[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 20, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 59025-59026]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-29690]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[CGD11-90-03]
RIN-2115-A47


Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Cerritos Channel, CA

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Temporary final rule.

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SUMMARY: At the request of the Port of Los Angeles, the Coast Guard is 
temporarily changing the regulation for operation of the Henry Ford 
Avenue Railroad Bridge (Ford Bridge), across Cerritos Channel of Los 
Angeles/Long Beach Harbor, mile 4.8, Long Beach, California, to 
authorize it to remain in the closed to navigation position for 5 
months, from February 1 to June 30, 1997. This action is necessary both 
to facilitate reconstruction of the bridge and to avoid disrupting 
essential rail service during reconstruction. If, due to the state of 
construction, passage through the draw becomes temporarily possible 
during the effective period, the Coast Guard will publish that fact in 
the Local Notice to Mariners.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This temporary final rule will be effective from 
February 1 through June 30, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Unless otherwise indicated, documents referred to in this 
preamble are available for inspection or copying at the office of 
Commander (Pow), Eleventh Coast Guard District, Building 50-6, Coast 
Guard Island, Alameda, CA 94501-5100 between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone number is (510) 
437-3514. Commander (Pow) maintains the public docket for this 
rulemaking.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Susan Worden, Bridge Administrator, Eleventh Coast Guard District, at 
(510) 437-3514.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Regulatory History

    On August 28, 1990, the Coast Guard published a notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register (55 FR 35154). The NPRM 
discussed a six and one-half month closure during efforts to 
rehabilitate the historic bridge. On July 8, 1996, the Coast Guard 
published a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) in the 
Federal Register (61 FR 35702). The SNPRM responded to all comments 
submitted in response to the NPRM and discussed a five month closure 
during efforts to replace portions of the bridge and to reconstruct 
other portions. The comment period established in the SNPRM ended on 
August 7, 1996. The Coast Guard received no comments on the proposal 
discussed in the SNPRM. A public hearing was not requested and no 
hearing was held.

Drafting Information

    The principal persons involved in drafting this regulation are 
Susan Worden, Project Manager, Eleventh Coast Guard District, and 
Lieutenant (junior grade) Martin Sarch, Project Attorney, Maintenance & 
Logistics Command Pacific Legal Division.

Background and Purpose

    At the request of the Port of Los Angeles, the Coast Guard is 
temporarily changing the regulation for operation of the Ford Bridge at 
mile 4.8, Los Cerritos Channel, in the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor. 
The Ford Bridge, also known as the Badger Avenue Bridge, provides the 
only rail access to Terminal Island. It crosses a waterway used by 
oceangoing cargo ships, tugs and barges, tour boats, commercial fishing 
vessels, and recreational boats. Existing regulations require the 
bridge to remain fully open except for the passage of trains or for 
maintenance.
    The bridge is over 70 years old and no longer meets California 
seismic standards or Federal Railroad Administration clearance 
standards. Interruption or delay of rail and water traffic is likely if 
the existing bridge were either to malfunction or to be damaged by 
seismic activity. In 1995, the Coast Guard issued a permit to replace 
the bridge. Replacement cannot be accomplished without closing the 
bridge span for a period of five months. Closure of the bridge will 
require maritime traffic to use an alternate route through the outer 
harbor. Detours of 5 miles are expected; maximum detours of 10 miles 
may be experienced. The short term costs attributable to these detours 
are outweighed by the long-term benefits to be gained by the 
installation of a new bridge likely to provide uninterrupted rail 
service and timely, reliable openings for waterborne traffic for many 
years.
    This temporary rule authorizes a five month (150 day) closure of 
the bridge. This action is necessary both to facilitate replacement of 
the span and reconstruction of the bridge support towers, as well as to 
avoid disrupting essential rail service during reconstruction. The 
SNPRM advertised a closure beginning in November 1996, however, 
construction is behind schedule and the closure is now scheduled to 
begin February 1, 1997. In the event that passage through the draw 
becomes temporarily possible during the effective period 
notwithstanding construction efforts, the Coast Guard will publish that 
fact in the Local Notice to Mariners.

Regulatory Evaluation

    This rule is not a significant regulatory action under section 3(f) 
of Executive Order 12866 and does not require an assessment of 
potential costs and benefits under section 6(a)(3) of that Order. It 
has been exempted from review by the Office of Management and Budget 
under that order. It is not significant under the Department of 
Transportation Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11040, 
February 26, 1979). The Coast Guard expects the economic impact of this 
rule to be approximately $1 million to waterway users (to detour around 
the work site) and $2.5 million to the bridge owner (to expedite work). 
These figures are below the threshold levels requiring a formal 
Regulatory Evaluation. The draft economic analysis published with the 
NPRM was superseded by a more detailed economic analysis in the 
Environmental Impact Statement, which is available in the docket for 
inspection or copying where indicated under ADDRESSES.

Small Entities

    Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the 
Coast Guard

[[Page 59026]]

must consider whether this rule will have a significant economic impact 
on a substantial number of small entities. ``Small entities'' may 
include (1) small businesses and not-for-profit organizations that are 
independently owned and operated and are not dominant in their fields 
and (2) governmental jurisdictions with populations of less than 
50,000. The estimated cost to each recreational mariner affected by 
this regulation is less than $100. The estimated cost per ``small 
business'' towing company for personnel hours and fuel consumption 
during detours is less than $100,000. Because the impact of this 
proposal is expected to be limited and of relatively short duration, 
the Coast Guard certifies under section 605(b) of the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) that this rule will not have a 
significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.

Collection of Information

    This rule contains no collection of information requirements under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Federalism

    The Coast Guard has analyzed this proposal under the principles and 
criteria contained in Executive Order 12612 and has determined that 
this rule does not raise sufficient federalism implications to warrant 
the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.

Environment

    The Coast Guard has considered the environmental impact of this 
rule. The Coast Guard prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
for the replacement of this historic bridge. The EIS analyzed the 
environmental and economic impact of this 5 month bridge closure. The 
draft Environmental Assessment published with the NPRM has been 
superseded by the sore detailed environmental analysis in the EIS, 
which is available in the docket for inspection or copying where 
indicated under ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 117

    Bridges.

Regulation

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, the Coast Guard is 
amending 33 CFR Part 117 as follows:

PART 117--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for Part 117 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 499; 49 CFR 1.46; AND 33 CFR 1.05-1(g); 
section 117.255 also issued under the authority of Pub. 102-587, 106 
Stat. 5039.


Sec. 117.147  [Amended]

    2. Effective February 1, 1997 through June 30, 1997, Sec. 117.147 
is amended by suspending paragraph (b) and adding a new paragraph (c) 
to read as follows:


Sec. 117.147  Cerritos Channel

* * * * *
    (c) During the period February 1, 1997 through June 30, 1997, the 
bridge will be undergoing reconstruction and the draw need not open for 
the passage of vessels.

    Dated: October 28, 1996.
R.T. Rufe, Jr.,
Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard 
District.
[FR Doc. 96-29690 Filed 11-19-96; 8:45 am]
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