Coast Guard 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary, 500-yard radius, moving security zone for a certain vessel carrying Certain Dangerous Cargoes (CDC) within the Corpus Christi Ship Channel and La Quinta Channel. The temporary security zone is needed to protect the vessels, the CDC cargo, and the surrounding waterway. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Corpus Christi or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is amending the operating schedule that governs the Tayco Street Bridge, mile 37.52, the Main Street Bridge, mile 55.97, the Jackson Street Bridge, mile 56.22, the Wisconsin Street Bridge, mile 56.72, and the Congress Avenue Bridge, mile 58.01, all over the Fox River near Oshkosh, Wisconsin. This rule will allow the bridges to operate remotely and will not change the operating schedule of the bridge. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) requested the change.

The Coast Guard is issuing this final rule to adjust the limits of liability for vessels, deepwater ports, and onshore facilities under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), as amended, to reflect the increase in the Consumer Price Index since they were last adjusted in 2019. These regulatory inflation increases to the limits of liability are required by OPA 90 and are necessary to preserve the deterrent effect and ``polluter pays'' principle embodied in the Act. This update promotes the Coast Guard's missions of maritime safety and stewardship.

The Coast Guard will enforce a safety zone for the Crescent City Countdown Club/New Year's Celebration fireworks display, from December 31, 2022 at 11:30 p.m. through January 1, 2023 at 12:30 a.m., to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waterways during this event. Our regulation for annual fireworks displays and other events in the Eighth Coast Guard District identifies this safety zone on Mississippi River mile marker (MM) 93.5-96.5, New Orleans, LA. During the enforcement period, entry into this zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or designated representative.

The Coast Guard will enforce the safety zone in the navigable waters of the San Francisco Bay near the Ferry Plaza in San Francisco, CA for the San Francisco New Year's Eve 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 personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from the dangers associated with pyrotechnics. During the enforcement period, unauthorized persons or vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting through, or remaining 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.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for certain navigable waters within the Detroit River, Detroit, MI. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards during a fireworks event. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Detroit.

The Coast Guard will enforce the safety zone in the navigable waters of Suisun Bay, off Concord, CA, in support of explosive on- loading to Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO) from December 11, 2022, through December 15, 2022. This safety zone is necessary to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential explosion within the explosive arc. The safety zone is open to all persons and vessels for transitory use, but vessel operators desiring to anchor or otherwise loiter within the safety zone must obtain the permission of the Captain of the Port San Francisco or a designated representative. All persons and vessels operating within the safety zone must comply with all directions given to them by the Captain of the Port San Francisco or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes to further delay the effective date for certain facilities affected by the final rule entitled ``Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)Reader Requirements,'' published in the Federal Register on August 23, 2016. The current effective date for the final rule is May 8, 2023. The Coast Guard proposes delaying the effective date for: facilities that handle certain dangerous cargoes in bulk, but do not transfer those cargoes to or from a vessel; facilities that handle certain dangerous cargoes in bulk, and do transfer those cargoes to or from a vessel; and facilities that receive vessels carrying certain dangerous cargoes in bulk, but do not, during that vessel-to-facility interface, transfer those bulk cargoes to or from those vessels. Specifically, we propose to delay the effective date for these facilities for 3 years from the original delay expiration date of May 8, 2023 to May 8, 2026, but invite comments as well on possibly extending the delay through as late as May 8, 2029. This delay will give the Coast Guard time to further analyze the potential effectiveness of the reader requirement in general as well as at these facilities.

This notice requests individuals interested in serving on the New Orleans Area Maritime Security Advisory Committee (AMSC) submit their applications for membership to the Captain of the Port (COTP) Sector New Orleans.

The Coast Guard is publishing this notice to satisfy a requirement of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that requires a detailed accounting of the projects, programs, and activities funded under the national recreational boating safety program provision of the Act be published annually in the Federal Register. This notice specifies the funding amounts the Coast Guard has committed, obligated, or expended during fiscal year 2022, as of September 30, 2022.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters directly surrounding the northern half of the I-75 Bridge over the Maumee River. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by demolition of the bridge. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Detroit.

The Coast Guard will enforce a special local regulation to provide for the safety and security of certain navigable waterways during the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade. Our regulation for marine events within the Captain of the Port Miami identifies the regulated area for this event in Fort Lauderdale, FL. All non-participant persons and vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting, anchoring, or remaining within the regulated area during the enforcement period unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Miami or a designated representative. The operator of any vessel in the regulated area must comply with instructions from the Coast Guard or designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound near Hobucken, North Carolina. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters near Hobucken, NC, during a military exercise on December 7, 2022. This rule will prohibit all persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector North Carolina or a designated representative.

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: 1625-0041, Various International Agreement Pollution Prevention Certificates and Documents, and Equivalency Certificates; 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 will enforce the safety zone for SPI New Year's Eve fireworks Display Show on December 31, 2022, to provide for the safety of persons, vessels, and the marine environment on navigable waterways during this event. Our regulation for marine events within the Eighth Coast Guard District identifies the safety zone for this event in South Padre Island, TX. During the enforcement periods, entry into this zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Corpus Christi (COTP) or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is extending the period of a temporary safety zone on the upper reaches of Taylor Bayou Turning Basin in Port Arthur, TX. This action is necessary to provide protection to the levee protection wall located at the north end of the turning basin until permanent repairs can be effected. This rule prohibits persons and vessels from entering the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all navigable waters of Laguna Madre within a 700-foot radius of a fireworks barge launching fireworks in South Padre Island, Texas. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by the fireworks display. Entry of vessels or persons into this temporary zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Corpus Christi or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is extending the comment period by two weeks for the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the proposed Expansion and Modernization of Base Seattle. Notice of Availability of the Draft PEIS was published on October 11, 2022 to invite public comments on the Draft PEIS. We are extending the comment period through December 16, 2022.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters of Bahia de San Juan, within a 200-yard radius of the tug MICHELE FOSS and barge FOSS PREVAILING WIND. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by the movement and berthing of two port facility cranes transiting inbound to Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) piers M, N and O, through Bahia de San Juan's main navigational channels. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector San Juan.

The Coast Guard is temporarily modifying the operating schedule that governs the SR223 (Gwynn's Island) Bridge, across Milford Haven, mile 0.1, at Hudgins, Virginia. The temporary modification will allow the drawbridge to be maintained in the closed-to-navigation position and is necessary to accommodate bridge maintenance.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the Ohio River mile marker 0.3-1.5. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters during drilling operations from November 28, 2022 until December 3, 2022. This rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone, create a slow speed/no wake zone and limit commercial traffic to one way passing unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Pittsburgh or a designated representative. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel and vessels from potential hazards created by working in the Ohio River channel.

The U.S. Coast Guard is accepting applications to fill two vacancies on the National Boating Safety Advisory Committee (Committee). This Committee advises the Secretary of Homeland Security, via the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, on matters relating to national recreational boating safety.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all navigable waters of the Corpus Christi Shipping Channel in a zone defined by the following coordinates: 27[deg]48'55.07'' N, 97[deg]13'15.94'' W; 27[deg]48'54.99'' N, 97[deg]13'6.74'' W; 27[deg]48'44.46'' N, 97[deg]13'6.86'' W; 27[deg]48'44.54'' N, 97[deg]13'16.06'' W. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by pipelines that will be removed from the floor of the Corpus Christi Shipping Channel. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Corpus Christi or a designated representative.

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: 1625-0027, Vessel Documentation; 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 is updating the type approval requirements for certain types of equipment that survival craft are required to carry on U.S.-flagged vessels. This rule will remove Coast Guard type approval requirements for nine of these types of survival craft equipment and replace them with the requirement that the manufacturer self-certify that the equipment complies with a consensus standard.