Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 approval of revisions to the following collection of information: 1625-0006, Shipping Articles. 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 Coast Guard will enforce the Navy Pier East Safety Zone in Chicago Harbor from August 12, 2011 through August 14, 2011 and again from September 28, 2011 through October 1, 2011. 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 match race events. This rule will establish restrictions upon, and control movement of, vessels in a specified area immediately prior to, during, and immediately after match race events. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter the safety zone without the permission of the Captain of the Port, Sector Lake Michigan.

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 approval of revisions to the following collections of information: 1625-0032, Vessel Inspection Related Forms and Reporting Requirements Under Title 46 U.S. Code; 1625-0094, Ships Carrying Bulk Hazardous Liquids; and 1625-0096, Report of Oil or Hazardous Substance Discharge; and Report of Suspicious Maritime Activity. 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 Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Grassy Sound/Ocean Drive Bascule Bridge across the Grassy Sound Channel, mile 1.0, at Middle Township, NJ. The deviation is necessary to accommodate racers in ``The Wild Half'' half marathon. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position to ensure safe passage for the half marathon racers.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone during the ``NAS Patuxent River Air Expo '11,'' which consists of aerial practices, performance demonstrations and air shows, to be held over certain waters of the Patuxent River adjacent to Patuxent River, Maryland from September 1, 2011 through September 4, 2011. This rule is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This action is intended to temporarily restrict vessel traffic in portions of the Patuxent River during the event.

The Coast Guard proposes to add to its regulations a description of the procedures for requesting and processing waivers of citizenship requirements on commercial fishing vessels. The Coast Guard aims to improve its efforts to inform the commercial fishing industry of this opportunity by publishing the application procedure policy into the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

The Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC) will meet on October 6, 2011 and October 7, 2011 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 establishing a regulated navigation area on the Piscataqua River near Portsmouth, NH. This temporary final rule places speed restrictions on all vessels transiting the navigable waters on the Piscataqua River, Portsmouth, NH near the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard between Henderson Point Light on Seavey Island and Badgers Island Buoy 14. This rule is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters during ongoing ship construction.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend 33 CFR 165.1154, Security Zones; Cruise Ships, San Pedro Bay, California, by providing a common description of all security zones created by this section to encompass only navigable waters within a 100-yard radius around any cruise ship that is located within the San Pedro Bay port area landward of the sea buoys bounding the Port of Los Angeles or Port of Long Beach or at designated anchorages within 3 nautical miles of the Federal breakwater. This notice of proposed rulemaking is necessary to provide for the safety of the cruise ship, vessels, and users of the waterway. Entry into these security zones would be prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Los AngelesLong Beach, or his designated representative.

The Coast Guard is amending multiple permanent safety zones to ensure public safety during annual firework displays at various locations in the Eleventh Coast Guard District. These amendments will standardize the safety zone language, update listed events, delete events that are no longer occurring, add new unlisted annual fireworks events to the regulations, and standardize the format for all tables in these four sections. When these safety zones are activated, and thus subject to enforcement, this rule would limit the movement of vessels within the established firework display area.

The Coast Guard is establishing temporary safety zones for marine events within the Captain of the Port (COTP) Boston Zone. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the events. Entering into, transiting through, mooring or anchoring within these zones is prohibited unless authorized by the COTP Boston.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the regulations that govern the operation of two New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) bridges: The Route 30/Abescon Boulevard Bridge across Beach Thorofare, NJICW mile 67.2 and the US 40-322 (Albany Avenue) Bridge across Inside Thorofare, NJICW mile 70.0, both at Atlantic City, NJ. The proposed changes will alter the dates that these bridges are allowed to have delayed openings or remain in the closed position to accommodate heavy volumes of vehicular traffic due to the annual July 4th fireworks shows and the annual Air Show at Bader Field.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Waccamaw River during the East Coast Drag Boat Bucksport Blowout in Bucksport, South Carolina. The East Coast Drag Boat Bucksport Blowout will consist of a series of high-speed boat races. The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 17, 2011 and Sunday, September 18, 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 Charleston or a designated representative.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Grassy Sound/Ocean Drive Bascule Bridge across the Grassy Sound Channel, mile 1.0, at Middle Township, NJ. The deviation is necessary to accommodate racers in ``The Wild Half'' half marathon. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position to ensure safe passage for the half marathon racers.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish safety regulations governing the inspection, standards, and safety management systems of towing vessels. The proposal includes provisions covering: Specific electrical and machinery requirements for new and existing towing vessels, the use and approval of third-party auditors and surveyors, and procedures for obtaining Certificates of Inspection. Without making a specific proposal at this time, the Coast Guard also seeks additional data, information and public comment on potential requirements for hours of service or crew endurance management for mariners aboard towing vessels. The Coast Guard would later request public comment on specific hours of service or crew endurance management regulatory text if it seeks to implement such requirements. The intent of the proposed rulemaking is to promote safer work practices and reduce casualties on towing vessels by requiring that towing vessels adhere to prescribed safety standards and safety management systems or to an alternative, annual Coast Guard inspection regime. The Coast Guard promulgates this proposal in cooperation with the Towing Vessel Safety Advisory Committee and pursuant to the authority granted in section 415 of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004.

The Coast Guard is establishing a permanent regulated navigation area (RNA) on Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida. The RNA will be enforced annually on the Saturday and Sunday of the second week in October (Columbus Day weekend). It includes all waters within one nautical mile of the center of the Intracoastal Waterway between Featherbed Bank and the Rickenbacker Causeway Bridge. All vessels within the RNA are: required to transit the RNA at no more than 15 knots; subject to control by the Coast Guard; and required to follow the instructions of all law enforcement vessels in the area. This RNA is necessary to ensure the safe transit of vessels and to protect the marine environment.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Loop Parkway Bridge, mile 0.7, across Long Creek, and the Captree State Parkway (Robert Moses Causeway) Bridge, mile 30.7, across the State Boat Channel, at Long Island, New York. This deviation is necessary to facilitate the 2011 March of Dimes Motorcycle Run. The deviation allows the two bridges listed above to remain in the closed position during this public event.

The Coast Guard will enforce the Navy Pier Southeast Safety Zone in Chicago Harbor from September 3, 2011 through September 24, 2011. 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. During the aforementioned period, restrictions will be enforced upon, and control movement of, vessels in a specified area immediately prior to, during, and immediately after 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.

On July 11, 2011 the Coast Guard published a temporary final rule in the Federal Register (76 FR 40617), establishing temporary security zones around visiting foreign and domestic military vessels that are participating the 2011 Seattle's Seafair Fleet Week. This document corrects the list of visiting military vessels for which the rule will establish security zones.

On August 2, 2011 (76 FR 46217), the Coast Guard published a notice of public meetings and request for comments on a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) entitled ``Implementation of the Amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, and Changes to Domestic Endorsements.'' The incorrect publication date of the SNPRM was cited. This notice corrects that error.

The Coast Guard announces the availability of Preliminary Study Recommendations of a Port Access Route Study evaluating the continued applicability of and the need for modifications to the current vessel routing measures in the Waters of Montauk Channel and Block Island Sound. The goals of the study are to help reduce the risk of marine casualties and increase vessel traffic management efficiency in the study area. Preliminary recommendations indicate that marine transportation safety would be enhanced through modifications to the existing vessel routing systems. The Coast Guard solicits comments on the preliminary recommendations presented in this document so we can complete our Port Access Route Study.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of Apache Pier in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina during a Labor Day weekend fireworks display on Saturday, September 3, 2011. The safety zone is necessary to protect the public from the hazards associated with launching fireworks over the 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 Charleston or a designated representative.

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 approval of revisions to the following collections of information: 1625-0001, Marine Casualty Information & Periodic Chemical Drug and Alcohol Testing of Commercial Vessel Personnel; 1625-0013, Plan Approval and Records for Load LinesTitle 46 CFR Subchapter E; 1625-0097, Plan Approval and Records for Marine Engineering Systems46 CFR subchapter F; and 1625-0101, Periodic Gauging and Engineering Analyses for Certain Tank Vessels Over 30 Years Old. 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.

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 approval of revisions to the following collection of information: 1625-0018, Official Logbook. 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 Coast Guard is announcing a series of public meetings to receive comments on a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) entitled ``Implementation of the Amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, and Changes to Domestic Endorsements'' that published in the Federal Register on August 1, 2011. The changes proposed in the SNPRM address the comments received from the public in response to a previously published Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, in most cases through revisions based on those comments, and propose to incorporate the 2010 amendments to the STCW Convention that will come into force on January 1, 2012.