Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary moving safety zone around the vessels OCEAN PATRIOT and ROSS CANDIES operating in the Mississippi Canyon Block 20 in the Gulf of Mexico. The safety zone encompasses all navigable waters within a 500-yard radius of the vessels. The safety zone is needed to protect persons, vessels, and the marine environment from hazards associated with the vessels' limited maneuverability during installation of a containment system. Persons and vessels are prohibited from entering or remaining in this zone unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector New Orleans or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish two temporary safety zones on the navigable waters of the Cape Fear River in Brunswick County and New Hanover County, North Carolina. These temporary safety zones are intended to restrict vessel traffic on the Cape Fear River while a vessel transports and offloads one new Post-Panamax container crane to the North Carolina State Port in Wilmington, North Carolina. The first temporary safety zone will be enforced for one day during vessel transit from March 20 through April 15, 2019, and the second temporary safety zone for offload will be enforced for one day within five days after transit. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic on the Cape Fear River to protect mariners and vessels from the hazards associated with transporting and offloading the assembled container crane. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit vessels or persons from being in the safety zones unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) North Carolina or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing temporary safety zones in portions of New Castle Range, Marcus Hook Range, Deepwater Point Range, and Anchorage 7 off Marcus Hook Range on the Delaware River. The safety zones will temporarily restrict vessel traffic from transiting or anchoring in a portion of the Delaware River while dredging operations are being conducted to facilitate the Delaware River annual maintenance project for the main navigational channel of the Delaware River. This regulation is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters of the Delaware River, in the vicinity of dredging activity and is intended to protect mariners from the hazards associated with pipe- laying and dredging operations.

The Coast Guard will enforce the Penn's Landing, Delaware River, Philadelphia, PA; safety zone from 5:45 p.m. through 6:45 p.m. on December 31, 2018, and from 11:45 p.m. on December 31, 2018, through 12:45 a.m. on January 1, 2019. This action is necessary to ensure safety of life on the navigable waters of the United States immediately prior to, during, and immediately after the fireworks displays. Our regulation for safety zones of fireworks displays in the Fifth Coast Guard District identifies the regulated area for this event at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia, PA. During the enforcement periods, vessels may not enter, remain in, or transit through the safety zones during these enforcement periods unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or designated Coast Guard patrol personnel on scene.

The Coast Guard has set the calendar year 2019 minimum random drug testing rate at 50 percent of covered crewmembers.

The Coast Guard will enforce the following segment of the Safety Zone: Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan including Des Plaines River, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Chicago River, and Calumet-Saganashkee Channel on all waters of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal between Mile Marker 296.1 to Mile Marker 296.7 at specified times from December 21, 2018 until February 8, 2019. This action is necessary to protect the waterway and vessels from the potential hazards associated with maintenance operations being conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's Electric Dispersal Barrier.

The Coast Guard will enforce a segment of the Safety Zone; Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan including Des Plaines River, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Chicago River, Calumet-Saganashkee Channel on all waters of the main branch of the Chicago River 600 feet west of the Franklin/Orleans Street Bridge and 1,000 feet east of the Columbus Drive Bridge from 11:45 p.m. on December 31, 2018 through 12:15 a.m. on January 1, 2019. This action is necessary and intended to ensure the safety of life and property on navigable waters prior to, during, and immediately after this fireworks display. During the enforcement period listed below transiting within the safety zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing an emergency temporary safety zone for all navigable waters of the Ohio River extending from mile marker (MM) 530.6 to MM 533.0. This emergency safety zone is needed to protect life, vessels, and the marine environment due to the increase in river level, extreme currents and excessive drift causing vessels to allide with Markland Lock and Dam. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Ohio Valley (COTP) or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is publishing this notice to satisfy a requirement of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act that a detailed accounting of the projects, programs, and activities funded under the national recreational boating safety program provision of the Act be published annually in the Federal Register. This notice specifies the funding amounts the Coast Guard has committed, obligated, or expended during fiscal year 2018, as of September 30, 2018.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters within a 420-foot radius of a portion of the Detroit River, Detroit, MI. This zone is necessary to protect spectators and vessels from potential hazards associated with the Mathai marriage proposal fireworks.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend the anchorage regulations for the Sabine Pass Channel, Sabine Pass, TX anchorage ground for the navigational safety of vessels entering and exiting a new liquefied natural gas terminal mooring basin being constructed on the eastern waterfront of the Sabine Pass Channel. This proposed rulemaking would reduce the overall size of the existing anchorage. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

In order to provide safe access routes for the movement of vessel traffic along the Arctic Coast of the United States for vessels proceeding to or from ports or places of the United States and transiting within the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Coast Guard is conducting an Alaskan Arctic Coast Port Access Route Study (AACPARS) to evaluate the need for establishing vessel routing measures. The information gathered during this AACPARS may result in the establishment of one or more vessel routing measures. The goal of the AACPARS is to enhance navigational safety by examining existing shipping routes and waterway uses, and, to the extent practicable, reconciling the paramount right of navigation with other reasonable waterway uses. The recommendations of the study may lead to future rulemaking action or appropriate international agreements.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone for the navigable waters within 500 yards of the M/V CAPE HUDSON, Official Number 901127, during its departure from Terminal 7 in Tacoma, WA. This security zone is necessary to protect the vessel and associated personnel from terrorist acts, accidents, sabotage, or other subversive acts associated with the vessel's movement of military cargo. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited while the M/V CAPE HUDSON is in transit unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Puget Sound.

The Coast Guard is modifying the operating schedule that governs the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) Bridge 38.3 across Ebey Slough, mile 1.5, at Marysville, WA. The modified schedule removes the bridge operator at the subject drawbridge, and will change from on-demand opening to a four hour advance notice for opening.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all navigable waters of the Monongahela River from mile 91.7 to mile 92.3. This safety zone is necessary to protect persons, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with shore side construction activities. Entry of persons or vessels into this zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of Oregon Inlet in Dare County, North Carolina in support of demolition of the old Herbert C. Bonner Bridge. This temporary safety zone is intended to protect mariners, vessels, and demolition crews from the hazards associated with demolishing the old bridge, and will restrict vessel traffic on portions of Oregon Inlet near active demolition work and demolition equipment. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit vessels or persons from being in the safety zone. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is extending, for 30 days, the period for submitting public comments on the notice of availability of the Draft Merchant Mariner Medical Manual. The extension responds to requests made by the public.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the U.S. Coast Guard is forwarding an Information Collection Request (ICR), abstracted below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0010, Defect/ Noncompliance Report and Campaign update Report; without change. Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. Review and comments by OIRA ensure we only impose paperwork burdens commensurate with our performance of duties.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Ballard Bridge, mile 1.1, the Fremont Bridge, mile 2.6, and the University Bridge, mile 4.3, all crossing the Lake Washington Ship Canal at Seattle, WA. The deviation is necessary to accommodate re-routed roadway traffic while the Alaskan Way Viaduct is closed. This deviation allows the subject bridges to remain in the closed-to-navigation position to allow congested roadway traffic to move easier.

The Coast Guard will enforce the safety zone on the Menominee River in Marinette WI on December 15, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. This action is necessary and intended to protect the safety of life and property on navigable waterways before, during and after the launch of a naval vessel from Marinette Marine on the Menominee River in Marinette, WI. During the enforcement period, the Coast Guard will enforce restrictions upon, and control movement of, vessels in the safety zone. No person or vessel may enter into, transit, or anchor within the safety zone while it is being enforced unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the navigable waters within a 50 yard radius from the center point of the Barters Island Bridge, on the Back River, ME, approximately 4.6 miles north of the mouth of the waterway. The safety zone is necessary to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards which could pose as imminent hazard to persons and vessels operating in the area created by the demolition, subsequent removal, and replacement of the Barters Island Bridge and a temporary bridge. When enforced, persons and vessels are prohibited from being in the safety zone during bridge replacement operations unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Northern New England or a designated representative.

The U.S. Coast Guard seeks applications for membership on the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee. This Committee acts solely in an advisory capacity to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security through the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on matters relating to personnel in the United States merchant marine, including training, qualifications, certification, documentation, and fitness standards and other matters as assigned by the Commandant. The Committee advises, consults with, and makes recommendations reflecting its independent judgment to the Secretary and may make available to Congress recommendations that the Committee makes to the Secretary. In addition, the committee may be given special assignments by the Secretary and may conduct studies, inquiries, workshops, and fact finding in consultation with individuals and groups in the private sector and with State or local governments.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0001, Report of Marine Casualty and Chemical Testing of Commercial Vessel Personnel; without change. Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. Before submitting this ICR to OIRA, the Coast Guard is inviting comments as described below.

The Coast Guard is revising the regulation for safety zones for annual fireworks displays in the Captain of the Port Zone Columbia River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the fireworks displays. This rule includes updating 3 existing safety zones, adding 1 safety zone for a fireworks display that was previously published as a temporary regulation, and removing 10 safety zones for inactive fireworks displays.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the SR 413/Burlington-Bristol bridge, which carries SR 413 across the Delaware River, mile 117.8, between Burlington, NJ and Bristol, PA. The deviation is necessary to facilitate an inspection and bridge maintenance. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position.