Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is changing the regulations governing six bridges across Bayou Lafourche, south of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. The Lafourche Parish Council has requested that the bridges remain closed to navigation at various times on weekdays during the school year. These closures will facilitate the safe, efficient movement of staff, students and other residents within the parish.

The United States Coast Guard will meet to discuss the comments received relating to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Kenner Bend Anchorage as published in the Federal Register, Vol. 70, No. 80 on Wednesday, April 27, 2005.

This final rule revises Coast Guard requirements for alcohol testing after a serious marine incident to ensure that mariners or their employees involved in a serious marine incident are tested for alcohol use within 2 hours of the occurrence of the incident as required under the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998. This final rule also requires that most commercial vessels have alcohol testing devices on board, and authorizes the use of saliva as an acceptable specimen for alcohol testing. This rule also makes some minor procedural changes, including a 32-hour time limit for collecting specimens for drug testing following a serious marine incident.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the drawbridge operation regulations for the Amtrak Old Saybrook-Old Lyme Bridge (Old Saybrook-Old Lyme Bridge), mile 3.4, across the Connecticut River, Connecticut. This deviation from the regulations allows the bridge to operate on a fixed schedule for bridge openings and two three-day closures from January 3, 2006 through February 1, 2006. This deviation is necessary in order to facilitate necessary scheduled bridge maintenance.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the operating schedule of the Stickney Point (SR 72) bridge across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, mile 68.6 in Sarasota County, Florida. This proposed rule would require the drawbridge to open on a 30-minute schedule from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., Monday through Friday except Federal holidays. This proposed action may improve the movement of vehicular traffic while not unreasonably interfering with the movement of vessel traffic.

The Coast Guard announces the stand-up of Sector Houston- Galveston. Sector Houston-Galveston is an internal reorganization to combine Group Galveston, Base Galveston, Vessel Traffic Service Houston-Galveston, Marine Safety Office Houston-Galveston including Marine Safety Unit Galveston and Marine Safety Office Port Arthur including Marine Safety Unit Lake Charles into one command. The Coast Guard has established a continuity of operations order whereby all previous practices and procedures will remain in effect until superseded by an authorized Coast Guard official and/or document.

The Coast Guard is changing existing permanent security zones in designated waters adjacent to the islands of Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai, Hawaii. These revised security zones are necessary to protect personnel, vessels, and facilities from acts of sabotage or other subversive acts, accidents, or other causes of a similar nature and will extend from the surface of the water to the ocean floor. Some of the revised security zones are continuously activated and enforced at all times, while others are activated and enforced only during heightened threat conditions. Entry into these Coast Guard security zones while they are activated and enforced is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port.

On August 18, 2004, the Coast Guard published a temporary rule entitled ``Notification of Arrival in U.S. Ports; Certain Dangerous Cargoes; Electronic Submission.'' 69 FR 51176. This temporary rule, which expires March 20, 2006, added ammonium nitrate and ammonium nitrate based fertilizers, in bulk, and propylene oxide, alone or mixed with ethylene oxide, in bulk, to the list of Certain Dangerous Cargoes (CDCs) for which a notice of arrival (NOA) is required. The Coast Guard is now permanently changing the definition of ``certain dangerous cargo'' to include (1) ammonium nitrate, in bulk; (2) ammonium nitrate based fertilizers, in bulk; and (3) propylene oxide, alone or mixed with ethylene oxide, in bulk. This rule also adds an option for vessels to submit notices of arrival electronically. These changes are necessary to promote maritime safety and security and to facilitate the uninterrupted flow of commerce by providing the Coast Guard with information on these cargoes.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the Chicago New Year's Celebration fireworks display. This safety zone is necessary to protect vessels and spectators from potential airborne hazards during a planned fireworks display over Lake Michigan. The safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake Michigan off Chicago, Illinois.

The Coast Guard is revising the drawbridge operation regulations for bridges on the Willamette River, Oregon. The modification will reorganize the text into a more understandable format with minor editing of the regulations and change the operating regulations for the draw of the Burnside Bridge across the Willamette River, mile 12.4, at Portland, Oregon. The change will enable the bridge owner to provide single-leaf operation of the Burnside Bridge, except during the Rose Festival, to facilitate major structural and mechanical rehabilitation of the bridge.

The Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) announce the cancellation of all actions related to the processing of a license application for the proposed Pearl Crossing LNG Terminal LLC deepwater port. The action announced here includes cancellation of all activities related to the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that was announced on Monday, August 16, 2004, in Federal Register Volume 69 Number 157 (Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement). The action is taken in response to the applicant's decision to withdraw the application.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary special local regulation during the ``Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006'', sailboat races to be held on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay in the vicinity east of Gibson Island, Maryland and near the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial (Chesapeake Bay) Bridge near Annapolis, 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 segments of the Chesapeake Bay during the sailboat races.

The Coast Guard proposes to temporarily modify the drawbridge operation regulations for the Heron Street Bridge across the Wishkah River, mile 0.2, at Aberdeen, Washington. The proposed temporary change will enable the bridge owner to delay and plan for openings of the bridge from February 2006 through March 2007. This will facilitate major structural and mechanical rehabilitation of the bridge.

The Coast Guard is extending the effective period of the safety zone in the Bering Sea, Unalaska Island, Alaska. The zone is needed to facilitate safe salvage operations related to the grounding of the merchant vessel (M/V) SELENDANG AYU. 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 proposed safety zone is to mitigate safety risks to salvage personnel.

The Coast Guard announces that it intends to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) as part of the environmental planning process for the Nationwide Automatic Identification System (NAIS) project. The NAIS project, a USCG and DHS Level 1 investment and major systems acquisition, was initiated as a component of implementing the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. Implementation of the NAIS, in part, involves installing Automatic Identification System (AIS) equipment and related support systems on and around communications towers or other structures along 95,000 miles of coastline and inland rivers. The NAIS project is being conducted to provide the USCG with the capability to receive and distribute information from shipboard Automatic Identification System (AIS) equipment in order to enhance Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA). The project will provide detection and identification of vessels carrying AIS equipment approaching or operating in the maritime domain where little or no vessel tracking currently exists. AIS is an international standard, approved by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), for ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore and shore- to-ship communication of information, including vessel position, speed, course, destination, and other data of critical interest for maritime safety and security. The information provided by this system will support national maritime interestsfrom the safety of ports through collision avoidance, to the safety of the nation through detection and classification of vessels when they are still thousands of miles offshore. Publication of this notice begins a scoping process that identifies and determines the scope of environmental issues to be addressed in the PEIS. This notice requests public participation in the scoping process and provides information on how to participate.

The Coast Guard is establishing a regulated navigation area (RNA) within San Diego Bay, Mission Bay, and their approaches out to the 12 nautical mile limit of the territorial sea. This action is necessary to provide the COTP a greater situational awareness of vessels intending to enter San Diego Bay or Mission Bay, to allow the COTP to enforce safety and security zones associated with naval vessel movements and exercises, and increase awareness of potential threats to national security assets within the area. This RNA will ensure the safe movement of vessels in the vicinity of San Diego Bay and Mission Bay.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the drawbridge operating regulations governing the operation of the Route 35 Bridge, mile 0.0, across Cheesequake Creek at South Amboy, New Jersey. This proposed rule would allow the bridge owner to require a two hour notice from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., year round and all day from December 1 through March 31. This rule is expected to meet the reasonable needs of navigation.

The Coast Guard announces the establishment of Sector Guam. Sector Guam is an internal reorganization that combines Marianas Section and Marine Safety Office Guam into a single command. The Coast Guard has established a continuity of operations whereby all previous practices and procedures will remain in effect until superseded by an authorized Coast Guard official or document.

The Coast Guard announces the establishment of Sector Honolulu. Sector Honolulu is an internal reorganization that combines Group Honolulu and Marine Safety Office Honolulu into a single command. The Coast Guard has established a continuity of operations whereby all previous practices and procedures will remain in effect until superseded by an authorized Coast Guard official or document.

In accordance with the requirements in 33 CFR 127.009, the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) Mobile, AL is preparing a letter of recommendation as to the suitability of the Pascagoula Bar, Horn Island Pass, Lower Pascagoula, and Bayou Casotte Channels for liquefied natural gas (LNG) marine traffic. The letter of recommendation is in response to a letter of intent submitted by Bayou Casotte Energy LLC to operate a LNG facility in Jackson County, MS. The COTP Mobile, AL is soliciting written comments and related material, and will hold a public meeting seeking comments, pertaining specifically to maritime safety and security aspects of the proposed LNG facilities. In preparation for issuance of a letter of recommendation and the completion of certain other regulatory mandates, the COTP Mobile, AL will consider comments received from the public as input into a formalized risk assessment process. This process will assess the safety and security aspects of the facility, adjacent port areas, and navigable waterways.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Burlington Northern Railway Vertical Lift Span Railroad Bridge across Berwick Bay, mile 17.5 [Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (Morgan City to Port Allen Alternate Route), mile 0.4], at Morgan City, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. This deviation provides for two (2) four-hour bridge closures to conduct scheduled maintenance to the railroad on the drawbridge.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone at the North Carolina State Port Authority (NCSPA), Wilmington to include the Cape Fear River and Eagle Island. Entry into or movement within the security zone will be prohibited without authorization from the Captain of the Port (COTP), Wilmingon, NC. This action is necessary to safeguard the vessels and the facility from sabotage, subversive acts, or other threats.

The Coast Guard will enforce the special local regulations at 33 CFR 100.511 during the Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade, a marine event to be held December 10, 2005, on the waters of Spa Creek and the Severn River at Annapolis, 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 a temporary special local regulation for the Offshore Super Series Boat Race in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida, in the vicinity of the Don Cesar Hotel. This event will be held November 16th, 17th, 19th, and 20th, 2005 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. EDT (Eastern Daylight Time). Historically, there have been approximately 400 participant and spectator craft. The nature of high speed boats traveling at speeds in excess of 130 miles per hour creates an extra or unusual hazard in the navigable waters of the United States. This rule is necessary to ensure the safety of life for the participating vessels, spectators, and mariners in the area on the navigable waters of the United States.

The Coast Guard is temporarily revising the operating regulations for the Ft. Madison Drawbridge, mile 383.9, the Burlington RR Drawbridge, mile 403.1, the Illinois Central Railroad Drawbridge, mile 579.9, and the Rock Island Arsenal Drawbridge, mile 482.9, all located along the Upper Mississippi River. The temporary revision established the winter operating schedules for these four drawbridges while still providing for the reasonable needs of navigation.