Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard will enforce a safety zone regulation for Ocean Park Civic League on July 1st, 2023, to provide for the safety of life on navigable waterways during this event. Our regulation for marine events within the Fifth Coast Guard District identifies the regulated area for this event in Virginia Beach, VA. During the enforcement period, entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Virginia.

The Coast Guard will enforce a safety zone regulation for Norfolk's 41st Annual Independence Day Fireworks on July 4, 2023, to provide for the safety of life on navigable waterways during this event. Our regulation for marine events within the Fifth Coast Guard District identifies the regulated area for this event in Norfolk, VA. During the enforcement period, entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Virginia.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for certain waters of the Potomac River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters at the old Governor Harry W. Nice/Senator Thomas ``Mac'' Middleton Memorial (US- 301) Bridge during demolition operations from March 13, 2023 through March 29, 2023. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, Maryland-National Capital Region or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard announces the publication of the Vessel Traffic Services National Standards of Operating Commandant Instruction (COMDTINST) 16630.3B. This instruction replaces the Vessel Traffic Services National Standards of Operating Procedures COMDTINST M16630.3A. This instruction provides programmatic guidance to all Coast Guard Sectors and Vessel Traffic Services.

The Coast Guard is establishing three temporary safety zones for the safe splashdown and recovery of reentry vehicles launched by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) in support of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) missions. The temporary safety zones are located within the Coast Guard Sector Mobile area of responsibility (AOR) offshore of Panama City, Pensacola, and Tallahassee, Florida. This rule prohibits U.S.-flagged vessels from entering any of the temporary safety zones unless authorized by the Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Sector Mobile or a designated representative. Foreign-flagged vessels are encouraged to remain outside the safety zones. This action is necessary to protect vessels and waterway users from the potential hazards created by reentry vehicle splashdowns and recovery operations in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It is also necessary to ensure the safe recovery of reentry vehicles, and any personnel involved in reentry services, after the splashdown. We received no public comments.

The Coast Guard will enforce the safety zone for the annual Parade of Lights event in the Captain of the Port of Buffalo zone. Enforcement of this safety zone is necessary to protect the safety of life and property on the navigable waters immediately prior to, during, and immediately after this event. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter the respective safety zone without permission from the Captain of the Port Buffalo or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is conducting a Port Access Route Study (PARS) to evaluate the adequacy of existing vessel routing measures and determine whether additional vessel routing measures are necessary for port approaches to Galveston Bay and Sabine Pass, Texas, Calcasieu Pass, Louisiana, and international and domestic transit areas in the Eighth Coast Guard District area of responsibility (AOR). The Approaches to Galveston Bay and Sabine Pass, Texas and Calcasieu Pass, Louisiana PARS (TX/LAPARS) will consider whether existing or additional routing measures are necessary to improve navigation safety due to factors such as planned or potential wind energy offshore development, current port capabilities and planned improvements, increased vessel traffic, changing vessel traffic patterns, weather conditions, 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 risk of marine casualties. The recommendations of the study may subsequently be implemented through rulemakings or in accordance with international agreements.

In accordance with the statutory provisions enacted by the Great Lakes Pilotage Act of 1960, the Coast Guard is issuing new base pilotage rates for the 2023 shipping season. This rule adjusts the pilotage rates to account for changes in district operating expenses, an increase in the number of pilots, and anticipated inflation. These changes, when combined, result in a 16-percent net increase in pilotage costs compared to the 2022 season.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the U.S. Coast Guard is forwarding an Information Collection Request (ICR), abstracted below, 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. Review and comments by OIRA ensure we only impose paperwork burdens commensurate with our performance of duties.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a Temporary Special Local Regulation for certain waters of the Clinch River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters near Oak Ridge, TN, during a rowing regatta on March 31, 2023 through April 1, 2023. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the special local regulation zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Ohio Valley or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary moving safety zone on the waters of Tampa Bay, around a Tall Ships America Parade of sail in St Petersburg, Florida. The safety zone will extend 100 yards from the beam of the ships as they transit from the muster point in approximate position 27[deg]43.54' N 082[deg]36.38' W to the moorings at Port St Pete, St Petersburg, FL in approximate position 27[deg]45.34' N 082[deg]37.15' W. The safety Zone is necessary to protect the public, 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 safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port St. Petersburg or a designated representative.We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

This final rule makes non-substantive technical, organizational, and conforming amendments to existing Coast Guard regulations. This rule is a continuation of our practice of periodically issuing rules to keep our regulations up-to-date and accurate. This rule will have no substantive effect on the regulated public.

The Coast Guard will enforce the Mark Hahn Memorial 300 Mile Personal Watercraft (PWC) Endurance Race special local regulation on the waters of Lake Havasu, Arizona from February 25 through February 26, 2023. This special local regulation is necessary to provide for the safety of the participants, crew, sponsor vessels, and general users of the waterway. During the enforcement period, persons and vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting through, or anchoring within this regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, or his designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing three temporary, 500-yard radius, moving security zones for certain vessels carrying Certain Dangerous Cargoes (CDC) within the Corpus Christi Ship Channel and La Quinta Channel. The temporary security zones are needed to protect the vessels, the CDC cargo, and the surrounding waterway from terrorist acts, sabotage, or other subversive acts, accidents, or other events of a similar nature. Entry of vessels or persons into these zones is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Corpus Christi 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) of 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 Mardi Gras celebration. No person or vessel may enter this security zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port New Orleans (COTP) or a designated representative.

The U.S. Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the navigable waters approximately 5 miles offshore of Santa Barbara, California. This safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by ongoing aquaculture gear deployment and installation. Entry of persons or vessels into this safety zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Los AngelesLong Beach (COTP), or their designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters of the Savannah River, within a 500-yard radius around M/V BIGLIFT BAFFIN. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by the transit through the Savannah River to Georgia Port Authority Garden City Terminal Berth No. 1 while carrying large cranes, and for the offload of those cranes to the facility. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Savannah or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is updating District 5 regulations to remove two regulated navigation areas in Captain of the Port Zone (COTP) North Carolina within District 5 that are no longer needed. These areas were created to address the impacts of extreme shoaling in the Oregon Inlet, but subsequent Army Corps of Engineers dredging activities have alleviated the issue. The Coast Guard is removing these regulated navigation areas (RNAs) from the CFR to prevent confusion and to make the regulations easy to use.

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: 1625-0069, Ballast Water Management for Vessels with Ballast Tanks Entering U.S. Waters; 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 National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee (Committee) will meet to discuss matters relating to activities directly involved with, or in support of, the exploration of offshore mineral and energy resources, to the extent that such matters are within the jurisdiction of the United States Coast Guard. The meeting will be open to the public.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for certain navigable waters in the Laguna Madre. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by a firework display launched from a barge in the Laguna Madre, South Padre Island, Texas. 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 proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the Metro-North (Cos Cob) Bridge, across the Mianus River, mile 1.0, at Greenwich, CT. The bridge owner, Metro-North (MNR), submitted a request on May 5, 2022 to modify the regulation to align with the Metro-North ``WALK'' Bridge train schedule and avoid bridge openings during peak transit hours. It is expected that this change to the regulations will better serve the needs of the community while continuing to meet the reasonable needs of navigation. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The U.S. Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the navigable waters in Chinese Harbor of Santa Cruz Island, California. This safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by ongoing salvage operations relating to the grounding of a 60-foot fishing vessel in Chinese Harbor. Entry of persons or vessels into this safety zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Los AngelesLong Beach (COTP), or their designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the Metro-North (Devon) Bridge, across the Housatonic River, mile 3.9, at Stratford, CT. The bridge owner, Metro-North (MNR), submitted a request on May 5, 2022 to modify the regulation by aligning with the Metro-North ``WALK'' Bridge train schedule and avoid bridge openings during peak transit hours. It is expected that this change to the regulations will better serve the needs of the community while continuing to meet the reasonable needs of navigation. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a temporary special local regulation for navigable waters of the Bonita Tideway near Brigantine, NJ. This action is needed to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters during a rowing regatta on April 1, 2023, and April 2, 2023. This rulemaking prohibits persons and vessels from being in the regulated areas during the enforcement period unless authorized entry by the Captain of the Port (COTP), Delaware Bay, or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.