Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing temporary safety zones around the following Pacific Northwest Grain Handlers Association facilities: the Columbia Grain facility on the Willamette River in Portland, OR, the United Grain Corporation facility on the Columbia River in Vancouver, WA, the Temco Irving facility on the Willamette River in Portland, OR, and the Temco Kalama facility on the Columbia River in Kalama, WA. These safety zones extend to the waters of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, respectively, approximately between the navigable channel and the facility described. These safety zones are being established to ensure that protest activities relating to an ongoing labor dispute involving these facilities do not create hazardous navigation conditions for vessels in the navigable channel or vessels attempting to moor at the facilities.

This notice requests comments from facility owners and operators, State and local law enforcement agencies, port authorities, relevant security industry participants, and all other interested members of the public regarding how to best implement Section 822 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010. In particular, this notice discusses the Coast Guard's preliminary thoughts on how owners or operators of certain facilities might make their Facility Vulnerability Assessments available to certain law enforcement agencies and port authorities, and integrate their facility security systems with compatible systems operated or maintained by certain law enforcement agencies and the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard is establishing a special local regulation on the waters of Rada Fajardo in Fajardo, Puerto Rico during the Fajardo Offshore Grand Prix, a high speed boat race. The event is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 17, 2013. Approximately 30 high-speed power boats will be participating in the races. It is anticipated that 25 spectator crafts will be present during the races. The special local regulation is necessary for the safety of race participants, participant vessels, spectators, and the general public during the event. The special local regulation will establish the following three areas: One race area, where all persons and vessels, except those persons and vessels participating in the high-speed boat races, are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within; a buffer zone around the race areas, where all persons and vessels, except those persons and vessels enforcing the buffer zone or transiting to the race area, are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within; and a spectator area, where all vessels are prohibited from anchoring and from traveling in excess of wake speed, unless authorized by the Captain of the Port San Juan or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is removing the existing drawbridge operation regulations that govern the Wantagh State Parkway Bridge, mile 16.1, across Goose Creek at Jones Beach, New York, and revising the regulations that govern the Captree State Parkway Bridge, mile 30.7, across the State Boat Channel at Captree Island, New York. The Wantagh State Parkway Bridge was replaced with a fixed bridge and the drawbridge operation regulations are no longer necessary. The method for contacting the bridge tender at the Captree State Parkway Bridge changed several years ago and this action will update the regulations to reflect the present contact protocol.

The Coast Guard is soliciting public comment on the continued applicability of, or the need to amend an existing regulation; 33 CFR 165.120, Safety Zone: Chelsea River, Boston Inner Harbor, Boston, MA. This advance notice allows the Coast Guard to gather information from the public and waterway stakeholders that use the Chelsea River that may result in an amendment to, or the disestablishment of, the existing regulation. Any proposed amendments should reflect the recent changes to the Chelsea Street Bridge and the modification of the surrounding navigational channel. The comments and recommendations received from this advanced notice may lead to future rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone around all inbound and outbound grain-shipment vessels involved in commerce with the Columbia Grain facility on the Willamette River in Portland, OR, the United Grain Corporation facility on the Columbia River in Vancouver, WA, the Temco Irving facility on the Willamette River in Portland, OR, or the Temco Kalama facility on the Columbia River in Kalama, WA while they are located on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. This safety zone extends to waters 500 yards ahead of the vessel and 200 yards abeam and astern of the vessel. This safety zone is being established to ensure that protest activities relating to a labor dispute do not create hazardous navigation conditions for any vessel or other river user in the vicinity of the safety zone.

The Coast Guard is extending the temporary safety zone established on the waters of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at Oak Island, North Carolina. The safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of mariners on navigable waters during maintenance on the NC 133 Fixed Bridge crossing the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 311.8, at Oak Island, North Carolina. The safety zone extension will temporarily restrict vessel movement within the designated area starting on February 14, 2013 through June 15, 2013.

This notice extends the public comment period on a Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) which examines the reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts and socio-economic impacts of the proposed modification of the historic Bayonne Bridge across the Kill Van Kull between Bayonne, New Jersey and Staten Island, New York. This notice also announces a third public meeting, in Newark, NJ, on this Draft EA. Because the Bayonne Bridge is a structure over navigable waters of the United States, the proposed bridge modification would require a Coast Guard Bridge Permit Amendment. This notice provides information on how to participate in the public comment process for the Draft EA, which includes an opportunity to submit oral or written comments at three public meetings to consider an application by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) for Coast Guard approval of the modification to the Bayonne Bridge across the Kill Van Kull.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to submit Information Collection Requests (ICRs) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting an extension of its approval for the following collections of information: 1625-0065, Offshore Supply VesselsTitle 46 CFR Subchapter L; and 1625-0105, Regulated Navigation Area; Reporting Requirements for Barges Loaded with Certain Dangerous Cargoes, Inland Rivers, Eighth Coast Guard District and the Illinois Waterway, Ninth Coast Guard District. Our ICRs describe the information we seek to collect from the public. Before submitting these ICRs to OIRA, the Coast Guard is inviting comments as described below.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone encompassing certain waters of the Potomac River and Anacostia River. This action is necessary to safeguard persons and property, and prevent terrorist acts or incidents. This rule prohibits vessels and people from entering the security zone and requires vessels and persons in the security zone to depart the security zone, unless specifically exempt under the provisions in this rule or granted specific permission from the Coast Guard Captain of the Port Baltimore. This action is intended to temporarily restrict vessel traffic in portions of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers during the event.

The Coast Guard has set the calendar year 2013 minimum random drug testing rate at 25 percent of covered crewmembers. The Coast Guard will continue to closely monitor drug test reporting to ensure the quality of the information. The Coast Guard may set the rate back up to 50 percent of covered crewmembers if the positive rate for random drug tests is greater than 1 percent for any one year, or if the quality of data is not sufficient to accurately assess the positive rate.

The Coast Guard is establishing of a temporary safety zone around the Sellwood Bridge, located on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, while it is being relocated 66 feet downriver as part of the new Sellwood Bridge construction project. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of persons and vessels transiting the Willamette River in the vicinity of the Sellwood Bridge as it is being moved. This safety zone will also allow full maneuverability for construction operations in this area during the bridge movement operation. The safety zone will be effective for two days, but will only be enforced as long as is necessary to complete the bridge movement.

The Coast Guard will enforce a segment of the Safety Zone; Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan including Des Plaines River, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Chicago River, Calumet-Saganashkee Channel on all waters of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal from Mile Marker 296.1 to Mile Marker 296.7 at various times on February 12 through February 15, 2013. This action is necessary to protect the waterways, waterway users, and vessels from hazards associated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Electromagnetic Fields evaluation operations. During any of the below listed enforcement periods, entry into, transiting, mooring, laying-up or anchoring within the enforced area of this safety zone by any person or vessel is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, Sector Lake Michigan, or his or her designated representative.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the draws of two bridges which operate as one unit, specifically, the S71 bridge, mile 0.8 and the railroad bridge, mile 0.9 both of which are across the Shark River (South Channel), at Avon Township, NJ. This deviation is necessary to facilitate machinery replacement on the Shark River railroad bridge. This temporary deviation will allow the drawbridges, which operate in unison, to remain in the closed-to-navigation position on specific dates and times.

The Coast Guard will be establishing a temporary safety zone around the southern one-third of Anchorage 9 (Mantua Creek Anchorage) due to dredging operations. The Dredge Florida will be working along with several support barges and tugs to install approximately 8,000 feet of submerged pipeline and approximately 3,000 feet of floating pipeline crossing through this portion of the anchorage. This regulation is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters of the Mantua Creek Anchorage. This closure is intended to restrict vessel anchoring to protect mariners from the hazards associated with an ongoing dredging operation.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Indiana Harbor Canal in East Chicago, Indiana. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Indiana Harbor Canal due to the demolition Project on the Cline Avenue Bridge. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect the surrounding public and vessels from the hazards associated with the demolition project.

The Coast Guard announces the implementation date of carriage standards for Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm Systems (BNWAS), in accordance with the Articles of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Chapter V, Regulation 19, for U.S. flagged vessels engaged on international voyages. The purpose of a BNWAS is to detect operator disability that could lead to marine accidents.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish special local regulations on the Indian River located northeast of Ernest F. Lyons Bridge and south of Joes Cove, in Stuart, Florida during the Stuart Sailfish Regatta, a series of high-speed boat races. The Stuart Sailfish Regatta will take place from Friday, April 19, 2013 through Sunday, April 21, 2013. Approximately 150 high-speed power boats will be participating in the event. It is anticipated that at least 100 spectator vessels will be present during the race. These special local regulations are necessary for the safety of race participants, participant vessels, spectators and the general public during the event. The special local regulations establish the following three areas: a race area, where all persons and vessels, except those persons and vessels participating in the high-speed boat races, are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within; a buffer zone around the race area, where all persons and vessels, except those persons and vessels enforcing the buffer zone, or authorized participants or vessels transiting to the race area, are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within; and a spectator area.

The Coast Guard seeks applications for membership on the National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC). This Council advises the Coast Guard on recreational boating safety regulations and other major boating safety matters.

The Coast Guard is proposing to revise several vessel inspection and certification regulations to align them with a statutory definition of ``seagoing barge'' and with an exemption from inspection and certification requirements for certain seagoing barges. The proposed revisions are intended to eliminate ambiguity in existing regulations, to reduce the potential for confusion among the regulated public, and to help the Coast Guard perform its maritime safety and stewardship missions.

The Coast Guard seeks applications for membership on the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC). This Committee advises the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security on matters related to personnel in the U.S. merchant marine, including but not limited to training, qualifications, certification, documentation, and fitness standards.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of Hampton Harbor in the vicinity of Hampton Harbor Bridge due to a partially submerged dredge excavator obstructing the channel. This temporary final rule is necessary to protect vessels transiting the area from the obstruction. This zone is intended to prohibit vessels from coming within 100 yards of point 42 53'763'' N, 070 48'986'' W until the obstruction is cleared. Persons or vessels may not enter into this zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, Sector Northern New England.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District is extending the previously published stay (suspension) of reporting requirements under the Regulated Navigation Area (RNA) established by 33 CFR 165.830 for barges loaded with certain dangerous cargoes (CDC barges) in the inland rivers of the Eighth Coast Guard District. A two year stay was previously published at 76 Federal Register (FR) 1360 (January 10, 2011), which expires January 15, 2013. This extension is necessary because the Coast Guard continues to analyze future reporting needs and evaluate possible changes in CDC reporting requirements. This extension of the suspension of the CDC reporting requirements in no way relieves towing vessel operators and fleeting area managers responsible for CDC barges in the RNA from their dangerous cargo or vessel arrival and movement reporting obligations currently in effect under other regulations or placed into effect under appropriate Coast Guard authority.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all waters of the Upper Mississippi River, extending the entire width between miles 35.0 to 55.0, and miles 75.0 to 85.0 from December 15, 2012 until March 31, 2013. This safety zone is needed to protect persons, property and infrastructure from the potential damage and safety hazards associated with contractor operations for the US Army Corps of Engineers to remove underwater rock pinnacles from the Upper Mississippi River. Removal of the underwater rock pinnacles is vital to ensuring the safe navigation of vessels in these stretches of river in low water situations. Entry into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Ohio Valley or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is reopening the comment period to solicit comments on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published January 13, 2010, regarding the Ferry Street Bridge, mile 0.7, across the Quinnipiac River, the Grand Avenue Bridge, mile 1.3, across the Quinnipiac River, and the Chapel Street Bridge, mile 0.4, across the Mill River, at New Haven, Connecticut. This notice of proposed rulemaking is expected to relieve the bridge owner from the burden of crewing the bridges during time periods when the bridges seldom receive requests to open.