Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone on the waters of the upper Potomac River. This action is necessary to provide for the security of a large number of visitors to the annual July 4th celebration on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The security zone will allow for control of a designated area of the river and safeguard spectators and high-ranking officials.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of the Lower Colorado River, Laughlin, Nevada, in support of the Laughlin Independence Day fireworks display to be held near the AVI Resort and Casino. This temporary safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of the participants, crew, spectators, participating vessels and other vessels and users of the waterway. Persons and vessels will be prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or anchoring within this safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, or his designated representative.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this request for comments announces that the Coast Guard has forwarded one Information Collection Request (ICR), abstracted below, to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to request an extension of their approval of the following collection of information: 1625-0071, Boat Owner's Report-Possible Safety Defect. Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. Review and comment by OIRA ensures that we impose only paperwork burdens commensurate with our performance of duties.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone in support of the Joint Logistics Over the Shore Naval Operations to be held on the Chesapeake Bay in the vicinity of Fort Story, Virginia Beach, VA. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic from certain areas of the Chesapeake Bay in the vicinity of Fort Story. The safety zone is necessary to protect mariners from the hazards associated with the naval operations.

The Coast Guard announces a public scoping meeting in support of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis for this rulemaking, which concerns the regulation of dry cargo residues or sweepings in the Great Lakes. We also announce the availability of a sampling plan proposal that the Coast Guard may implement, in part or in whole, as part of this NEPA analysis, and we request public comments on that proposal.

The Coast Guard is removing one of two duplicate temporary rules that establish safety zones on the navigable waters of Hog Island Reach on the Cooper River, for demolition of the Grace Memorial and Silas Pearman Bridges and associated recovery operations.

The Coast Guard is implementing safety zones for annual fireworks displays in the Captain of the Port Detroit Zone during June 2006. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life and property on navigable waters during these events. These safety zones will restrict vessel traffic from a portion of the Captain of the Port Detroit Zone.

This notice announces teleconferences of the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC). The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of these meetings be announced in the Federal Register. The purpose of these teleconferences is for MERPAC to discuss and prepare comments to the docket on the joint Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) and Coast Guard's Transportation Worker's Identification Credential (TWIC) proposed rule and on the Coast Guard's Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) proposed rule. MERPAC provides advice and makes recommendations to the Coast Guard on matters related to the training, qualification, licensing, certification, and fitness of seamen serving in the U.S. merchant marine.

The Coast Guard is proposing the establishment of a 500-foot safety zone on the Chesapeake Bay in support of the Fireworks on the Bay Celebration. This event is will be held at First Landing State Park, Virginia Beach, VA on July 04, 2006, and if warranted due to inclement weather, July 5, 2006. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic on Chesapeake Bay as necessary to protect mariners from the hazards associated with fireworks displays.

The Coast Guard proposes to revise its regulation entitled Port Valdez and Valdez Narrows, Valdez, Alaska security zones. This change would include more accurate position information for the boundaries of tank vessels navigating on the Valdez Narrows Optimum Track Line, and establish when the Valdez Narrows Tanker Optimum Track line is activated and subject to enforcement.

The Coast Guard published a document in the Federal Register on May 25, 2006 (71 FR 30060), establishing a temporary security zone on the Severn River and College Creek during Vice President Cheney's attendance at the commencement at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The document contained incorrect coordinates to describe the security zone.

The Coast Guard is amending its current regulations establishing additional safety zones on the waters of the Suislaw, Willamette, Columbia, Coos, and Chehalis Rivers, located in the Area of Responsibility (AOR) of the Captain of the Port, Portland, Oregon, during annual fireworks displays. The Captain of the Port, Portland, Oregon, is taking this action to safeguard watercraft and their occupants from safety hazards associated with these displays. Entry into these safety zones is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port.

The Houston-Galveston Navigation Safety Advisory Committee (HOGANSAC) and its working groups will meet to discuss waterway improvements, aids to navigation, area projects impacting safety on the Houston Ship Channel, and various other navigation safety matters in the Galveston Bay area. All meetings will be open to the public.

The Coast Guard is establishing temporary special local regulations for the ``2006 Rappahannock River Boaters Association Spring and Fall Radar Shootout'', power boat races to be held on the waters of the Rappahannock River near Layton, VA. 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 in the Rappahannock River during the event.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary safety zone upon certain waters of the Tred Avon River during a fireworks display. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during a fireworks display launched from a barge, located between Bellevue, Maryland and Oxford, Maryland. This action will restrict vessel traffic in a portion of the Tred Avon River.

The Coast Guard is establishing temporary special local regulations during the ``Bo Bowman MemorialSharptown Regatta'', a marine event to be held on the waters of the Nanticoke River near Sharptown, Maryland. 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 in the Nanticoke River during the event.

This notice provides the times and locations of the public meetings which will be held by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Coast Guard (USCG) regarding the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking entitled ``Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Implementation in the Maritime Sector; Hazardous Materials Endorsement for a Commercial Driver's License'' and the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking entitled ``Consolidation of Merchant Mariner Qualification Credentials'', both of which were published in the Federal Register on May 22, 2006.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of Hog Island Reach on the Cooper River, for demolition of the Grace Memorial and Silas Pearman Bridges and associated recovery operations. The temporary safety zone includes all waters within the area bounded by the following coordinates: 32[deg]48.566' N, 079[deg]55.211' W to 32[deg]48.389' N, 079[deg]54.256' W to 32[deg]47.824' N, 079[deg]54.401' W thence to 32[deg]47.994' N, 079[deg]55.359' W. This rule prohibits entry, anchoring, mooring, or transiting within the temporary safety zone without the permission of the Captain of the Port Charleston or his designated representative. This regulation is necessary to protect life and property on the navigable waters of the Cooper River from the dangers associated with the demolition and recovery of these bridges.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone encompassing the waters of the Severn River and College Creek in order to safeguard high-ranking public officials from terrorist acts and incidents during the U.S. Naval Academy graduation ceremony on May 26, 2006. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of persons and property, and prevent terrorist acts or incidents. This rule prohibits vessels and people from entering the security zone and requires vessels and persons in the security zone to depart the security zone, unless specifically exempt under the provisions in this rule or granted specific permission from the Coast Guard Captain of the Port Baltimore.

The Coast Guard proposes to make revisions in Missouri River drawbridge regulations covering Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri. Under the proposed revisions, the bridges will open on signal, except during the winter season when 24 hours advance notice will be required. These proposed revisions to the regulations will reduce delays to the vessels transiting through these States on the Missouri River.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announces its intent to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) on the proposed decommissioning and excessing of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) STORIS (WMEC-38), homeported in Kodiak, AK, and USCGC ACUSHNET (WMEC-167), homeported in Ketchikan, AK. This notice provides information on the proposed action, requests public comments on environmental impacts that might occur from the proposed action, and provides instructions on how to submit comments to the USCG.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the drawbridge operation regulations governing the operation of the Beach Channel railroad bridge across Jamaica Bay, at mile 6.7, New York. This proposed rule would allow the Beach Channel Bridge to remain in the closed position during the morning and afternoon commuter rush hours from 6:45 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. This rule is expected to help facilitate commuter rail traffic while continuing to meet the present and anticipated needs of navigation.

The Coast Guard announces the completion of a Port Access Route Study that analyzed potential vessel routing measures and considered adjusting existing vessel routing measures in order to help reduce the risk of vessel strikes of the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale. The study focused on the northern region off the Atlantic Coast which included Cape Cod Bay, the area off Race Point at the northern end of Cape Cod (Race Point) and the Great South Channel; and in the southern region which included areas along the seacoast in the approaches to the Ports of Jacksonville and Fernandina Beach, Florida, and Brunswick, Georgia. This notice summarizes the study's recommendations. Comments on these recommendations are requested.

This is a notice of proposed rulemaking by the Department of Homeland Security, specifically by the Transportation Security Administration and the United States Coast Guard. If promulgated, this rule would implement the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program in the maritime sector. Under this program, merchant mariners holding an active License, Merchant Mariner Document, or Certificate of Registry and workers who require unescorted access to secure areas at maritime facilities or on vessels must undergo a security threat assessment, and, if found to not pose a security threat, obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential. Persons without Transportation Worker Identification Credentials will not be granted unescorted access to secure areas at affected maritime facilities or on vessels. Under this proposed rule, the Coast Guard seeks to amend its regulations on vessel and facility security to require the use of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential as an access control measure. It is also proposing to amend its regulations covering merchant mariners to incorporate the requirement to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential. In a separate rulemaking action published elsewhere in this edition of the Federal Register, the Coast Guard also is proposing to consolidate existing licensing and documentation regulations to minimize duplicative or redundant identification or background check requirements. The Transportation Security Administration proposes amending its security threat assessment standards that currently apply to commercial drivers authorized to transport hazardous materials in commerce to also apply to merchant mariners and workers who require unescorted access to secure areas on vessels and at port facilities. These proposed amendments also relate to the notification an employer receives when an employee who holds a hazardous materials endorsement or a Transportation Worker Identification Credential is determined to pose a security threat. The Transportation Security Administration also is proposing regulations dealing with the enrollment of port workers into the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program. In addition, the Transportation Security Administration is proposing a fee, as authorized under the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2004, to pay for the costs related to the issuance of the Transportation Worker Identification Credentials under this rule. This rulemaking would enhance the security of ports by requiring background checks on persons and establishing a biometric access control system to prevent those who pose a security threat from gaining unescorted access to secure areas of ports. This rulemaking implements the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, which requires that credentialed merchant mariners and workers with unescorted access to secured areas of vessels and facilities be subject to a security threat assessment and receive a biometric credential needed to access secured areas.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish special local regulations in the navigable waters of the Sacramento River for a waterfront festival to be held on July 21 through July 23, 2006. The event includes boat racing, speed trials, water-skiing, and wakeboard competitions. The proposed special local regulations are intended to prohibit vessels and people from entering into or remaining within a regulated area in order to ensure the safety of participants and spectators.