Coast Guard October 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (Committee) and its Working Groups will meet in Piney Point, MD, to discuss issues relating to personnel in the United States Merchant Marine including the training, qualifications, certification, documentation, and fitness of mariners.

The Coast Guard is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on October 22, 2021. The document issued a final rule that amended fire extinguishing equipment regulations for recreational vessels that are propelled or controlled by propulsion machinery.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters of the Ohio River from mile marker 145-151 for safety concerns regarding an unknown, possibly explosive device found on a barge. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with the reported device. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Ohio Valley.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary special local regulation on the waters of the Wando River, Cooper River, Charleston Harbor, and Ashley River in Charleston, SC. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the Swim Around Charleston. This rulemaking would restrict persons and vessels from entering certain waters of the Wando River, Cooper River, Charleston Harbor, and Ashley River, unless authorized by Sector Charleston Captain of the Port or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is changing the operating schedule that governs the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railroad Bridge across the New River, mile 2.5, at Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This change will allow the drawbridge to operate on a more predictable schedule. This action should better serve the reasonable needs of both vessel and rail traffic.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the navigable waters in the vicinity of the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego Bay, San Diego, CA, during the launch of the USNS Harvey Milk. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with the launching and subsequent berthing of the USNS Harvey Milk. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port San Diego.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the operating schedule that governs the California Department of Transportation (Route 4) highway bridge, across Old River, mile 14.8, between Victoria Island and Byron Tract, California. This action is proposed due to the infrequent amount of vessels requiring drawbridge openings on the waterway and will reduce unnecessary staffing of the drawbridge during periods of navigational inactivity while continuing to meet the reasonable needs of navigation. The proposed rulemaking would require vessels to provide a four-hour advance notification for a bridge opening. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard announces the completion of the Port Access Route Study for the Approaches to the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. The study was conducted to determine whether to recommend changes to enhance navigational safety by examining existing shipping routes and waterway uses as offshore energy development matures and to evaluate the need for establishing or changing existing vessel routing measures. This notice summarizes the study's recommendation.

The Coast Guard is amending fire extinguishing equipment regulations for recreational vessels that are propelled or controlled by propulsion machinery. This rule relieves owners of these recreational vessels from certain inspection, maintenance, and recordkeeping requirements that are more suited for commercial vessels. To make it easier to find these regulations, this rule also relocates the regulations to another part of the Code of Federal Regulations.

The Coast Guard announces the recertification of the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens' Advisory Council (CIRCAC) as an alternative voluntary advisory group for Cook Inlet, Alaska. This certification allows the CIRCAC to monitor the activities of terminal facilities and crude oil tankers under the Cook Inlet Program established by the Oil Terminal and Oil Tanker Environmental Oversight and Monitoring Act of 1990.

The Coast Guard proposes to incorporate by reference updated marine engineering standards and eliminate outdated or unnecessarily prescriptive regulations in Title 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) subchapter F. This proposed rule is part of a continuing effort for regulatory reform that increases compliance options for the regulated public while providing a cost savings to the regulated public and the U.S. government.

In this final rule, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) makes the 2021 annual inflation adjustment to its civil monetary penalties. On November 2, 2015, the President signed into law The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (The 2015 Act). Pursuant to the 2015 Act, all agencies must adjust their civil monetary penalties annually and publish the adjustment in the Federal Register. Accordingly, this final rule adjusts the Department's civil monetary penalties for 2021 pursuant to the 2015 Act and Executive Office of the President (EOP) Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance. The new penalties will be effective for penalties assessed after October 18, 2021 whose associated violations occurred after November 2, 2015.

The Coast Guard will enforce safety zones surrounding vessels involved in Coast Guard training exercises in Hood Canal, WA, from October 25, 2021, through November 5, 2021. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of the maritime public and vessels near training exercises. During the enforcement period, entry into the safety zones is prohibited, unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Puget Sound or their Designated Representative.

The U.S. Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone, within Lake Tahoe in Lake Tahoe, CA, in support of Navy Special Warfare Group (NSWG-1) dive operations. This safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of the divers while performing dive operations and to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by the NSWG-1 on-water training and associated operations. The regulation restricts vessel traffic movement and protects divers from the hazards associated with the operation and vessel traffic. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector San Francisco.

The Coast Guard will enforce the safety zone for the Monte Foundation Fireworks Display 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) or other Federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies on scene to assist the Coast Guard in enforcing the regulated area.

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: 1625-0032, Vessel Inspection Related Forms and Reporting Requirements Under Title 46 U.S. Code; without change. 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 Coast Guard announces the availability of Change 1 to CG- MMC Policy Letter 01-21, Guidelines for Qualifying for STCW Endorsements for Basic and Advanced IGF Code Operations. The Coast Guard will use applicable regulations and this policy to evaluate whether mariners may be issued endorsements for Basic and Advanced IGF Code Operations.

The Coast Guard published a final rule in the Federal Register on August 23, 2021, which was effective on September 22, 2021, announcing changes to the Route 88 (Veterans Memorial) Bridge and Route 13 (Lovelandtown) Bridge across the NJICW at Point Pleasant Canal, mile 3.0 and 3.9, respectively at Point Pleasant, NJ. The amendatory instruction within that final rule was incorrect and the changes could not be incorporated into the CFR. This correcting amendment incorporates those changes into the CFR.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for certain waters of the Columbia River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters near Portland, OR, at Columbia River Mile 105.6 during construction from November 1, 2021 through February 28, 2022. This regulation prohibits persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Columbia River or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for certain navigable waters of the Columbia River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters near Knapp, WA, at Columbia River Mile 95.8. This regulation prohibits persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Columbia River or a designated representative.