Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard has temporarily changed the drawbridge operation regulations that govern the P.J. McArdle Bridge, across the Chelsea River at mile 0.3, between East Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts. This temporary final rule allows the bridge to remain closed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 17, 2006, to facilitate the Third Annual Chelsea River Revel Festival and the running of the Chelsea River Revel 5K Road Race. Vessels that can pass under the bridge without a bridge opening may do so at all times.

The Coast Guard proposes establishing a 1000 foot safety zone in the vicinity of Newport News, VA centered on position 37-58-30N/076- 26-19W on July 4, 2006 in support of the Stars in the Sky Fireworks event. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic on James River as necessary to protect mariners from the hazards associated with fireworks displays.

The Coast Guard proposes to create a temporary safety zone in the Wando River, Cooper River, and Charleston Harbor from Hobcaw Yacht Club to Charleston Harbor Marina along the coast of Mount Pleasant, SC, to approximately 150 yards offshore, during the Lowcountry Splash swimming event on June 24, 2006. A safety zone is necessary to prevent commercial or recreational boating traffic from interfering with swimmers on the racecourse. This rule provides for the safety of swimmers and vessels transiting the area.

The Coast Guard is proposing a supplemental change to its notice of proposed rulemaking for modifying drawbridge operating regulations. This proposed supplemental change will consolidate all temporary changes to a drawbridge operating schedule into either a deviation or a rulemaking based on the length of time of the temporary change. This new proposed change is intended to provide more easily understood regulatory requirements. This proposed change will not affect the requirements for emergency closures or permanent changes to an operating schedule.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a safety zone on June 19, 20 and 21, 2006 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a live-fire gun exercise approximately 9 nautical miles southeast of Ocean City, MD. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic on the Atlantic Ocean as necessary to protect mariners from the hazards associated with gunnery exercise. Entry into this Coast Guard safety zone would be prohibited, unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or a designated representative.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operations of the Rock Island Railroad and Highway Drawbridge, Mile 482.9, Rock Island, Illinois across the Upper Mississippi River. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed to navigation from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. on June 3, 2006. The deviation is necessary to allow time for repairs to mechanical components essential to the continued safe operation of the drawbridge.

The Coast Guard is temporarily revising the drawbridge operation regulations for the Ballard Bridge, mile 1.1, and the Fremont Bridge, mile 2.6, across the Lake Washington Ship Canal at Seattle, Washington. The temporary change will increase the two daily closed draw periods by one hour each from May 30, 2006 through March 30, 2007. This will facilitate road traffic, which will be severely limited by lane closures during the rebuilding of the approaches to the Fremont Bridge.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is issuing this notice to advise the public that it has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Installation and Operation of the Integrated Anti- Swimmer System, effective 4 April 2006, for the Final Environmental Assessment that evaluated the proposed action. This notice is issued in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.) and its implementing regulations 40 CFR 1500 through 1508.

The Captain of the Port Portland, Oregon will begin enforcing on June 7, 2006 the Portland Rose Festival Security Zone established by 33 CFR 165.1312 until June 12, 2006. This zone provides for the security of public vessels on a portion of the Willamette River during the fleet week of the 2006 Rose Festival.

The Coast Guard is temporarily establishing security zones around any vessel escorted by one or more Coast Guard, State, or local law enforcement assets within the Captain of the Port Zone Jacksonville, FL. No vessel or person is allowed within 100 yards of an escorted vessel, while within the navigable waters of the Captain of the Port Zone, Jacksonville, FL, unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Jacksonville, FL or designated representative. Additionally, all vessels within 500 yards of an escorted vessel in the Captain of the Port Zone Jacksonville, FL will be required to operate at a minimum speed necessary to maintain a safe course. This action is necessary to protect personnel, vessels, and facilities from sabotage or other subversive acts, accidents, or other events of a similar nature.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the regulations governing the State Route 433 (S433) pontoon span bridge across Liberty Bayou, mile 2.0, at Slidell, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. The State of Louisiana, Department of Transportation and Development, has requested that the notice required for an opening of the draw be changed from 12 hours to 4 hours.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish permanent special local regulations for ``Ragin' on the River'', a power boat race to be held on the waters of the Susquehanna River adjacent to Port Deposit, 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 portions of the Susquehanna River adjacent to Port Deposit, Maryland during the power boat race.

The Coast Guard is implementing the special local regulations at 33 CFR 100.530 for the ``Thunder on the Narrows'' boat races, a marine event to be held August 5 and August 6, 2006, on the waters of Prospect Bay, near Kent Island Narrows, Maryland. These special local regulations are necessary to control vessel traffic due to the confined nature of the waterway and expected vessel congestion during the event. The effect will be to restrict general navigation in the regulated area for the safety of event participants, spectators and vessels transiting the event area.

The Coast Guard is establishing special local regulations for the ``Maryland Swim for Life'', held annually on the waters of the Chester River, near Chestertown, 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 portions of the Chester River and is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event.

The Coast Guard seeks public assistance in gathering information regarding the status of research and development of ballast water management systems and analytical technologies/methods used in testing ballast water management systems. The Coast Guard may then provide this information to the 55th Session of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 55) to inform the Committee during the review of the status of the development of ballast water management systems. Our specific interest is in ballast water management systems that have been rigorously tested both in land-based test platforms and on board ships. We are also interested in technologies/methods for rapid detection, enumeration, and determination of organism viabilities in ballast water.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish temporary special local regulations for ``Thunder over the Boardwalk Airshow'', an aerial demonstration to be held over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to Atlantic City, New Jersey. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This proposed action would restrict vessel traffic in portions of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to Atlantic City, New Jersey during the aerial demonstration.

The United States Coast Guard in the Department of Homeland Security is creating a new system of records for the secure collection of information from and about individuals and entities subject to the requirements of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary 500-yard moving security zone around the U.S. Forces vessel SBX-1 during transit and sea trials within the Honolulu Captain of the Port Zone. This zone is necessary to protect the SBX-1 from hazards associated with vessels and persons approaching too close during transit and sea trials. Entry of persons or vessels into this temporary security zone while it is activated and enforced is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP).

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Columbia River in the vicinity of the Trojan Power Plant. The Captain of the Port, Portland, Oregon is taking this action to safeguard individuals and vessels from safety hazards associated with the implosion of the Trojan Power Plant cooling tower. Entry into this safety zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port.

The Coast Guard announces voluntary interim measures for certain domestic vessels to account for increased passenger and vessel weight when determining the number of passengers permitted. The Coast Guard also requests public comments on the interim measures.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to seek the approval of OMB for the reinstatement of one Information Collection Request (ICR). The ICR is 1625-0087, U.S. Coast Guard International Ice Patrol (IIP) Customer Survey. Before submitting the ICR to OMB, the Coast Guard is inviting comments on it as described below.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this request for comments announces that the Coast Guard has forwarded four Information Collection Requests (ICRs), abstracted below, to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICRs are as follows: (1) 1625-0009, Oil Record Book for Ships; (2) 1625-0014, Request for Designation and Exemption of Oceanographic Research Vessels; (3) 1625-0038; Plan Approval and Records for Tank, Passenger, Cargo and Miscellaneous Vessels, Mobile Offshore Drilling Units, Nautical School Vessels, Oceanographic Research Vessels and Electrical Engineering46 CFR Subchapters D, H, I, I-A, J, R, and U; and (4) 1625-0039, Declaration of Inspection Before Transfer of Liquid Cargo in Bulk. Our ICRs describe 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 has approved a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the Jordan Bridge across the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, at mile 2.8, in Chesapeake, Virginia. This deviation allows the drawbridge to be maintained in the limited open-to-navigation position at 90 feet above mean high water each day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 13, May 14, May 20, and May 21, 2006. Mariners requiring openings in excess of 90 feet above mean high water are requested to provide at least two hours advance notice to the Jordan Bridge Office at (757) 545-4695. This deviation is necessary to facilitate the completion of repairs to the counterweight system.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has approved a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the Woodrow Wilson Memorial (I-95) Bridge, mile 103.8, across the Potomac River between Alexandria, Virginia and Oxon Hill, Maryland. This deviation allows the drawbridge to remain closed-to-navigation from 8 p.m. on June 9, 2006, until 5 a.m. on June 12, 2006; and from 8 p.m. on July 14, 2006, until 5 a.m. on July 17, 2006, to facilitate the Outer and Inner Loop shifts of vehicular traffic for the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge construction project.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of Tampa Bay, Florida in the vicinity of the Gandy Bridge, while bridge repairs are made. This rule is necessary to ensure the safety of the construction workers and mariners on the navigable waters of the United States.