Coast Guard – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is conducting a Port Access Route Study (PARS) to evaluate safe routes for vessel traffic transiting to and from the Port of Cape Canaveral and within the offshore waters of Jacksonville, Daytona, and Canaveral, Florida. The Cape Canaveral PARS is necessary to maintain and improve navigational safety by determining if shipping safety fairways and/or routing measures should be established, adjusted, or modified due to a variety of factors including continued growth in the aerospace industry and operations. The recommendations of the study may subsequently be implemented through rulemakings or in accordance with international agreements.

The Coast Guard will enforce the special local regulations for the annual Blessing of the Fleet Boat Parade on April 28, 2024, to provide for the safety of life on navigable waterways in the San Francisco Bay during this event. Our regulation for marine events in Northern California identifies the regulated area for this event in San Francisco, CA. During the enforcement period, unauthorized persons or vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or loitering or anchoring in the regulated area, unless authorized by the designated Patrol Commander (PATCOM) or other law enforcement agencies on scene.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all navigable waters between Mile Marker 30 and 31 on the Calcasieu River Ship Channel. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by partially blocking the federally maintained channel to unload a ship loader at a waterfront facility. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port, Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur.

The Coast Guard requests individuals interested in serving on the Hawaii and American Samoa Area Maritime Security Committee (AMSC) submit their applications for membership to the Captain of the Port Sector Honolulu (COTP). The Committee assists the COTP as the Federal Maritime Security Coordinator (FMSC), Honolulu, in developing, reviewing, and updating the Area Maritime Security Plan (AMSP) for their area of responsibility.

The Coast Guard will enforce special local regulations for the Charleston Race Week in Charleston, SC, to provide for the safety of life on navigable waterways during this event. Our regulation for marine events within the Captain of the Port Charleston identifies the regulated area for this event in Charleston, SC. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter, transit through, anchor in, or remain within the designated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston (COTP) or a designated representative.

The U.S. Coast Guard is accepting applications to fill eighteen vacancies on the National Towing Safety Advisory Committee (Committee). This Committee advises the Secretary of Homeland Security, via the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on matters relating to shallow-draft inland navigation, coastal waterway navigation, and towing safety.

The Coast Guard is seeking information and comments on a potential regulated navigation area for certain waters surrounding the Port of Miami. The current proposal in consideration would establish a slow speed zone throughout Fisherman's Channel and the Main Ship Channel for vessels less than 150 meters in length. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is reopening the comment period for the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) entitled "Establish Anchorage Ground; Crims Island Anchorage, Columbia River, Oregon and Washington," published on December 28, 2023. Reopening the comment period will allow additional time for the public to review and submit comments on the proposed rule.

The Coast Guard will enforce the Desert Storm Poker Run Shootout special local regulations on the waters of Lake Havasu, Arizona on April 26, 2024, through April 28, 2024. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of the participants, crew, spectators, sponsor vessels, and general users of the waterway. During the enforcement period, persons and vessels are prohibited from anchoring, blocking, loitering, or impeding within this regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, or his designated representative.

On February 22, 2024, the Coast Guard published a proposed rule in the Federal Register proposing to update maritime security regulations by adding regulations specifically focused on establishing minimum cybersecurity requirements for U.S.-flagged vessels, facilities on the Outer Continental Shelf, and U.S. facilities subject to regulations under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. The Coast Guard is extending the comment period for the proposed rulemaking for an additional 30 days through May 22, 2024, in response to requests for additional time. We invite comments on our proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters of the Cape Fear River. This action is necessary for the safety of life on these navigable waters, in Wilmington, NC, during a fireworks display to be executed by Zambelli Fireworks. This rulemaking will prohibit persons and vessel from being in the safety zone (which is near downtown Wilmington, adjacent to the USS North Carolina) unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, Sector North Carolina, or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is modifying the operating schedule that governs the CSX Railroad Bridge, mile 1.07, the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Bridge, mile 1.80, the Craig Memorial Bridge, mile 3.30, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge, mile 4.30, and the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge, mile 5.76, all over the Maumee River at Toledo, Ohio. The original regulation was published in 1986 and was amended over the years. The new operating schedule simplifies and clarifies operations and will reduce confusion for recreational vessels and drawtenders.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters within a 2000-yard radius of the center span of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in Baltimore, MD. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with salvage work on the bridge, which partially collapsed when it was hit by the M/V DALI, and on the M/V DALI itself. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port, Sector Maryland-National Capital Region.

The Coast Guard published a notice on April 1, 2024, regarding a vacancy on the National Boating Safety Advisory Committee (Committee). This Committee advises the Secretary of Homeland Security, via the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, on matters relating to national recreational boating safety. The April 1 notice contained typographical errors that listed multiple vacancies rather than one vacancy. This document corrects those errors.

The National Maritime Security Advisory Committee (Committee) will conduct a virtual meeting to discuss a new Committee task to provide Comment on the U.S. Coast Guard's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Cybersecurity in the Marine Transportation System. The virtual meeting will be open to the public.

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: 1625-0106, Unauthorized Entry into Cuban Territorial Waters; 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.

This final rule makes non-substantive, technical, organizational, and conforming amendments to existing Coast Guard regulations. This final rule is a continuation of our practice of periodically issuing rules to keep our regulations up-to-date and accurate. This final rule will have no substantive effect on the regulated public.

The Coast Guard will enforce a security zone for all navigable waters within 400 yards of the Left Descending Bank (LDB) of the Lower Mississippi River (LMR) Mile Marker (MM) 94.4 to MM 95.1, Above Head of Passes (AHP), New Orleans, LA. This security zone is necessary to provide security and protection for visiting personnel during the events related to the French Quarter Festival. No person or vessel may enter this security zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port New Orleans (COTP) or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard published a notice on March 22, 2024, regarding meetings of the National Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee (Committee). The meetings will take place on April 9, 10 and 11, 2024. The March 22 notice contained typographical errors listing the wrong year for two of these dates. This document corrects those errors.

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: 1625-0102, National Response Resource Inventory; 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 establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters of the Anclote River in Tarpon Springs, FL for the removal of a dredging pipe. The safety zone will encompass all waters within a 200-yard radius of the dredge vessel DIAMOND 6 and the tug vessel LADY LAFON. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by dredge work and removal of a dredging pipe. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port St Petersburg.

The Coast Guard is establishing 179 temporary 500-meter safety zones around the construction of 176 wind turbine generators and three offshore substations in Federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf, east-northeast of Virginia Beach, Virginia. This action is necessary to protect life, property, and the environment during construction of their foundations and their subsequent installation, from May 1, 2024, to May 1, 2027. When enforced, only attending vessels and those vessels specifically authorized by the Fifth Coast Guard District Commander, or a designated representative, are permitted to enter or remain in the temporary safety zones.

The Coast Guard announces that the Chief, Prevention Division, Thirteenth District has issued a certificate of alternative compliance from the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (72 COLREGS), for the DELTA MARINE INDUSTRIES SHIPYARD HULL #090049. We are issuing this notice because its publication is required by statute. Due to the construction and placement of the masthead light, DELTA MARINE INDUSTRIES SHIPYARD HULL #090049 cannot fully comply with the light, shape, or sound signal provisions of the 72 COLREGS without interfering with the vessel's design and construction. This notification of issuance of a certificate of alternative compliance promotes the Coast Guard's marine safety mission.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a Regulated Navigation Area for certain waters of the Willamette River. This action is necessary to preserve the integrity of sampling ports at the NW Natural Gasco Sediments Site Project Area on these navigable waters near Portland, Oregon. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels in the designated area from activities that could disturb or damage the sampling ports unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Columbia River or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The National Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee (Committee) will conduct a series of meetings over three days to review, discuss, and make recommendations to the Secretary on matters relating to marine investigation cases and other relevant initiatives pertaining to commercial fishing vessels (CFVs). For more detailed information see section VII below.