Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the navigable waters of the San Francisco Bay near Yerba Buena Island, CA in support of the Bay Bridge Load Transfer Safety Zone from August 1, 2012 through October 31, 2012. This safety zone is established to protect mariners transiting the area from the dangers associated with the load transfer operations. Unauthorized persons or vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or remaining in the safety zone without permission of the Captain of the Port or their designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone near Marquette, Michigan. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake Superior due to a fireworks display. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect the surrounding public and vessels from the hazards associated with a fireworks display.

The Coast Guard is modifying the operating schedule that governs three North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) bridges: The S.R. 74 Bridge, across the AIWW, mile 283.1 at Wrightsville Beach, NC; the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge across the Cape Fear River, mile 26.8; and the Isabel S. Holmes Bridge across the Northeast Cape Fear River, mile 1.0; both in Wilmington, NC. The modification will alter the dates and times these bridges are allowed to remain in the closed position to accommodate the time and route change of the annual YMCA Tri Span 5K & 10K races.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Atlantic Ocean east of Jacksonville Beach, Florida during the Jacksonville Sea and Sky Spectacular air show. The event is scheduled to take place from Friday, October 19, 2012, through Sunday, October 21, 2012. This temporary safety zone is necessary for the safety of air show participants, participant vessels, spectators, and the general public during the event. Persons and vessels will be prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Jacksonville or their designated representative.

The Coast Guard will enforce this safety zone for annual fireworks events in the Captain of the Port, Sector Lake Michigan zone from 9:15 p.m. until 10:45 p.m. on September 7 and 8, 2012. This action is necessary and intended to ensure safety of life on the navigable waters immediately prior to, during, and immediately after fireworks events. During the enforcement periods announced in this rule, the Coast Guard will enforce restrictions upon, and control movement of, vessels in a specified area immediately prior to, during, and immediately after fireworks events. No person or vessel may enter the safety zone while it is being enforced without permission of the Captain of the Port, Sector Lake Michigan.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Broadway Bridge, mile 11.7, across the Willamette River at Portland, OR. This deviation is necessary to accommodate the 2012 Pints to Pasta foot race event. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position to allow safe movement of event participants.

The Coast Guard will enforce the Navy Pier Southeast Safety Zone in Chicago Harbor during various periods from August 1, 2012 through August 29, 2012. This action is necessary and intended to ensure safety of life on the navigable waters of the United States immediately prior to, during, and immediately after fireworks events. Enforcement of this safety zone will establish restrictions upon, and control movement of, vessels in a specified area immediately prior to, during, and immediately after various fireworks events. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter the safety zones without permission of the Captain of the Port, Sector Lake Michigan.

The Coast Guard will establish a temporary safety zone on Niagara River, Grand Island, NY. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Niagara River during the Antique Boat Show powerboat races. This safety zone is necessary to protect spectators, participants, and vessels from the hazards associated with powerboat races.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary deviation to the Chicago Air and Water Show safety zone on Lake Michigan near Lincoln Park. This action is necessary to accurately reflect the enforcement dates and times for this safety zone due to changes made in this year's air show. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake Michigan during the Chicago Air and Water Show. This safety zone is necessary to protect spectators and vessels from the hazards associated with an air show over water.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone encompassing a portion of the Duluth Harbor Basin, Northern Section, including the Duluth Entry. This safety zone is intended to help protect participants, event safety personnel, boaters and spectators during the Superior Man Triathlon.

The Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) will meet on September 19 and 20, 2012. On September 19, the committee will meet to discuss administrative matters and then recess for the separate but concurrent meetings of the four subcommittees, ``Recommendations for the Prevention of Towing Vessel Crewmember Falls Overboard'', ``Review and recommendations for the revision of NVIC 1-95, Voluntary Training Standards for Entry-Level Personnel on Towing Industry Vessels'', ``Recommendations for the Enhancement of Towing Vessel Stability'' and ``Recommendations for Safety Standards of Portable Facility Vapor Control Systems Used for Marine Operations.'' The committee will reconvene on September 20, 2012. The meetings of the TSAC on both days and the meeting of the subcommittees are open to the public.

The Coast Guard proposes to temporarily change the operating schedule that governs the Carolina Coastal Railroad Bridge, at AIWW mile 203.8, across Newport River in Morehead City, NC. This bridge is presently maintained in the open position except when closure is necessary for train crossings. This change would allow the bridge to remain closed at night so that necessary repairs may be made with the least possible impact to navigation.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Route 35 Bridge across Cheesequake Creek, mile 0.0, at South Amboy, New Jersey. The deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position from December through March to facilitate bridge rehabilitation construction.

The Coast Guard is establishing a special local regulation on the St. Clair River, Port Huron, Michigan. This action is necessary and intended to ensure safety of life on the navigable waters immediately prior to, during, and immediately after the Port Huron Offshore Gran Prix boat race. This special local regulation will establish restrictions upon, and control movement of, vessels in a portion of the St. Clair River. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter the regulated area without permission of the Captain of the Port.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all waters of the Lower Mississippi River, extending the entire width of the river from Mile Marker (MM) 291.0 to MM 295.0. This safety zone is needed to protect vessel traffic from the safety hazards associated with dredging operations being conducted in the area by the Army Corps of Engineers. When vessels are allowed by the Captain of the Port (COTP), entry into this zone is restricted to one way traffic unless authorized by the (COTP) New Orleans or a designated representative. Any full closures will be announced via Broadcast Notice to Mariners.

Federal law requires that classification societies conducting certain work in the United States be approved by the Coast Guard. In this rule, we finalize application procedures and performance standards that classification societies must meet in order to obtain approval by the Coast Guard. Through this final rule, we seek to improve marine safety and environmental protection by assuring the consistency and quality of work conducted by classification societies that review, examine, survey, or certify the construction, repair, or alteration of a vessel in the United States.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Lewis and Clark Bridge which crosses the Lewis and Clark River, mile 1.0, at Astoria, OR. This deviation is necessary to accommodate major roadway maintenance on the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position to allow milling and repaving of the roadway surface on the lift span.

The Coast Guard is establishing special local regulations during the ``Chesapeake Challenge'' power boat races, a marine event to be held on the waters of the Patuxent River, near Solomons, MD on September 15 and 16, 2012. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This action is intended to temporarily restrict vessel traffic in a portion of the Patuxent River during the event.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a safety zone for the ``Red Bull Flugtag Camden'', a marine event to be held on September 15, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in an area of the Delaware River, Camden, NJ, described as North of the Wiggins Park Marina and South of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. This safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic on a portion of the Delaware River during the event.

The Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC) will meet in Washington, DC, to discuss various issues related to the training and fitness of merchant marine personnel. This meeting will be open to the public.

The Coast Guard is re-establishing a temporary safety zone in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Mile Marker 35.2 to Mile Marker 35.5, west of Harvey Locks, bank to bank, Larose, Lafourche Parish, LA. This Safety Zone is needed to protect the general public, vessels and tows from destruction, loss or injury due to the installation of a new sheetpile floodwall on the waterward side of the existing Larose floodwall and construction of a new rip-rap barge impact barrier on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway side of the new floodwall.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of Patchogue Bay, in Patchogue, NY for the DeStefano family wedding fireworks display. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. Entering into, transiting through, remaining, anchoring or mooring within this regulated area would be prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Sector Long Island Sound.

The Coast Guard is modifying the effective date of a published temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company swing span bridge across Bayou Boeuf, mile 10.2, at Amelia, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. The modification of the date is necessary due to a delay in the scheduled arrival of repair equipment. The deviation is necessary to complete scheduled repairs necessitated by a bridge allision. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position for sixteen consecutive hours.

The Coast Guard announces the availability of the 2012 program calendar for the on-water activities associated with the ``2012 America's Cup World Series'' regatta scheduled for August 21-26, 2012, on the waters of San Francisco Bay adjacent to the City of San Francisco waterfront in the vicinity of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish six special anchorage areas in the vicinity of Great Chebeague Island, Maine. This proposed action is necessary to facilitate safe navigation in that area and provide safe and secure anchorages for vessels not more than 20 meters in length. This action is intended to increase the safety of life and property surrounding Great Chebeague Island, improve the safety of anchored vessels, and provide for the overall safe and efficient flow of vessel traffic and commerce.