Coast Guard 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a temporary safety zone for certain navigable waters of Great Egg Harbor Bay in Ocean City, NJ. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by a barge-based fireworks display. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Delaware Bay. Vessels within the zone prior to the enforcement period must leave the zone before the enforcement period begins. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a temporary safety zone for all navigable waters in the Illinois River at Mile Marker (MM) 162.7 through 163.3. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters near Peoria, IL, during a drone show on June 10, 2023. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Upper Mississippi River or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is activating two safety zones for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Commercial Resupply Service 27 (CRS 27) mission, reentry vehicle splashdown, and recovery operations. These operations will occur in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Our regulation for safety zones in reentry sites within the Seventh Coast Guard District identifies the regulated areas for this event. No U.S.-flagged vessel may enter the safety zones unless authorized by the Captain of the Port St. Petersburg or a designated representative. Foreign-flagged vessels are encouraged to remain outside the safety zones.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone for navigable waters within a 500-yard radius of Tug Valerie B, Tug Nancy Anne, Tug Champion, Tug General and crew boat Timmy V. The security zone is needed to protect the remotely operated vehicle survey operations from other vessels. Entry of vessels into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sault Ste. Marie.

The Coast Guard is amending its Risk Group A facility regulations so that their provisions to implement Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) electronic inspection requirements by May 8, 2023, is changed to May 8, 2026. This will revise our regulations to conform with recently passed legislation. The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Authorization Act) was enacted December 23, 2022. A provision within the Authorization Act directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to not implement TWIC reader regulations for certain facilities before May 8, 2026. This conforming amendment will have no substantive effect. Controlling statutory authority already nullifies the May 8, 2023, implementing dates in our regulations. We note there is a separate ongoing rulemaking to address whether the implementation date should remain May 8, 2026, or be moved to a later date. The Authorization Act was enacted after the Coast Guard published the proposed rule for that separate rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a safety zone on the navigable waters around the Anchor Floating Production Unit (FPU), located in Green Canyon Block 763 on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this proposed rule is to protect the facility from all vessel traffic operating outside the normal shipping channels and fairways that are not providing service to or working with the facility. Establishing a safety zone around the facility will significantly reduce the threat of allisions, collisions, security breaches, oil spills, releases of natural gas, and thereby protect the safety of life, property, and the environment.

The Coast Guard is is establishing a safety zone on the navigable waters around the Constitution Spar, located in Green Canyon Block 680 on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this rule is to protect the facility from all vessel traffic operating outside the normal shipping channels and fairways that are not providing service to or working with the facility. Establishing a safety zone around the facility will significantly reduce the threat of allisions, collisions, security breaches, oil spills, releases of natural gas, and thereby protect the safety of life, property, and the environment.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the Dearborn Street Bridge, mile 1.13, over the Main Branch of the Chicago River at Chicago, Illinois. During this maintenance period, the bridge need only operate one leaf while the other leaf remains secured to masted navigation. Vessels able to pass under the bridge without an opening may do so at any time. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters of the Boca Chica Channel in Boca Chica, Florida. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters near Boca Chica Key, FL, during the 2023 Naval Air Station Key West Air Show. This rule prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Key West or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone around the Heidelberg Spar, located in Green Canyon Block 860 on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this rule is to protect the facility from all vessel traffic operating outside the normal shipping channels and fairways that are not providing service to or working with the facility. Establishing a safety zone around the facility will significantly reduce the threat of allisions, collisions, security breaches, oil spills, releases of natural gas, and thereby protect the safety of life, property, and the environment.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone around the Lucius Spar, located in Keathley Canyon Block 875 on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this rule is to protect the facility from all vessel traffic operating outside the normal shipping channels and fairways that are not providing service to or working with the facility. Establishing a safety zone around the facility will significantly reduce the threat of allisions, collisions, security breaches, oil spills, releases of natural gas, and thereby protect the safety of life, property, and the environment.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend the approval requirements and follow-up program requirements for lifejackets by incorporating new standards to replace existing legacy standards. The Coast Guard further proposes to amend lifejacket and personal flotation device (PFD) carriage requirements to allow for the use of equipment approved to the new standards and remove obsolete equipment approval requirements. The proposed amendments would streamline the process for the approval of PFDs and allow manufacturers the opportunity to produce more innovative equipment that would meet approval requirements in both Canada and the United States while also reducing the burden of the approval process and the production inspections on manufacturing firms.

The Coast Guard is conducting a Port Access Route Study to evaluate safe access routes for the movement of vessel traffic proceeding to or from the ports or places in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and to determine whether shipping safety fairways and/or routing measures should be established, adjusted, or modified. The Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Port Access Route Study considers whether such measures are necessary to improve navigation safety due to factors such as planned or potential offshore development, current port capabilities and planned improvements, increased vessel traffic, existing and potential anchorage areas, changing vessel traffic patterns, effects of weather, or navigational difficulty. Vessel routing measures, which include traffic separation schemes, two-way routes, recommended tracks, deep-water routes, precautionary areas, and areas to be avoided, are implemented to reduce the risk of marine casualties. To assist us in conducting the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Port Access Route Study, we invite your responses to the questions in the INFORMATION REQUESTED section. The recommendations of the study may subsequently be implemented through rulemakings or in accordance with international agreements.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary moving safety zone on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Galveston, around a Tall Ships America Parade of Sail in Galveston, Texas. Once the vessels are moored at the Galveston Historic Seaport, a temporary fixed safety zone will be established. The safety zones are necessary to protect the public and wooden sailing vessels and their crews from the hazards associated with transiting the area. Persons and vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within the moving and fixed safety zones unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Houston-Galveston or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard will enforce special local regulations at various locations in the Sector Columbia River Captain of the Port Zone from June 2, 2023, to September 9, 2023. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters during marine events. These regulations prohibit persons and vessels from being in the regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Columbia River or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary moving safety zone around the M/V ZHEN HUA 26 while it transits through the Port of Los AngelesLong Beach, CA, to Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT), LB Berth E22, then to Fenix Marine Services (FMS), LA Berth 302. This safety zone is necessary to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with oversized cargo transfer operations of four ship-to-shore gantry cranes and one rubber tire gantry crane, which will extend more than 200 feet out from the transiting vessels. Entry of persons or vessels into this safety zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Los AngelesLong Beach, or their designated representative.

The First Coast Guard District announces the completion of the Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts Port Access Route Study (MNMPARS). This study was conducted to evaluate the adequacy of existing vessel routing measures and determine whether additional vessel routing measures are necessary for port approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts and international and domestic transit areas in the First Coast Guard District area of responsibility. The MNMPARS considered whether routing measure revisions were necessary to improve navigation safety due to several factors such as planned or potential offshore development, current port capabilities and planned improvements, increased vessel traffic, changing vessel traffic patterns, weather, or navigational difficulty. The MNMPARS final report is available for viewing and download from the Federal Register docket at https://www.regulations.gov or at the Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN) website at https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/port-access-route- study-reports. The recommendations of this study may lead to future rulemakings or appropriate international agreements.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the US 23 Highway Bridge, mile 0.92, across the Cheboygan RiverPart of the Inland Route, at Cheboygan, Michigan. The Cheboygan County Road Commission requested we extend the winter advance notice for the bridge. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard will enforce the special local regulations for the annual Opening Day on the San Francisco Bay Boat Parade on April 30, 2023 to provide for the safety of life on navigable waterways in the San Francisco Bay during this event. Our regulation for marine events in Northern California identifies the regulated area for this event in San Francisco, CA. During the enforcement period, unauthorized persons or vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or loitering or anchoring in the regulated area, unless authorized by the designated 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 amending and updating its special local regulations for recurring marine parades, regattas, and other events that take place in the Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley area of responsibility (AOR). This rule informs the public of regularly scheduled events that require additional safety measures through the establishing of a special local regulation. Through this rulemaking the current list of recurring special local regulations is updated with revisions, additional events, and removal of events that no longer take place in Sector Ohio Valley's AOR. When these special local regulations are enforced, certain restrictions are placed on marine traffic in specified areas.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a temporary safety zone for the Allegheny River at Mile Marker 0.25-0.8. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters during a drone show display. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Pittsburgh or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard will enforce multiple safety zones located in federal regulations for recurring marine events taking place in July 2023. This action is necessary and intended for the safety of life and property on navigable waters during these events. During the enforcement periods, no person or vessel may enter the respective safety zone without the permission of the Captain of the Port Buffalo or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a safety zone on the navigable waters of Gallants Channel near Beaufort, NC. The safety zone is necessary to enhance the safety of mariners and participants during the swim portion of a triathlon. Entry of vessels or persons into this safety zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) North Carolina or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

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 March 30, 2023, through April 14, 2023. 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 will enforce a security zone for all navigable waters within 400 yards of the Left Descending Bank (LDB) on the Lower Mississippi River (LMR) Mile Marker (MM) 94.4 to MM 95.1, Above Head of Passes (AHP), New Orleans, LA. This security zone is necessary to provide security and protection for visiting personnel during the events related to the French Quarter Festival. Except for Vessel Movement Reporting System Users operating in the Algiers Point VT Special Area, no person or vessel may enter this security zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port New Orleans (COTP) or a designated representative.