Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary fixed security zone surrounding a portion of Coast Guard Island within the navigable waters of the Brooklyn Basin during an official change of command ceremony. This security zone is needed for national security reasons to protect the ceremony participants and guests from potential subversive acts. Entry into this security zone is prohibited, unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port San Francisco, or his designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes the establishment of a 1000 foot safety zone around a fireworks display for the Pepsi Americas' Sail 2006 occurring on July 4, 2006, on the Morehead City Harbor, Morehead City, NC. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic on the Morehead City Harbor. This safety zone is necessary to protect mariners from the hazards associated with fireworks displays.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish special local regulations during the ``Pepsi Americas' Sail 2006'', tall ships parade and race to be held on Onslow Bay, Beaufort Inlet, inland waters of the Morehead City State Port and Beaufort Waterfront. This special local regulation is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This proposed action is intended to restrict vessel traffic in segments of coastal North Carolina in the vicinity of Onslow Bay, Beaufort Inlet, inland waters of Morehead City State Port and Beaufort Harbor during the parade of sail and tall ship race.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone offshore of Camp Rilea, Warrenton, Oregon. Small arms training and fire will be conducted within this zone, and a safety zone is needed to ensure the safety of persons and vessels operating in this area during the specified periods. Entry into this safety zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or his/her designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a permanent special local regulation for the Dragon Boat Races held annually the second Saturday and Sunday of June on the waters of the Willamette River, Portland, Oregon. These special local regulations limit the movement of non-participating vessels in the regulated race area. This proposed rule is needed to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to seek the approval of OMB for the renewal of one Information Collection Request (ICR). The ICR is 1625-0071, Boat Owner's ReportPossible Safety Defect. Before submitting the ICR to OMB, the Coast Guard is inviting comments on it as described below.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the AMTRAK Old Saybrook-Old Lyme Bridge across the Connecticut River at mile 3.4, between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme, Connecticut. This temporary deviation requires the bridge to operate on a fixed opening schedule from March 8, 2006 through April 15, 2006, and also allows the bridge to remain in the closed position for 72 hours, from 6 a.m. on Saturday, March 11, 2006 through 6 a.m. on Tuesday, March 14, 2006. The draw shall open on signal for commercial vessels, except during the 72 hour bridge closure period, after at least a four- hour advance notice is given. This deviation is necessary to facilitate urgent bridge maintenance.

The Coast Guard has temporarily changed the regulation governing the operation of the New York City Highway Bridge (Belt Parkway), at mile 0.8, across Mill Basin, at New York City, New York. This temporary final rule allows the bridge owner to open only one of the two moveable spans for the passage of vessel traffic from March 8, 2006 through September 7, 2006. This rule is necessary to facilitate bridge deck replacement.

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) of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR is 1625- 0048, Vessel Reporting Requirements. The ICR describes 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.

This notice announces a teleconference of the Chemical Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC). The purpose of the teleconference is for CTAC to approve comments to be submitted on the Coast Guard's Notification of Arrival in U.S. Ports and Certain Dangerous Cargo interim rule. Less than 15 days notice of this teleconference is given in order to complete timely input on critical issues being studied by the Coast Guard before the end of the interim rule's comment period on March 16, 2006.

The Coast Guard is establishing permanent fixed security zones in the U.S. navigable waters extending approximately 100 yards around six separate oil refinery piers in the San Francisco Bay area. These security zones are an integral part of the Coast Guard's efforts to protect these facilities and the surrounding areas from destruction or damage due to accidents, subversive acts, or other causes of a similar nature. Entry into the zones is prohibited, unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) San Francisco Bay, or his designated representative. These zones will be subject to discretionary and random patrol and monitoring by Coast Guard, Federal, state and local law enforcement assets.

The Coast Guard is implementing the special local regulations at 33 CFR 100.527 for intercollegiate crew races, marine events to be held April 8, 2006, on the waters of the St. Mary's River at St. Mary's City, 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 U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety, at the recommendation of the National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC) is convening a Propeller Strike Injury Avoidance Workshop to address propeller strike avoidance issues. The workshop will be open to the public.

The Coast Guard seeks applications for membership on the Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Advisory Committee (CFIVSAC). CFIVSAC advises and makes recommendations to the Coast Guard for improving commercial fishing industry safety practices.

The Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) announce the availability of the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for this license application. The application describes a project that would be located in the Gulf of Mexico, in lease block High Island Area 27, on the outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Main Terminal would be located approximately 45 miles South of High Island and 50 miles East-Southeast of Galveston, Texas, with a riser platform in lease block West Cameron 167, approximately 27 miles South of Holly Beach and 29 miles South-Southeast of Johnson's Bayou, Louisiana. The Coast Guard and MARAD request public comments on the DEIS.

The National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee (NOSAC) will meet to discuss various issues relating to offshore safety and security. The meeting will be open to the public.

The Coast Guard is temporarily changing the operating regulations that govern the operation of the Route 35 Bridge, at New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway (NJICW) mile 1.1, across Manasquan River, at Brielle, New Jersey. The bridge will be closed to navigation on three four-month closure periods from 8 a.m. November 1, 2006 until 5 p.m. March 1, 2007; from 8 a.m. on November 1, 2007 until 5 p.m. March 1, 2008; and from 8 a.m. on November 1, 2008 until 5 p.m. March 1, 2009. Extensive structural, mechanical, and electrical repairs and improvements necessitate these closures.

The Coast Guard is revising its first supplemental notice of proposed rule rulemaking published October 31, 2005, establishing permanent moving security zones around all escorted High Capacity Passenger Vessels (``HCPV'') and escorted Alaska Marine Highway System Vessels (``AMHS vessels'') during their transit in the navigable waters of the Seventeenth Coast Guard District to exempt from the provisions of this rule all commercial fishing vessels, as defined by applicable United States Code, only while actively engaged in fishing.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary security zone on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. This action is necessary to provide for the security of a large number of participants during the 2006 Bay Bridge Walk across the William P. Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge between Sandy Point and Kent Island, Maryland. The security zone will allow for control of a designated area of the Chesapeake Bay and safeguard the public at large.

The Coast Guard proposes to temporarily amend the regulations governing the operation of the N.E. 14th Street Bridge across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 1055.0, Pompano, Broward County, Florida. This proposed temporary rule provides for solely single-leaf bridge operations between May and June 2006. From July through September 2006, we propose this bridge operate on a single-leaf schedule unless four hour notice is provided for double-leaf openings.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this request for comments announces that the Coast Guard has forwarded three 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) 1625-0097, Plan Approval and Records for Marine Engineering Systems46 CFR Subchapter F; (2) 1625-0103, Mandatory Ship Reporting System for the Northeast and Southeast Coasts of the United States; (3) 1625-0104, Barges Carrying Bulk Hazardous Materials. The ICRs describe 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 temporary safety zone in the Gulf of Alaska, encompassing the navigable waters in the vicinity of Narrow Cape and Ugak Island. The zone is needed to protect persons and vessels operating in the vicinity of the safety zone during a rocket launch from the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation, Narrow Cape, Kodiak Island facility. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard District, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Western Alaska, or their on-scene representative. The intended effect of the safety zone is to ensure the safety of human life and property during the rocket launch.

On August 8, 2005, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) requested Dominion Cove Point Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Limited Partnership to prepare a Waterway Suitability Assessment (WSA) for the proposed Cove Point LNG Expansion Project to be submitted to the United States Coast Guard in accordance with the Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 05-05. The purpose of the WSA is to identify credible security threats and safety hazards associated with increased LNG marine transportation in the Chesapeake Bay and identify appropriate risk management measures. The Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Baltimore, and the Captain of the Port, Hampton Roads, received the WSA from Dominion Cove Point on January 17, 2006. The conclusions of the WSA are included in this notice. The Coast Guard solicits public comments on these conclusions to consider when preparing recommendations to FERC for inclusion in their final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding the suitability of the Chesapeake Bay for increased LNG traffic.

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 Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the drawbridge operation regulations governing the operation of the AMTRAK Old Saybrook-Old Lyme Bridge, across the Connecticut River at mile 3.4, at Old Lyme, Connecticut. This deviation from the regulations allows the bridge to operate on a fixed schedule for bridge openings from February 4, 2006 through March 6, 2006, and also authorizes one 12-hour and two 72-hour bridge closures. This deviation is necessary in order to facilitate scheduled bridge maintenance.