Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone on the navigable waters of the James River in Newport News, VA for multiple periods, one hour in length each, on all weekdays from August 6 until August 15, 2014. This action will restrict vessel traffic movement in the designated area during the United States Navy's operation involving unmanned and remote-operated crafts. This action is necessary in order to protect the life and property of the maritime public due to the high speed maneuvering of the vessels and the experimental nature of the control technology.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Amtrak Portal Bridge across the Hackensack River, mile 5.0, at Little Snake Hill, New Jersey. The deviation is necessary for installation of new ties, miter rails and drive motors at the bridge. This temporary deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position for five nights to perform scheduled maintenance.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the U.S. Coast Guard is forwarding the Information Collection Request (ICR), abstracted below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting approval of a revision to the following collection of information: 1625-0036, Plan Approval and Records for U.S. and Foreign Tank Vessels Carrying Oil in Bulk. Review and comments by OIRA ensure we only impose paperwork burdens commensurate with our performance of duties.

The Coast Guard announces the availability of Change-1 to the Marine Safety Manual (MSM), Volume III, Marine Industry Personnel, and the corresponding Commandant Change Notice that highlights the changes made to that manual. MSM Volume III provides information and interpretations on international conventions and U.S. statutory and regulatory issues relating to marine industry personnel. Change-1 is presented in a new format to facilitate future revisions by creating three distinct parts; Part A: Mariner Credentialing (Chapters 1-17), Part B: Vessel Manning (legacy Chapters 20-26, now Chapters 1-7), and Part C: Shipment and Service (legacy Chapters 18-19, now Chapters 1-2). The Commandant Change Notice discusses the substantive changes to Part B, Chapters 1 through 7. This Change includes revisions to Part C, Chapters 1 and 2, to account for revised regulations, updated forms, and reformatting. Part A will be reviewed and revised as part of a separate initiative.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Montlake Bridge across the Lake Washington Ship Canal, mile 5.2, in Seattle, WA. The deviation is necessary to accommodate vehicular traffic attending football games at Husky Stadium at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position two hours before and two hours after each game. Please note that the game times for five of the seven games scheduled for Husky Stadium have not yet been determined due to NCAA television scheduling.

The Coast Guard will enforce the San Diego Bayfair special local regulations on Friday, September 12, 2014 through Sunday, September 14, 2014. This recurring marine event occurs on the navigable waters of Mission Bay in San Diego, California. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of the high speed boat race participants, crew, spectators, safety vessels, and general users of the waterway. During the enforcement period, persons and vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or anchoring within this regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, or his designated representative.

The Coast Guard is amending its safety of life on navigable waters regulations by adding two Special Local Regulations within the Captain of the Port Detroit Zone on the Maumee River, Toledo, Ohio. These special local regulated areas are necessary to protect spectators, participants, and vessels from the hazards associated with these races. These regulations are intended to regulate vessel movement in portions of the Maumee River during the annual Dragon Boat Races and Frogtown Races.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of North Coast Harbor, Cleveland, OH. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of North Coast Harbor during the Gay Games 9 Triathlon. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect participants, spectators, and vessels from the navigational hazards associated with a large swimming event.

The Coast Guard is changing the operating schedule that governs the New Jersey State Route 44 lift bridge over Mantua Creek at mile marker 1.7, near Paulsboro, NJ. The new rule will change the time of year that the bridge opens on signal. For the months that no longer open on signal, the bridge will open with four hours advanced notice.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway extending from Mile Marker 49.0 to Mile Marker 50.0, bank to bank, West of Harvey Locks, Terrebone Parish, LA. This Safety Zone is needed to protect the general public, vessels, and tows from destruction, loss or injury due to repairs of the Bayou Blue Pontoon Bridge and associated hazards.

On July 25, 2014, the Coast Guard published in the Federal Register (79 FR 43257) a notice of enforcement for the Seattle's Seafair Fleet Week Moving Vessels security zones. In the Notice of Enforcement, the Coast Guard identified three participating vessels that are designated as part of the security zone. One of those vessels was the HMCS YELLOWKNIFE (NCSM 706). After the Notice of Enforcement was published, the Coast Guard was informed by the Canadian government that the HMCS EDMONTON (NCSM 703) will be participating in the Seattle Seafair Fleet Week event and not the HMCS YELLOWKNIFE. This document corrects that error.

The Coast Guard will enforce the safety zone on Sister Bay in Sister Bay, WI for the Sister Bay Marinafest Ski Show. This zone will be enforced from 1 p.m. until 3:15 p.m. on August 30, 2014. This action is necessary and intended to ensure the safety of life on navigable waters during the ski show. During the aforementioned period, the Coast Guard will enforce restrictions upon, and control movement of, vessels in the safety zone. No person or vessel may enter the safety zone while it is being enforced without permission of the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the University Bridge, mile 4.3, across Lake Washington Ship Canal at Seattle, WA. The deviation is necessary to allow King County Metro Transit to perform essential maintenance on the University Bridge. This deviation allows one half (leaf) of the bridge to remain in the closed position and need not open to marine traffic.

The Coast Guard will enforce the annual Seafair Air Show safety zone on Lake Washington, Seattle, WA from 8 a.m. on August 1, 2014 to 4 p.m. on August 3, 2014. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of the public from inherent dangers associated with these annual aerial displays. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter or transit this safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or his designated representative.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Southern Railroad Drawbridge across the Tennessee River, mile 304.4, at Decatur, Alabama. The deviation is necessary to allow the bridge owner time to replace and adjust the down haul operating ropes that are essential to the continued safe operation of the drawbridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position and not open to vessel traffic.

This document provides required notice of substantive rules issued by the Coast Guard and that were made temporarily effective between July 2013 and June 2014, and that expired before they could be published in the Federal Register. This notice lists temporary safety zones, security zones, special local regulations, drawbridge operation regulations and regulated navigation areas, all of limited duration and for which timely publication in the Federal Register was not possible.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone for the Marine Week Seattle Seahawks Demonstration area on Lake Washington, Seattle, WA. This event will occur on July 30, 2014 and July 31, 2014. This action is necessary to protect participants and the maritime public from the safety hazards associated with this event, which involves low flying aircraft, combat equipment, and other on-water displays, and will do so by prohibiting any person or vessel from entering or remaining in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) or a Designated Representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Cuyahoga River, Cleveland, OH. This temporary safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Cuyahoga River during the installation operation for the new Columbus Road Bridge spanning the Cuyahoga River. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect mariners and vessels and construction crews from the navigational hazards associated with blocking the river for the large scale heavy lift of the bridge structure and securing it to the towers on either side of the river.

The Maine Department of Transportation (MEDOT) has requested the Coast Guard to establish a regulated navigation area (RNA) on the navigable waters of The Gut in South Bristol, Maine. Sector Northern New England received notice of a proposed replacement of The Gut Bridge in South Bristol, Maine between Rutherford Island and Bristol Neck. A Bridge Permit was awarded to MEDOT on April 15, 2014 to begin in accordance with plans dated September 24, 2013. This RNA would allow the Coast Guard to enforce speed and wake restrictions and prohibit all vessel traffic through the RNA during bridge replacement operations, both planned and unforeseen, which could pose an imminent hazard to persons and vessels operating in the area. This rule is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters during bridge structural repair operations.

The Coast Guard will enforce Seattle's Seafair Fleet Week Moving Vessels Security Zones from 12:00 p.m. on July 29, 2014 through 6:00 p.m. on August 4, 2014. These security zones are necessary to help ensure the security of the vessels from sabotage or other subversive acts during Seafair Fleet Week Parade of Ships. The designated participating vessels are the HMCS BRANDON (NCSM 710), the HMCS YELLOWKNIFE (NCSM 706), and the USCGC MELLON (WHEC 717). During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter or remain in the security zones without the permission of the Captain of the Port, Puget Sound or his designated representative. The COTP has granted general permission for vessels to enter the outer 400 yards of the security zones as long as those vessels within the outer 400 yards of the security zones operate at the minimum speed necessary to maintain course unless required to maintain speed by the navigation rules.

The U.S. Navy has requested the Coast Guard to establish a regulated navigation area (RNA) on the navigable waters of the Piscataqua River surrounding Bridge 1 between Kittery, ME, and Seavey Island, ME. Sector Northern New England received notice of potential bridge work being conducted on Bridge 1 between Kittery, ME, and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey Island from September 1, 2014 through April 30, 2017. This RNA would allow the Coast Guard to enforce speed and wake restrictions and limit vessel traffic through the RNA during operations involving bridge structural repairs, both planned and unforeseen, which could pose an imminent hazard to persons and vessels operating in the area. This rule is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters during bridge structural repair operations.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge (State Route 520) across Lake Washington at Seattle, WA. This deviation is necessary to accommodate the Seafair Air Show practice and event. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position to help minimize traffic congestion during the event.

The Coast Guard is establishing four temporary safety zones within Sector Northern New England's (SNNE) Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone for fireworks displays. When these safety zones are enforced, this rule will restrict vessels from portions of the affected water areas. These temporary safety zones are necessary to protect spectators and vessels from hazards associated with fireworks displays.

The Coast Guard will enforce the safety zone on Lake Michigan within Milwaukee Harbor, Wisconsin for the 2014 Olympic and Sprint Distance National Championships at specified times from August 8 to August 10, 2014. This action is necessary and intended to ensure safety of life on the navigable waters of the United States during the Olympic and Sprint Distance National Championships. During the aforementioned period, the Coast Guard will enforce restrictions upon, and control movement of, vessels in the safety zone. No person or vessel may enter the safety zone while it is being enforced without permission of the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish temporary regulations in certain waters of the Patapsco River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters before, during, and after the ``Baltimore Air Show,'' which consists of aerial practices, performance demonstrations and air shows. The event, scheduled as part of the Star-Spangled 200 activities at Baltimore, Maryland, will be held over certain waters of the Patapsco River from September 11, 2014, through September 14, 2014. This action will restrict vessel traffic in portions of the Patapsco River during the event.