Coast Guard December 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard has set the calendar year 2020 minimum random drug testing rate at 50 percent of covered crewmembers.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the Captain of the Port, Sault Sainte Marie zone in Mackinac City, MI. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect the public and private contractors from potential hazards associated with remotely operated underwater vehicle operations in the Straits of Mackinac. During the effective dates of the rule, vessels will not be able to operate in certain U.S. navigable waters in the Straits of Mackinac within 500 yards of the Tug Nancy Anne and Deck Barge MM-142 without authorization from the Captain of the Port.

The Coast Guard is modifying the operating schedule that governs the S156 Bridge across the Niantic River, mile 0.1 at Niantic, CT. The bridge owner, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, submitted a request to allow six hours notice for night time transits during the months of November and April due to infrequent bridge openings. This final rule will approve the request and align the regulations for the S156 Bridge with other Connecticut Department of Transportation Bridges.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the navigable waters, from the surface to seabed, within a 150 yard radius of the fireworks launching point located at Sea Otter Park in position 61[deg]07'22'' North and 146[deg]21'13'' West in the vicinity of the mouth of the Small Boat Harbor, Port of Valdez, Alaska, to limit access for the duration of the New Year's fireworks display. The purpose of the safety zone is to ensure the safety of mariners and vessels during the fireworks display.

The Coast Guard is proposing to modify operations for the Kansas City Southern Railroad Drawbridge across the Illinois Waterway at Mile 43.2 near Pearl, Illinois by designating it as a remotely operated drawbridge. This proposed action is intended to maintain navigational safety while increasing operational efficiency of the Kansas City Southern Railroad Drawbridge. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is proposing to modify the operating schedules that govern the Route 1 & 9 Bridge, mile 1.8, and Route 7 Bridge, mile 3.1, both crossing the Hackensack River, at Jersey City, NJ. The bridge owner, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), submitted a request to allow two hours advance notice for nighttime transits due to infrequent bridge openings. This proposed rule would align the advance notice requirement for the PATH Bridge at mile 3.0.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for certain waters of the Tongass Narrows. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on all navigable waters of the Tongass Narrows, from shoreline to shoreline, within a 500-yard radius of the Pinnacle Rock before, during, and after the scheduled operation between December 16, 2019 and January 31, 2020. This temporary final rule prohibits persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Southeast Alaska or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a temporary safety zone for certain waters in Isle of Wight Bay. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of personnel and vessels at and immediately adjacent to the Harry W. Kelley Memorial (US-50) Bridge during submarine electrical cable replacement operations which will occur from January 27, 2020, through February 3, 2020, daily from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port MarylandNational Capital Region or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing two temporary safety zones on the navigable waters of the Cape Fear River at the Isabel Holmes Bridge in Wilmington, North Carolina. These temporary safety zones are intended to restrict vessel traffic on the Cape Fear River from December 15, 2019, through February 15, 2020, while work crews repair the bridge and replace power cables crossing under the river. This rule prohibits vessels or persons from being in the safety zones unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) North Carolina or a designated representative.

The Board for Correction of Military Records of the Coast Guard (BCMR) is updating its mailing address in the Code of Federal Regulations. On April 29, 2019 the BCMR moved from 245 Murray Lane, Washington, DC 20528 to 2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20528. This rule only updates the BCMR's mailing address for submitting an application for correction of a Coast Guard record and does not create or change any substantive requirements.

The Coast Guard is temporarily changing the enforcement period of a special local regulation for a recurring marine event in the Seventh Coast Guard District and adding a temporary safety zone for this event. These regulations apply to the St. Croix Christmas Boat Parade and Fireworks Display in the vicinity of Protestant Cay in St. Croix, USVI, which will take place this year on December 14, 2019. The temporary special local regulation and temporary safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from the boat parade and fireworks display. Entry of vessels or persons into this regulated area is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port San Juan.

The Coast Guard will enforce the Penn's Landing, Delaware River, Philadelphia, PA, safety zone from 5:45 p.m. through 6:30 p.m. on December 31, 2019, and from 11:45 p.m. on December 31, 2019, through 12:30 a.m. on January 1, 2020. This is to ensure safety of life on the navigable waters of the United States immediately prior to, during, and immediately after the fireworks displays. Our regulation for safety zones of fireworks displays in the Fifth Coast Guard District identifies the area for this event at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia, PA. During the enforcement periods vessels may not enter, remain in, or transit through the safety zones unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or on scene designated Coast Guard patrol personnel.

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 an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0118, Various International Agreement Certificates and Documents; without change. Our ICR 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.

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 an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0079, Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1995, 1997, and 2010 Amendments to the International Convention; without change. Our ICR 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.