Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the upper deck of the Steel Bridge across the Willamette River, mile 12.1, at Portland, OR. The deviation is necessary to accommodate the route of the annual Starlight Parade event. This deviation allows the upper deck of the Steel Bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position to allow for the safe movement of event participants.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the waters of the Newport Harbor Grand Canal on Balboa Island. This temporary safety zone is being established to provide for the safety of the waterway users during bridge construction over a 10 month period. Transiting through or within this temporary safety zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port, Los AngelesLong Beach, or her designated representative.

The Coast Guard will enforce the special local regulation on the South Branch of the Chicago River for the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce Dragon Boat Race in Chicago, Illinois. This regulated area will be enforced from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on June 25, 2016. This action is necessary and intended to ensure safety of life and property on navigable waters prior to, during, and immediately after the Dragon Boat race. During the enforcement period, no vessel may enter, transit through, or anchor within the regulated area without the approval from the Captain of the Port or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Intracoastal Waterway in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on Sunday, April 24, 2016 for the Xterra Swim. The temporary safety zone is necessary for the safety of the swimmers, participant vessels, spectators, and the general public during the event. The temporary safety zone will restrict vessel traffic in a portion of the Intracoastal Waterway, preventing non-participant vessels from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within the regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is amending the regulations established for recurring marine events and fireworks displays that take place within the Fifth Coast Guard District area of responsibility. This interim rule revises the listing of events that informs the public of regularly scheduled marine parades, regattas, other organized water events, and fireworks displays that require additional safety measures provided by regulations. Through this rule, the list of recurring marine events requiring special local regulations or safety zones is updated with revisions, additional events, and removal of events that no longer take place in the Fifth Coast Guard District. When these regulations are enforced, certain restrictions are placed on marine traffic in specified areas. This rulemaking project promotes efficiency by eliminating the need to produce a separate rule for each individual recurring event, and serves to provide notice of the known recurring events requiring a special local regulation or safety zone throughout the year. We invite your comments on this rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary special local regulation controlling movement of vessels for certain waters of the Detroit River, Trenton Channel. This action is necessary and is intended to ensure safety of life on navigable waters to be used for a rowing event immediately prior to, during, and immediately after this event. This regulation requires vessels to maintain a minimum speed for safe navigation and maneuvering.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a safety zone on the Upper Mississippi River between miles 853.2 and 854.2. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters near Minneapolis, MN, during a fireworks display on July 23, 2016. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Upper Mississippi River or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard announces its intent to enter into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Comtech Systems, Inc., to investigate the potential operational use of troposcatter technology. The research includes employment of their Modular Transportable Transmission System (MTTS) in northern Alaska to establish beyond line of sight (BLOS) network links without using existing infrastructure or satellite communications. Specifically, the MTTS will provide a wireless IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet) data link between two locations separated by long distances and elevated terrain. The MTTS will be setup in locations with no shelter/protection from the Northern Alaskan environment. A Pilot Demonstration schedule has been proposed in which Comtech Systems will provide their MTTS to connect two points separated by 68 miles with a 3000 foot elevation in between. The Coast Guard Research and Development Center (R&D Center) will prepare a Pilot Demonstration Assessment Plan and Comtech Systems will operate the equipment for exploratory development over a one week period to collect information on suitability, reliability, maintenance requirements, and ease of use. While the Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with Comtech Systems, Inc., the agency is soliciting public comment on the possible nature of and participation of other parties in the proposed CRADA. In addition, the Coast Guard also invites other potential non-Federal participants to propose similar CRADAs.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend its safety zones regulations for annual events in the Captain of the Port Duluth Zone. This proposed rule would update the locations for two safety zones, add three safety zones, and modify the format of the regulations to list the annual events and corresponding safety zones in table form. These proposed amendments will protect spectators, participants, and vessels from the hazards associated with annual marine events and improve the clarity and readability of the regulations.

The Coast Guard is considering amending the regulations for Hampton Roads, VA and adjacent waters anchorages by establishing a new anchorage, near Cape Charles, VA on the Lower Chesapeake Bay. This advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) provides information relevant to, and solicits public comment on the possible creation of a Federal anchorage west of Cape Charles, VA on the Chesapeake Bay. Port of Virginia infrastructure improvements and growth in commercial vessel traffic entering the port, including large and deep-draft vessels have prompted this solicitation for comments on a potential proposed rulemaking. If the Coast Guard proceeds with a proposed rulemaking, the intended effect would be to ensure that the Hampton Roads Anchorage Grounds continue to safely support current and future maritime commerce and commercial vessel anchoring needs. We invite your comments on this ANPRM.

The Coast Guard will enforce various safety zones within the Captain of the Port New York Zone on the specified dates and times. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of vessels, participants and spectators from hazards associated with fireworks displays and swim events. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter the safety zones without permission of the Captain of the Port (COTP).

The Navigation Safety Advisory Council will meet in Arlington, Virginia to discuss matters relating to maritime collisions, rammings, and groundings, Inland Rules of the Road, International Rules of the Road, navigation regulations and equipment, routing measures, marine information, diving safety, and aids to navigation systems. These meetings will be open to the public.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the US 50 (Harry W. Kelly Memorial) Bridge across the Isle of Wight (Sinepatuxent) Bay, mile 0.5, at Ocean City, MD. The deviation is necessary to accommodate participants of the 2016 ``Island 2 Island'' Half Marathon.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary special local regulation controlling movement of vessels for certain waters of the Detroit River, Trenton Channel. This action is necessary and is intended to ensure safety of life on navigable waters to be used for a rowing event immediately prior to, during, and immediately after this event. This regulation requires vessels to maintain a minimum speed for safe navigation and maneuvering.

The Coast Guard is establishing special local regulations for certain waters of the Chesapeake Bay. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters located between Sandy Point, Anne Arundel County, MD and Kent Island, Queen Anne's County, MD, during a paddling event on May 14, 2016. This rulemaking will prohibit persons and vessels from being in the regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Baltimore or Coast Guard Patrol Commander.

The Coast Guard is modifying the operating schedule that governs SR 175 Bridge across Lewis Channel and Black Narrows, mile 3.5 at Chincoteague, VA. The change will eliminate the need for the current operating schedule and return the bridge to open on demand. The change does not include the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July for the annual Pony swim.

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 approval of revision to the following collection of information: 1625-0118, Various International Agreement Certificates and Documents. 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 that the First Coast Guard District's Prevention Department has issued certificates of alternative compliance with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (72 COLREGS), to vessels of special construction or purpose that cannot fully comply with the light, shape, and sound signal provisions of 72 COLREGS without interfering with their special function. This notice promotes the Coast Guard's maritime safety and stewardship missions.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the New Jersey Transit Rail Operations (NJTRO) Upper Hack Drawbridge across the Hackensack River, mile 6.9, at Secaucus, New Jersey. This deviation is necessary to allow the bridge owner to replace rails, ties, walkways, and handrails at the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed for two weekends.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Blynman (SR127) Bridge across the Annisquam River and Blynman Canal at mile 0.0 at Gloucester, MA. This deviation is necessary to facilitate public safety during a public event, the annual Saint Peter's Fiesta 5K Road Race. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed for thirty minutes to facilitate public safety.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend and update its annual and recurring safety zones that take place in the Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River area of responsibility (AOR). This document informs the public of regularly scheduled events that require additional safety measures through establishing a safety zone. This document also proposes to update the current list of recurring safety zones with revisions, additional events, and removal of events that no longer take place in Sector Upper Mississippi River's AOR. Additionally, this one proposed rulemaking project reduces administrative costs involved in producing separate proposed rules for each individual recurring safety zone and serves to provide notice of the known recurring safety zones throughout the year. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard announces that it has received approval from the Office of Management and Budget for an information collection request associated with automatic identification system requirements in a final rule we published in the Federal Register on January 30, 2015. In that rule we stated we would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of these collection-of- information related paragraphs. This rule establishes today as the effective date for those paragraphs.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a special local regulation on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in Bucksport, South Carolina during the Bucksport/Southeastern Drag Boat Summer Extravaganza, on July 9 and July 10, 2016. This special local regulation is necessary to ensure the safety of participants, spectators, and the general public during the event. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard has issued a deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Senator Ted Hickey (Leon C. Simon Blvd./ Seabrook) bascule bridge across the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, mile 4.6, at New Orleans, Louisiana. This deviation is necessary to accommodate the rescheduling of the New Orleans Endurance Festival event. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed to navigation during the event.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the Metro-North WALK Bridge across the Norwalk River, mile 0.1, at Norwalk, Connecticut. The bridge owner submitted a request to require a greater advance notice for bridge openings and to increase time periods the bridge remains in the closed position during the weekday morning and evening rush hours. It is expected that this change to the regulations will create efficiency in drawbridge operations while continuing to meet the reasonable needs of navigation.