Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard published a document on March 10, 2023, that announced the availability of the final Consolidated Port Approaches Port Access Route Studies. In addition, the Coast Guard requested comments concerning the final report. After a review of the comments received, the Coast Guard has determined that it is not necessary to revise the final report, and therefore considers it to be complete as published.

The Coast Guard will enforce special local regulations for the Olympia Harbor Days Tug Boat Races, Budd Inlet, WA, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. on September 2, 2023. This action is necessary to prevent injury and to protect life and property of the maritime public from the hazards associated with the tug boat races. During the enforcement periods, the operator of any vessel in the regulated area must comply with directions from the Patrol Commander or any Official Patrol displaying a Coast Guard ensign.

The Coast Guard is temporarily modifying the operating schedule that governs the Bayville Highway Bridge across the Mill Neck Creek, mile 0.1, at Bayville, NY. This action is necessary to allow the bridge owner to complete the remaining replacements and repairs.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the Atlantic Beach Bridge across the Reynolds Channel, mile 0.4, at Atlantic Beach, NY. The bridge owner, Nassau County Bridge Authority, submitted a request on September 22, 2022 to modify the regulation to decrease the amount of openings on signal from October through May. 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 establishing a temporary safety zone for the Ohio River from September 12 through September 15, 2023, at mile marker 79.5 to mile marker 80 from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. each day. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters during a helicopter operation. This rule prohibits persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Pittsburgh (COTP) or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all navigable waters within a 560-foot radius of a fireworks launch barge at Mile Marker (MM) 8 on Lake of the Ozarks. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by the fireworks display. Entry of vessels or persons into the zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Upper Mississippi River or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a special local regulation (SLR) for certain navigable waters of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) and Beaufort Inlet in Morehead City, North Carolina. This SLR, which would be enforced annually for one weekend each September, would restrict vessel traffic on the AICW and Beaufort Inlet during high-speed boat races. The restriction of vessel traffic movement in the SLR is proposed for the purpose of protecting participants and spectators from the hazards posed by these events. Entry of vessels or persons into this regulated area would be 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 is establishing a temporary security zone in the navigable waters of Lake Tahoe, Glenbrook, NV within the San Francisco Captain of the Port Zone. This moving security zone will encompass all navigable waters within 100 yards of the vessel carrying high-ranking government officials and their official party. The security zone is necessary to protect the harbors, ports, and waterfront facilities of Lake Tahoe during a visit by high-ranking government officials and their official party. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port San Francisco or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary, moving safety zone for all navigable waters of the La Quinta and Corpus Christi Shipping Channel between gated pair lights 11 and 12 to the Sea buoy. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by the rig NFE PIONEER I while it is towed offshore from the Kiewit Offshore Services facility. 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 is establishing a permanent safety zone to be enforced in the event of hurricanes, tropical storms, and other disasters in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of the waters of the Port Arthur Captain of the Port (COTP) zone Port Arthur, TX, prior to, during and following hurricanes, tropical storms and other disasters. This regulation establishes actions to be completed by industry and vessels in the COTP zone prior to landfall of hurricanes, tropical storms, and other disasters threatening Port Arthur, TX.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters on the St. Clair River in Algonac, MI. The safety zone is necessary and intended to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with fireworks displays created by the Youth for the Future organization. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Detroit, or his designated representative.

We, the Coast Guard, have received requests to remove a vessel traffic routing measure, which is known as the ``Smith Point Traffic Separation Scheme'' (TSS) and depicted on the nautical charts of the Chesapeake Bay. If there is no longer a need for this measure, we would request that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which produces the nation's nautical charts, remove the TSS from these charts and take out language regarding the TSS from the applicable Coast Pilot. We would then make conforming changes to the buoy that marks the turning point in the separation zone of the TSS. We are seeking comments on whether there is any continued need for this vessel traffic routing measure before we do so.

The Coast Guard is removing the existing drawbridge operation regulation for the East Washington Street Bridge across the Pequonnock River, mile 0.6, Bridgeport, CT. The drawbridge was converted to a fixed bridge in 2022 and the operating regulation is no longer applicable or necessary.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the City of Catlettsburg Labor Day Fireworks Display occurring on September 1, 2023, on the Ohio River, Catlettsburg, KY. The safety zone will cover all navigable waters between mile marker 317 and 317.5 to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with a fireworks event. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Ohio Valley (COTP) or a designated representative.

In accordance with the statutory provisions enacted by the Great Lakes Pilotage Act of 1960, the Coast Guard is proposing new pilotage rates for the 2024 shipping season. The Coast Guard estimates that this proposed rule would result in approximately a 5-percent increase in operating costs compared to the 2023 season.

The Coast Guard is revising its regulations for permanent safety zones in the Coast Guard Sector New York Captain of the Port Zone for recurring fireworks displays and swim events. This revision will update the list of events, alter the means of notification, and clarify the function of these safety zone regulations. The establishment of the safety zones is necessary to protect event participants, waterway users, and vessels from the potential hazards associated with these recurring organized water events. When subject to enforcement, no person is authorized to access the safety zones without permission from the Captain of the Port (COTP) or the COTP's designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the navigable waters in the vicinity of Lahaina Boat Basin, Maui, Hawaii. The temporary safety zone encompasses all waters extending 1 nautical mile from shore starting from the northernmost point of Kekaa Point, Maui, thenceforth to the southernmost point at Hekili Point, Maui. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with ongoing emergency response and port recovery operations after wildfires affected the area. Entry of vessels or persons in this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Honolulu.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the City of Nitro Labor Day Fireworks Display occurring on September 3, 2023, on the Kanawha River, Nitro, WV. The safety zone will cover all navigable waters between mile marker 46 and 46.5 to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with a fireworks event. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Ohio Valley (COTP) or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all waters of the Alameda Estuary, from surface to bottom, within 250 feet of the pier along the southwest side of Coast Guard Island in support of a munitions transfer on August 13, 2023. The safety zone is necessary to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from the dangers associated with live munitions. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port San Francisco.

The National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (Committee) will conduct a series of meetings over two days in Bronx, NY to discuss issues relating to personnel in the United States Merchant Marine including the training, qualifications, certification, documentation, and fitness of mariners.

The Coast Guard is issuing a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railroad Bridge, across the Okeechobee Waterway (OWW), mile 7.41, at Stuart, Florida. In anticipation of a significant increase in railway activity across the FEC Railroad Bridge, the Coast Guard is considering changing the operating regulation for the FEC Railroad Bridge to allow the drawbridge to operate on a more predictable schedule. This temporary deviation will test a drawbridge operating schedule to determine whether a permanent change to the schedule is needed. The Coast Guard is seeking comments from the public regarding this deviation.

The Coast Guard will enforce a safety zone that encompasses certain navigable waters on Lake Erie, for D-Day Conneaut, in Conneaut, OH. This action is necessary and intended for the safety of life and property on navigable waters during this event. During the enforcement period, 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 proposes to revise existing regulations by updating the duration of an existing event in the Seventh Coast Guard District Captain of the Port (COTP) St. Petersburg Zone. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters in Clearwater, FL, during the Clearwater Offshore Nationals/Race World Offshore event. The Coast Guard invites your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is correcting a final rule published in the Federal Register on November 14, 2022. The final rule updated type approval requirements for certain types of survival craft equipment. The final rule had a typographical error in one of the sections. This document corrects that error.

The Coast Guard will enforce Seattle's Seafair Fleet Week Moving Vessels security zones from August 1 through August 7, 2023 to ensure the security of the vessels from sabotage or other subversive acts during Seafair Fleet Week Parade of Ships. Our regulation for marine events within the Thirteenth Coast Guard District identifies the regulated area for this event in Seattle, WA. 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 (COTP), 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.