Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In this rule the Coast Guard establishes seven anchorage grounds in Long Island Sound. These anchorages are located in Connecticut and New York State waters. This action is necessary to aid in facilitating the safe and secure anchoring and transiting of vessels, particularly deep draft vessels, transiting Long Island Sound or awaiting entry to a port or facility in New York and Connecticut.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a drawbridge opening schedule for the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge for vessels under 300 gross tons. Scheduled drawbridge openings were requested by various local entities to help reduce traffic congestion near the drawbridge during the peak navigation and tourist season. The scheduled drawbridge openings are expected to improve traffic congestion in the area and enhance safety for all modes of transportation.

The Coast Guard announces the release of Maritime Security (MARSEC) Directive 104-6 (Rev. 4). This Directive only applies to U.S. flagged vessels subject to the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) on international voyages through or in designated high risk waters, and provides additional counter-piracy guidance and mandatory measures for these vessels operating in these areas where acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships are prevalent. MARSEC Directive 104-6 (Rev. 4) also includes an annex that provides specific direction for vessels operating around the Horn of Africa. MARSEC Directives are designated Sensitive Security Information (SSI) and are not subject to public release.

The Coast Guard seeks public comment on updating vessel inspection fees. The Coast Guard, by regulation, establishes inspection fees for U.S. commercial vessels required to maintain a Certificate of Inspection and foreign tankships and mobile offshore drilling units required to maintain a Certificate of Compliance. This includes overseas inspection and examination fees. The Coast Guard is considering options for updating and/or restructuring these inspection fees to ensure their adequacy and equity, and for adapting to changes that have occurred since they were last modified in 1998. The Coast Guard seeks information on factors to consider when updating these fees.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Calumet River near Chicago, Illinois. This zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Calumet River due to the filming of a movie involving high speed boat chases and other dangerous stunts on the water. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect the surrounding public and vessels from the hazards associated with the stunts that will be performed on the river during the filming of this movie.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Menominee River in Marinette, Wisconsin. This zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Menominee River during the launching of the USS Fort Worth on December 4, 2010. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect spectators and vessels from the hazards associated with the launching of this extremely large ship.

The Delaware River and Bay Oil Spill Advisory Committee (DRBOSAC) will meet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to discuss and approve DRBOSAC's report on oil spill prevention and response strategies for the Delaware River and Bay. These meetings will be open to the public.

This notice requests individuals interested in serving on the Pittsburgh Area Maritime Security Committee to submit their application for membership, to the Captain of the Port, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend its regulation establishing a permanent safety zone extending 100 yards from Pier 66, Elliot Bay, WA to ensure adequate safety during the parade of ships and aerial demonstration for Fleet Week. This supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking introduces revisions to enforcement dates, times and location of this safety zone. This safety zone is necessary in order to restrict vessel movement for participant and spectator safety in the proximity of Pier 66, Elliot Bay, WA to provide unencumbered access for response craft in the event of an emergency during the annual parade of ships and aerial demonstration.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to change the regulation governing the operation of the S433 bridge over Bayou Liberty, mile 2.0, St. Tammany Parish, Slidell, LA. It will allow the bridge to remain unmanned during most of the day by requiring a two-hour notice for an opening of the draw. This proposed rule change will be in conjunction with a temporary deviation to test the rule change and allow for public comment.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) and Analysis to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0108, Standard Numbering System for Undocumented Vessels. Before submitting this ICR to OMB, the Coast Guard is inviting comments as described below.

In this interim rule with request for comments, the Coast Guard codifies traffic separation schemes in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and its approaches, in Puget Sound and its approaches, and in Haro Strait, Boundary Pass, and the Strait of Georgia. These traffic separation schemes (TSSs) were validated by a Port Access Route Study (PARS) conducted under the Ports and Waterways Safety Act (PWSA), 33 U.S.C. 1221-1232 and were adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). They have been shown on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) charts since 2006, and are currently documented in the IMO publication ``Ships' Routeing,'' Ninth Edition, 2008. Codifying these internationally recognized traffic separation schemes provides better routing order and predictability, increases maritime safety, and reduces the potential for collisions, groundings, and hazardous cargo spills. The Coast Guard is issuing this interim rule with a request for comments to permit the public to comment on changes made to some geographic positions located in Haro Strait, Boundary Pass, and the Strait of Georgia that were made after the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone upon specified waters of the Potomac River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during fireworks displays launched from a discharge barge located at National Harbor, in Prince Georges County, Maryland. This safety zone is intended to protect the maritime public in a portion of the Potomac River.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Gilmerton (US13/460) Bridge across the Elizabeth River (Southern Branch), AIWW mile 5.8, at Chesapeake, VA. This deviation will test a change to the drawbridge operation schedule to determine whether a schedule change is needed. This deviation will allow the bridge to remain in the closed position for certain vessels for longer morning and evening rush hour periods during the weekdays and will implement scheduled bridge openings between the rush hours and on the weekends.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary safety zone on the Beaufort River portion of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, South Carolina during the construction and expansion of the J.E. McTeer Bridge, also referred to as the S.C. 802 Bridge. This regulation is necessary to protect life and property on the navigable waters of the Beaufort River during the construction and expansion of the J.E. McTeer Bridge. 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 Charleston or a designated representative.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Upper Hack Bridge at mile 6.9, across the Hackensack River, at Secaucus, New Jersey. Under this temporary deviation the bridge may remain in the closed position for two days in November to facilitate bridge repairs.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) and Analysis to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0073, Alteration of Unreasonable Obstructive Bridges. Before submitting this ICR to OMB, the Coast Guard is inviting comments as described below.

The Coast Guard proposes a permanent increase in security zone size from 100 yards (91 meters) to 500 yards (457 meters) on the navigable waters of San Francisco Bay, Delta Ports, Monterey Bay, and Humboldt Bay, CA. Security zones are necessary to effectively protect high value assets (HVAs) such as cruise ships, high interest vessels (HIV), or tankers, as defined in 33 CFR 165.1183. A security zone is only enforceable within the limits of that zone. The limitation of the 100 yard (91 meters) security zone hinders reaction time and the ability of the coxswains to determine the target of interest's (TOI) intent, properly assess the situation, and execute protective measures for HVAs. Persons and vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or anchoring within the temporary security zones unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or her designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the navigable waters of San Francisco Bay 1,500 feet off Yellow Bluff, Sausalito, CA during a fireworks display in support of the Richardson Ash Scattering. This safety zone is established to ensure the safety of participants and spectators from the dangers associated with the pyrotechnics. Unauthorized persons and vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or remaining in the safety zone without permission from the Captain of the Port or her designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing temporary special local regulations for the swim portions of ``Beach 2 Battleship Full and Half Iron Distance Triathlon,'' to be held on the waters adjacent to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic on Banks, Motts, and Wrightsville Channels during the swimming portion of this event.

The Coast Guard published a final rule in the Federal Register on August 31, 2010 which created a security zone around the U.S. Coast Guard Base Support Unit Seattle, Pier 36, on Elliot Bay in Seattle, WA. This correction document provides more precise coordinates to match the geographic description of the zone provided in the final rule to better depict the boundaries of the security zone for charting purposes. This document makes that change to the subject final rule security zone which, as described in the preamble of the final rule, extends from the north western tip of Pier 36 across the inlet to the south western tip of Pier 36, effectively closing off the access point such that unauthorized vessels are prohibited from entering the pier.

Drawbridge operations for the Baring Cross Railroad Drawbridge across the Arkansas Waterway at Mile 119.6 at Little Rock, Arkansas. Vessel operators shall contact the remote drawbridge operator via microphone keying four times within five seconds on VHF-FM Channel 13 when requesting a draw opening. This keying will activate an indicator on the remote drawbridge operator's console and send an acknowledgement tone back to the vessel. The remote drawbridge operator will then establish verbal radio communications with the vessel and operate the drawspan as normal.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the navigable waters of San Francisco Bay 1,000 yards off Epic Roasthouse Restaurant, San Francisco, CA during a fireworks display in support of the Epic Roasthouse Private Party. This safety zone is established to ensure the safety of participants and spectators from the dangers associated with the pyrotechnics. Unauthorized persons and vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or remaining in the safety zone without permission from the Captain of the Port or her designated representative.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Pekin Railroad Drawbridge across the Illinois Waterway, mile 151.2, Pekin, Illinois. The deviation is necessary to allow the replacement of lift cables and associated mechanisms on the lift span and allows the bridge to be maintained in the closed-to-navigation position during the deviation period.

Drawbridge operations for the Rob Roy Railroad Drawbridge across the Arkansas Waterway at Mile 67.4 at Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Vessel operators shall contact the remote drawbridge operator via microphone keying four times within in five seconds on VHF-FM Channel 12 when requesting a draw opening. This keying will activate an indicator on the remote drawbridge operator's console and send an acknowledgement tone back to the vessel. The remote drawbridge operator will then establish verbal radio communications with the vessel and operate the drawspan as normal.