Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing special local regulations on the waters of the New River and the Intracoastal Waterway in Fort Lauderdale, Florida during the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade on Saturday, December 10, 2011. The marine parade will consist of approximately 120 vessels. The marine parade will begin at Cooley's Landing Marina and end at Lake Santa Barbara. From Cooley's Landing Marina, the marine parade will transit east on the New River, then head north on the Intracoastal Waterway to Lake Santa Barbara. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the marine parade. The special local regulations consist of a series of moving buffer zones around participant vessels as they transit from Cooley's Landing Marina to Lake Santa Barbara. Persons and vessels that are not participating in the marine parade are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within any of the buffer zones unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Miami or a designated representative.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the S168 Bridge across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, mile 12.0, at Chesapeake (Great Bridge), VA. This deviation is necessary to accommodate the annual Christmas parade event.

The Coast Guard proposes a change to drawbridge operations for the Canadian Pacific Railroad Drawbridge across the Black River at Mile 1.0 near La Crosse, Wisconsin. Drawspan is currently operated by an onsite bridge tender, opening on signal following two-hour notification. The proposed change is for drawspan operation by remote operator, opening immediately upon demand.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Lapalco Boulevard bascule span drawbridge across the Harvey Canal Route, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), mile 2.8 at Harvey, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. The deviation is necessary to allow for the cleaning and painting of bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed during the day Monday through Saturday for three months.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the Norfolk Southern 5 Railroad Bridge, mile 1.1, Norfolk, VA. Under this temporary deviation, the drawbridge may remain in the closed position on specific dates and times to facilitate laying new rail.

The Coast Guard is amending special local regulations (SLR) and establishing permanent safety zones in the Coast Guard Sector Boston Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone for annually recurring marine events. The revised SLRs and safety zones are implemented to reduce administrative overhead, expedite public notification of events, and to ensure the protection of the maritime public and event participants from the hazards associated with firework displays, boat races, and other marine events.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the Neuse River Railroad Bridge across the Neuse River, mile 34.2, at New Bern, NC. The deviation restricts the operation of the draw span to facilitate repairs to the main mechanism of the bridge.

The Coast Guard is removing, adding, and consolidating special local regulations and establishing permanent safety zones in the Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) New York Zone for annual recurring swim events, fireworks displays, and marine events (annual recurring events). When these special local regulations or safety zones are activated and subject to enforcement, this will restrict vessels from portions of water areas during these annual recurring events. The special local regulations and safety zones will facilitate public notification of events and help protect the public and event participants from the hazards associated with these annual recurring events.

The Commander, Thirteenth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Bridge across the Lake Washington Ship Canal, mile 0.1, at Seattle, WA. The deviation is necessary to facilitate replacement of a counterweight trunnion bearing. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the down or closed position during the maintenance period.

The Coast Guard is establishing special local regulations on the waters of the Atlantic Ocean located southwest of Key West, Florida during the Key West World Championship, a series of high-speed boat races. The event is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, November 9, 2011; Friday, November 11, 2011; and Sunday, November 13, 2011. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. The special local regulations will temporarily restrict vessel traffic in certain waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The special local regulations will establish the following four 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, anchoring, or remaining; a buffer zone around the race area, where all persons and vessels, except those persons and vessels enforcing the buffer zone, are prohibited from entering, transiting, anchoring, or remaining; and two spectator areas, where all vessels are prohibited from anchoring unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Key West or a designated representative.

Under existing statutes, at least 75% of the ownership of vessels eligible to engage in the coastwise or fisheries trades must be vested in United States citizens. The Coast Guard is seeking comments and information on the various mechanisms that publicly traded companies have chosen to employ in order to assure compliance with those citizenship requirements. Although the Coast Guard may use information obtained in response to this notice to inform future rulemakings, we are not presently developing a new or revised regulation on this subject.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Florida during the Fourth Annual Chillounge Night St. Petersburg Fireworks Display on Saturday, November 19, 2011. The safety zone is necessary to protect the public from the hazards associated with launching fireworks over navigable waters of the United States. 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.

The Coast Guard announces the availability of a Port Access Route Study (PARS) which evaluated the continued applicability of and the potential need for modifications to the traffic separation schemes in the approaches to Los Angeles-Long Beach and in the Santa Barbara Channel. The study was completed in June 2011. This notice summarizes the study and final recommendation.

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 approval of a revision to the following collection of information: 1625-0006, Shipping Articles. 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 National Maritime Security Advisory Committee (NMSAC) will meet via teleconference on November 15, 2011 to discuss the results of a working group tasked with reviewing the Draft Certain Dangerous Cargo (CDC) Security Strategy. This meeting will be open to the public.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the US 70 (Alfred Cunningham) Bridge, at mile 0.0, over the Trent River, at New Bern, NC. The deviation restricts the operation of the draw span to facilitate the general maintenance of the Bridge.

The Lower Mississippi River Waterway Safety Advisory Committee (LMRWSAC) will hold its bi-annual meeting on December 6, 2011, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The meeting will be open to the public.

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 from October 31, 2011 until November 8, 2011. This action is necessary to protect the waterways, waterway users, and vessels from hazards associated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' dispersal barrier maintenance operations. During the enforcement period, 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 is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Savannah River in Augusta, Georgia during the 2011 Head of the South Regatta, which will consist of a series of rowing races. The 2011 Head of the South Regatta is scheduled to take place on Friday, November 11, 2011 and Saturday, November 12, 2011. The temporary safety zone is necessary for the safety of race participants, participant vessels, spectators, and the general public during the event. 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 Savannah or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is clarifying that the public comment period on its July 19, 2011, temporary interim rule remains open for the duration of the rule's effective period. The rule established a Regulated Navigation Area (RNA) on the navigable waters of the Chelsea River under and surrounding the Chelsea Street Bridge (CSB) that crosses the Chelsea River between East Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts.

The Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Third Street Drawbridge across Islais Creek, mile 0.4, at San Francisco, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow the City of San Francisco to make emergency electrical repairs on the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to be secured in the closed-to-navigation position during the deviation period.

The Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee (CFSAC) will meet in Seattle, Washington to discuss various issues relating to safety in the commercial fishing industry. This meeting will be open to the public.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Illinois River near Morris, Illinois. This zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Illinois River due to the Truman-Hobbs alteration of the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railroad Drawbridge. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect the surrounding public and vessels from the hazards associated with the removal of the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railroad Drawbridge's old bridge piers and pier protection cells.

The Coast Guard will establish special local regulation during the Chesapeake Bay Workboat Race, a series of boat races to be held on the waters of Back River, Poquoson, Virginia. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the events. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic during the power boat races on the Back River in the vicinity of Messick Point, in Poquoson, Virginia.