Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the Stormwater Conveyance System Construction Project located off of Northerly Island, Lake Michigan, Chicago, IL. The safety zone is necessary to protect vessels and persons from potential hazards during the initial tunneling phase of the project. This phase will involve extensive blasting operations. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake Michigan in Chicago, IL.

The Coast Guard announces the establishment of Sector Jacksonville. The Sector Jacksonville Commanding Officer will have the authority, responsibility and missions of a Group Commander, Captain of the Port (COTP) and Commanding Officer, Marine Safety Office (MSO). 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established a continuity of operations order whereby all previous practices and procedures will remain in effect until superseded by an authorized Coast Guard official and/or document.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 the operating regulations of the Skidaway Bridge (SR 204) across the Intracoastal Waterway, mile 592.9, in Savannah, Georgia. This rule allows the bridge to open on signal, except that from Monday through Friday, not including Federal holidays, the bridge need only open on the hour between 6:31 a.m. and 8:59 a.m. and on the hour and half hour between 4:31 p.m. and 6:29 p.m.

Under the Oil Terminal and Tanker Environmental Oversight Act of 1990, the Coast Guard may certify on an annual basis an alternative voluntary advisory group in lieu of a regional citizens' advisory council for Cook Inlet, Alaska. This certification allows the advisory group to monitor the activities of terminal facilities and crude oil tankers under the Cook Inlet Program established by the statute. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public that the Coast Guard has recertified the alternative voluntary advisory group for Cook Inlet, Alaska.

The Coast Guard is extending the effective period for a temporary safety zone during preconstruction for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge construction project. The Coast Guard is taking this action to safeguard the public from hazards associated with the transport and construction of the cable wires and cable bands being used to construct the catwalk for the new bridge. Entry into this zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, Puget Sound or his designated representatives.

The Coast Guard is temporarily changing the regulation governing the Rock Island Railroad & Highway Drawbridge, across the Upper Mississippi River at Mile 482.9, at Rock Island, Illinois. The drawbridge need not open for river traffic and may remain in the closed-to-navigation position from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on September 25, 2005. This rule allows the drawbridge be maintained in the closed-to- navigation position to allow the annually scheduled running of a foot race as part of a local community event.

The Coast Guard is establishing the Humboldt Bay Bar Channel and the Humboldt Bay Entrance Channel as a Regulated Navigation Area (RNA) for certain commercial vessels transporting oil or hazardous material as cargo. This action is necessary to reduce significant hazards to subject vessels, the port and the public that are present during periods of poor weather conditions. The RNA codifies existing Captain of the Port San Francisco Bay (COTP) policies for vessels transporting oil or certain dangerous cargoes in bulk within Humboldt Bay.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the Port of Baltimore, Maryland during the movement of the historic Sloop- of-War U.S.S. CONSTELLATION. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the dead ship tow of the vessel from its berth, to the Fort McHenry Angle on the Patapsco River, and return. This action will restrict vessel traffic in portions of Baltimore's Inner Harbor, the Northwest Harbor, and the Patapsco River.

The Coast Guard is revising the perimeter of the existing security zone that extends approximately 50 yards into the navigable waters of the Oakland Estuary, Alameda, California, around the United States Coast Guard Island Pier to coincide with the perimeter of a floating security barrier. This action is necessary to provide continued security for the military service members on board vessels moored at the pier and the government property associated with these valuable national assets. This security zone prohibits all persons and vessels from entering, transiting through, or anchoring within a portion of the Oakland Estuary surrounding the Coast Guard Island Pier unless authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) 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)1625-0011, CG-2554 Private Aids to Navigation, and CG-4143 Application for Class I Private Aids to Navigation Artificial Islands/Fixed Structuresabstracted below, to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. 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 temporary special local regulations during the ``Patuxent River Air Expo 2005'', an event to be held over the waters of the lower Patuxent River near Solomons, 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 Patuxent River during the event.

The Coast Guard announces the stand-up of Sector Hampton Roads and its subordinate unit, Sector Field Office (SFO) Eastern Shore. Sector Hampton Roads is subordinate to the Fifth Coast Guard District Commander. The Sector Hampton Roads Commander has the authority, responsibility, and missions of the prior Group Hampton Roads Commander, Commanding Officer Marine Safety Office Hampton Roads, Captain of the Port (COTP), Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI), Federal on Scene Coordinator (FOSC), Federal Maritime Security Coordinator (FMSC), and Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator (SMC). The Deputy Sector Commander is designated alternate COTP, FMSC, FOSC, SMC and Acting OCMI. The Deputy Sector Commander also assumes active search suspension (ACTSUS) authority in the absence of the Sector Commander. The Commander of SFO Eastern Shore is subordinate to the Sector Commander and is vested with all the rights, responsibilities, duties, and authority of a Group Commander, which includes SMC. In the absence of the SFO Commander, SMC authority may remain with the Acting Commander. However, active search suspension (ACTSUS) authority will revert to the Commander, Sector Hampton Roads. A continuity of operations order has been issued ensuring that all previous MSO Hampton Roads, Group Hampton Roads, and Group Eastern Shore practices and procedures will remain in effect until superseded by an authorized Coast Guard official and/or document. This continuity of operations order addresses existing COTP regulations, orders, directives and policies.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone for Naval and Army vessels while conducting ammunitions transfers in a designated area near Indian Island, Washington. The Coast Guard is taking this action to provide safety and security for Naval and Army vessels from terrorism, sabotage, other subversive acts, to allow sufficient maneuvering area for the vessel, and to maintain a sufficient blast radius from land in an event of an accident. Entry into this zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, Puget Sound or his designated representatives.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has temporarily changed the regulation governing the operation of the Tarpon Dock bascule span drawbridge across Massalina Bayou, mile 0.0, at Panama City, Bay County, Florida. The regulation will allow the draw of the bridge to remain closed to navigation for one hour to facilitate the American Heart Walk.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the operating regulations governing the Cortez (SR 684) bridge and the Anna Maria (SR 64) bridge across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, mile 89.2 in Anna Maria, Manatee County, Florida. This proposed rule would require the drawbridges to open on a 30-minute schedule if vessels are present. However, the drawbridges are not required to open during the morning and afternoon rush hours. This proposed action may improve the movement of vehicular traffic while not unreasonably interfering with the movement of vessel traffic.

The Navigation Safety Advisory Council (NAVSAC) will meet as required to discuss various issues relating to the safety of navigation. The meeting will be open to the public.

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)1625-0018, Official Logbook abstracted below, to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. 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.

On July 15, 2005, the Coast Guard published a temporary final rule in the Federal Register establishing temporary special local regulations for the ``Point Pleasant OPA/NJ Offshore Grand Prix'', a marine event to be held on the waters of the Manasquan River, Manasquan Inlet and Atlantic Ocean between Point Pleasant Beach and Bay Head, New Jersey. On July 21, 2005, the Coast Guard learned that this marine event was proposed to be conducted at a different location. This rule changes the location of the temporary regulated area. 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 regulated area during the event.

The Coast Guard is extending the previously established temporary final rule published in the Federal Register on January 26, 2005 which created a regulated navigation area on the Illinois Waterway near Romeoville, IL. This temporary regulated navigation area will place navigational and operational restrictions on all vessels transiting through the demonstration electrical dispersal barrier located on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. This regulated navigation area is necessary to protect vessels and their crews from harm as a result of electrical discharges emitting from the electrical dispersal barrier as vessels transit over it.

This document provides required notice of substantive rules issued by the Coast Guard and temporarily effective between April 1, 2005 and June 30, 2005, that were not published in the Federal Register. This quarterly notice lists special local regulations, safety zones and security zones, all of limited duration and for which timely publication in the Federal Register was not possible.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has approved a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the I-695 Bridge across Curtis Creek, mile 0.9, at Baltimore, MD. This deviation allows the drawbridge to remain closed to navigation on two 5-day closure periods to facilitate repairs to the main control system of the bridge.

The Coast Guard announces the review of a request from Dominion Cove Point Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Limited Partnership to begin using the south berth of its facility for receiving LNG vessels. The Coast Guard solicits public comments to consider during the approval process for this request.

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 on Wednesday April 27, 2005.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the drawbridge operation regulations to test an alternate drawbridge operation regulation for the Wantagh State Parkway Bridge, at mile 16.1, across Goose Creek, New York. Under this temporary 90-day deviation the bridge will open on signal once an hour, on the half hour, between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and Federal holidays after a 30-minute advance notice is given. At all other times the bridge will open on signal after a 30-minute advance notice is given by calling the number posted at the bridge.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the drawbridge operation regulations to test an alternate drawbridge operation regulation for the Loop Parkway Bridge, at mile 0.7, across Long Creek, New York. Under this temporary 90-day deviation the bridge will open on signal once an hour, on the half hour, between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., and at all other times after a 30 minute advance notice is given by calling the number posted at the bridge. The bridge will open promptly on signal for commercial vessels at any time.