notice lists temporary safety zones, security zones, special local regulations, drawbridge operation regulations and regulated navigation areas, all of limited duration and for which timely publication in the Federal Register was not possible.

The Coast Guard is modifying the operating schedule that governs the Beach Lane Bridge across Quantuck Canal, mile 1.1, at Westhampton Beach, New York. This action is necessary to allow for an unexpected delay in the rehabilitation of the bascule leaves and painting of the bridge. A temporary deviation was previously granted for a length of 180 days. As the Coast Guard may not approve extensions beyond that allotted timeframe nor approve back-to-back or sequential deviations, it is necessary to issue this rule in order to allow the bridge owner to complete the remaining work items.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the California Department of Transportation Highway and Bicycle drawbridges across San Leandro Bay, mile 0.0 and mile 0.1, between Alameda and Bay Farm Island, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow the bridge owner to perform major rehabilitation and maintenance. This deviation allows the bridges to remain in the closed-to-navigation position during the deviation period.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Tower Drawbridge across the Sacramento River, mile 59.0, at Sacramento, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow the community to participate in the New Year's Eve Sky Spectacular fireworks show. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position during the deviation period.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge across the Newark Bay, mile 4.3, at Newark, New Jersey. The deviation is necessary to test a change to the drawbridge operation schedule to determine whether a permanent change to the schedule is needed. This deviation allows the Lehigh Valley RR Bridge to operate under an alternate schedule for ninety (90) days to alleviate high volume of rail service across the Lehigh Valley RR Bridge and to better accommodate vessel traffic.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the SR 171/700 (Wappoo Cut) Bridge across Wappoo Creek (AICW), mile 470.8, at Charleston, SC. This proposed action would eliminate the seasonal operating schedules and adjust the daily schedule due to an increase in vehicle traffic throughout the year. This proposed action is intended to reduce vehicular traffic congestion and provide a more consistent operating schedule for the bridge.

This interim rule modifies and extends the effective period of the existing temporary safety zone encompassing all navigable waters within a 250-yard radius of Commerce Construction vessels and machinery conducting diving and pipeline removal operations in the Delaware River, in the vicinity of Anchorage 7, near Marcus Hook, PA. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by diving and pipeline removal operations. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Delaware Bay. We invite your comments on this rulemaking.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the Military Street Bridge, mile 0.33, the Seventh Street Bridge, mile 0.50, the Tenth Street Bridge, mile 0.94, and the Canadian National Railroad Bridge, mile 1.56, across the Black River at Port Huron, MI. The City of Port Huron requested the winter hours to be expanded for City-operated highway bridges. We have reviewed the regulation in its entirety because the current regulation is approximately 30 years old, use of the waterway has substantially changed, and the current language and conditions in the regulation are difficult to follow and understand.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all navigable waters on the Lower Mississippi River from mile marker (MM) 95.7 to MM 96.7, Above Head of Passes. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by a fireworks display. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector New Orleans (COTP). We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary safety zone for the navigable waters of the Lower Mississippi River between mile marker (MM) 94 and MM 95, above Head of Passes. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters near New Orleans, LA, during a fireworks display on April 22, 2018. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from entering the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector New Orleans (COTP) or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all navigable waters on the Ohio River from mile marker (MM) 326.5 to MM 327.5. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with the demolition of the Ironton-Russell Bridge. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Ohio Valley (COTP) or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard has established a temporary safety zone for certain waters within the Sector Key West Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone. Vessels are prohibited from entering into, anchoring, loitering, or movement within a safety zone around salvage or pollution removal vessels in the Florida Keys. These temporary regulations are necessary for the safety of persons, vessels, and property due to the large volume of debris, sunken vessels and salvage operations associated with Hurricane Irma. We invite your comments on this rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is re-opening the comment period for its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), which published on June 30, 2017. The Coast Guard is proposing to change the regulation governing the DELAIR Memorial Railroad Bridge across the Delaware River, mile 104.6, at Pennsauken Township, NJ. Because the bridge owner implemented new polices and training that was not fully evaluated during the previous test deviation, the Coast Guard is providing an additional opportunity for public comment.

On October 10, 2017, the commercial fishing vessel PACIFIC PARADISE ran aground approximately 400 yards southwest of Kaimana Beach, in the navigable waters of Mamala Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. The Coast Guard established a temporary safety zone extending 500 yards in all directions around the grounded vessel to facilitate vessel salvage operations. To date, the vessel remains aground. Accordingly, effective December 1, 2017, the Coast Guard hereby extends the temporary safety zone for an additional thirty days to facilitate ongoing salvage and subsequent removal operations. The extension of this temporary safety zone is necessary to protect personnel, vessels and the marine environmental from potential hazards associated with ongoing operations to salvage and remove a grounded vessel in this area. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Honolulu.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the S168/Great Bridge bridge, which carries SR168 (Battlefield Boulevard South) over the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW), Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, mile 12.0, at Chesapeake, VA. The deviation is necessary to facilitate the Annual Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position.