[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 136 (Wednesday, July 16, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 38042-38043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-18266]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 100

[CGD07-97-031]
RIN 2115-AE46


Special Local Regulations: Hurricane Offshore Classic, St. 
Petersburg, FL

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes to establish permanent special local 
regulations for the Hurricane Offshore Classic. This event will be held 
annually during the third Saturday and Sunday of August, between 11 
a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). There will be 
approximately 400 participants and spectator craft. The resulting 
congestion of navigable channels creates an extra or unusual hazard in 
the navigable waters. These regulations are necessary to provide for 
the safety of life of navigable waters during the event.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before 20 days after date of 
August 5, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to U.S. Coast Guard Group St. 
Petersburg, 600 8th Ave. S.E., St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5099, or 
may be delivered to the Operations Department at the same address 
between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal 
holidays. The telephone number is (813) 824-7533. Comments will become 
a part of the public docket and will be available for copying and 
inspection at the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LTJG B. V. Howard, Coast Guard Group 
St. Petersburg, FL at (813) 824-7533.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Request for Comments

    The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to participate in 
this rulemaking by submitting written views, data, or arguments. 
Persons submitting comments should include their names, addresses, 
identify this rulemaking (CGD07-97-031), and the specific section of 
this proposal to which their comments apply, and give reasons for each 
comment.
    The Coast Guard will consider all comments received during the 
comment period. The regulations may be changed in view of the comments 
received. All comments received before the expiration of the comment 
period will be considered before final action is taken on this 
proposal. No public hearing is planned, but one may be held if the 
written requests for a hearing are received, and it is determined that 
the opportunity to make oral presentations will add to the rulemaking 
process.

Discussion of Regulations

    The proposed regulations are needed to provide for the safety of 
life during the Hurricane Offshore Classic. These regulations are 
intended to promote safe navigation on the waters off St. Petersburg 
during the races by controlling the traffic entering, exiting, and 
traveling within these waters. The anticipated concentration of 
spectator and participant vessels associated with the Hurricane 
Offshore Classic poses a safety concern, which is addressed in these 
special local regulations. No anchoring will be permitted west of turns 
1 and 4 nor west of turns 2 and 3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT. 
Approximately 300 spectator craft will be permitted near the race area, 
but will be required to stay clear of the race lanes. The proposed 
regulations would also permit anchoring for spectators north of the 
northern straightaway and south of the southern straightaway, but only 
in the designated spectator area defined in 2(b)(2) below.
    All vessel traffic, not involved in the Hurricane Offshore Classic, 
entering or exiting the Vinoy Basin between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. EDT must 
transit around the race course, taking action to avoid a close-quarters 
situation until finally past and clear of the racecourse. All vessel 
traffic, not involved with the Hurricane Offshore Classic, transiting 
the area off Coffeepot Bayou, The Pier, and Bayboro Harbor should 
exercise extra caution and take action to avoid a close-quarters 
situation until finally past and clear of the racecourse.

Regulatory Evaluation

    This proposal is not a significant regulatory action under Section 
3(f) of the Executive Order 12866 and does not require an assessment of 
the 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 regulatory policies 
and procedures of the Department of Transportation (DOT) (44 FR 11040; 
February 26, 1979). The Coast Guard expects the economic impact of this 
proposed rule to be so minimal that a full Regulatory Evaluation under 
paragraph 10e of the regulatory policies and procedures of DOT is 
unnecessary. The proposed regulation would last for only 4 hours each 
day for two days.

[[Page 38043]]

Small Entities

    Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the 
Coast Guard must consider whether this proposed rule, if adopted, will 
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. ``Small entities'' include small businesses, not-for-profit 
organizations that are independently owned and operated and are not 
dominant in their fields, and governmental jurisdictions with 
populations of less than 50,000.
    Therefore, the Coast Guard certifies under 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that 
this proposed rule, if adopted, would not have a significant economic 
impact on a substantial number of small entities as the regulations 
would only be in effect for approximately four hours each day for two 
days each year. If, however, you think that your business or 
organization qualifies as a small entity and that this proposed rule 
will have a significant economic impact on your business or 
organization, please submit a comment (see ADDRESSES) explaining why 
you think it qualifies and in what way and to what degree this proposed 
rule will economically affect it.

Collection of Information

    These proposed regulations contain no collection of information 
requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et 
seq.).

Federalism

    This action has been analyzed in accordance with the principles and 
criteria contained in Executive Order 12612, and it has been determined 
that the rulemaking does not have sufficient Federalism implications to 
warrant the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.

Environmental Assessment

    The Coast Guard has considered the environmental impact of this 
proposal consistent with Section 2.B.2 of Commandant Instruction 
M16475.1B. In accordance with that section, this proposed action has 
been environmentally assessed (EA completed), and the Coast Guard has 
concluded that it will not significantly affect the quality of the 
human environment. An Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No 
Significant Impact have been prepared and are available in the docket 
for inspection or copying where indicated under ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 100

    Marine Safety, Navigation (water), Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Waterways.

Proposed Regulations

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Coast Guard proposes to 
amend Part 100 of Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

PART 100--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for Part 100 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1233; 49 CFR 1.46 and 33 CFR 100.35.

    2. A new section 100.728 is added to read as follows:


Sec. 100.728  Annual Hurricane Offshore Classic, St. Petersburg, FL.

    (a) Regulated Area. The regulated area is formed by a line drawn 
from position 27 deg.46.9'N, 082 deg.37.45'W (onshore at North Shore 
Park) east southeast to position 27 deg.46.39'N, 082 deg.32.65'W; 
thence due south to position 27 deg.44.67'N, 082 deg.32.65'W; thence 
due west to position 27 deg.44.67'N, 082 deg.37.45'W (onshore just 
south of Lassing Park). All coordinates referenced use datum: NAD 83.
    (b) Special Local Regulations. (1) The regulated area is an idle 
speed, ``no wake'' zone. (2) Spectator craft will be permitted near the 
race area, but will be required to stay clear of the race lanes. 
Anchoring for spectator craft is permitted north of the northern 
straightaway and south of the southern straightaway, but only in the 
designated spectator area between 27 deg.46.62'N, 082 deg.37.00'W to 
27 deg.46.80'N, 082 deg.34.72'W and 27 deg.46.52'N, 082 deg.37.00'W to 
27 deg.46.70'N, 082 deg.34.72'W for the northern area and 
27 deg.46.25'N, 082 deg.37.00'W to 27 deg.45.90'N, 082 deg.34.72'W and 
27 deg.46.15'N, 082 deg.37.00'W to 27 deg.45.80'N, 082 deg.34.72'W for 
the southern area. All coordinates referenced use Datum: NAD 83. No 
anchoring will be permitted west of turns 1 and 4 nor west of turns 2 
and 3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. edt.
    (3) All vessel traffic not involved in the Hurricane Offshore 
Classic entering or exiting the Vinoy Basin between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. 
edt must transit around the race course, taking action to avoid a 
close-quarters situation until finally past and clear of the 
racecourse.
    (4) All vessel traffic not involved with the Hurricane Offshore 
Classic transiting the area off Coffeepot Bayou, The Pier, and Bayboro 
Harbor should exercise extra caution and take action to avoid a close-
quarters situation until finally past and clear of the racecourse which 
encompasses the area from position 27 deg.46.9'N, 082 deg.37.45'W 
(onshore at North Shore Park) east southeast to position 
27 deg.46.39'N, 082 deg.32.65'W; thence due south to position 
27 deg.44.67'N, 082 deg.32.65'W; thence due west to position 
27 deg.44.67'N, 082 deg.37.45'W (onshore just south of Lassing Park). 
All coordinates referenced use Datum: NAD 83.
    (5) Entry into the regulated area shall be in accordance with this 
regulation. Spectator vessels will at all times stay in the spectator 
areas defined in paragraph (b)(2) of this section.
    (c) Effective Dates. This section is effective at 10 a.m. and 
terminates at 6 p.m. edt annually for two days during the third 
Saturday and Sunday of August.

    Dated: July 1, 1997.
Norman T. Saunders,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard Commander, Seventh Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 97-18266 Filed 7-15-97; 8:45 am]
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