[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 5 (Thursday, January 8, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 1089-1091]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-450]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 165

[CGD01-97-004]
RIN 2115-AA97


Security Zone: Dignitary Arrival/Departure Logan International 
Airport, Boston, MA

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes to establish a permanent, four-sector 
security zone on the waters around Logan International Airport, above 
the Callahan Tunnel, Sumner Tunnel, Ted Williams Tunnel, and around any 
designated vessel, to protect the President, Vice President and 
visiting heads of foreign states or foreign governments during their 
arrival, departure and transits to and from Logan International 
Airport.

DATES: Comments must reach the Coast Guard on or before March 9, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be mailed to the U.S. Coast Guard Marine 
Safety Office Boston, 455 Commercial Street, Boston, MA 02109, or may 
be delivered to the Marine Safety Office between the hours of 7:30 a.m. 
and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
LT Michael H. Day or MSTC Daniel J. Dugery, Coast Guard Marine Safety 
Office Boston, MA; telephone (617) 223-3000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Requests for Comments

    The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to participate in 
this rulemaking by submitting written data, views, or arguments. 
Persons submitting comments should include their name and address, 
identify this rulemaking (CGD01-97-004) and the specific section of 
this proposal to which each comment applies, and give a reason for each 
comment. Persons wanting acknowledgment of receipt of comments should 
enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope.
    The Coast Guard will consider all comments received during the 
comment period. It may change this proposal in view of the comments. 
The Coast Guard plans no public hearing. Persons may request a public 
hearing by writing to the Project Manager at the address under 
ADDRESSES. If it determines that the opportunity for oral presentations 
will aid this rulemaking, the Coast Guard will hold a public hearing at 
a time and place announced by a later notice in the Federal Register.

Background and Purpose

    Boston, Massachusetts is often visited by the President and Vice 
President of the United States, as well as visiting heads of foreign 
states or foreign governments on the average of 24 times per year. 
Often these visits are on short notice. The President, Vice President, 
and visiting heads of foreign states or foreign governments require 
Secret Service protection. The President, Vice President, and visiting 
heads of foreign states or foreign governments arrive at Logan 
International Airport, then transit to locations throughout Boston by 
car or boat. Due to the sensitive nature of these visits a security 
zone is needed. Standard security procedures are enacted to ensure the 
proper level of protection to prevent sabotage or other subversive 
acts, accidents, or other activities of a similar nature. In the past, 
temporary security zones were requested by the U.S. Secret Service with 
limited notice for preparation by the U.S. Coast Guard. The proposed 
regulation would establish a permanent four-sector security zone that 
could be activated upon request of the U.S. Secret Service pursuant to 
their authority under 18 U.S.C. 3056. The security zone sections will 
be as follows:
    Sector one will go into effect 15 minutes prior to the scheduled 
landing or takeoff of the aircraft carrying either the President, Vice 
President, or visiting heads of foreign states or foreign governments 
at Logan International Airport. Sector one will preclude all vessels 
from approaching within three hundred yards of the Logan International 
Airport shoreline, bound on the west by a line drawn between positions 
42 deg.22'45'' N, 071 deg.91'05'' W and 42 deg.21'48'' N, 
071 deg.01'45'' W (NAD 1983).
    Sector two will go into effect 15 minutes before the vehicle 
carrying either the President, Vice President, or visiting heads of 
foreign states or foreign governments enters the Callahan Tunnel or 
Sumner Tunnel. Sector two will preclude all vessels from entering an 
area of the main ship channel, Boston Inner Harbor, fifty yards in all 
directions from a point directly above the Callahan Tunnel and the 
Sumner Tunnel.
    Sector three will go into effect 15 minutes before the vehicle 
carrying either the President, Vice President, or visiting heads of 
foreign states or foreign governments enters the Ted Williams Tunnel. 
Sector three will preclude all vessels from entering an area of the 
main ship channel, Boston Inner

[[Page 1090]]

Harbor, fifty yards in all directions from a point directly above the 
Ted Williams Tunnel.
    Sector four will go into effect 15 minutes before either the 
President, Vice President, or visiting heads of foreign states or 
foreign governments board the designated transport vessel. Sector four 
will preclude all vessels from approaching within three hundred yards 
in all directions from the designated vessel transporting the 
dignitaries between Logan International Airport and any location in 
Boston Harbor.
    The activation of a particular sector of this security zone will be 
announced via Safety Marine Information Broadcasts and by locally 
issued notices.

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 not been reviewed 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 
rule to be so minimal that a full Regulatory Evaluation is unnecessary. 
The Coast Guard anticipates that this security zone will be activated 
on an average of 24 times per year. Costs resulting from these 
regulations, if any, will be minor and have no significant adverse 
financial effect on vessel operators as the activation of any one of 
the sectors of this security zone will be of less than two hours 
duration. Deep draft vessel traffic, fishing vessels, and tour boats 
may experience slight delays in departures or arrivals, however, the 
delays are minimal relative to the highly significant national security 
interest in protecting the President, Vice President, and visiting 
heads of foreign states or foreign governments visiting Boston.

Small Entities

    Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the 
Coast Guard must consider whether this proposal 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.
    For the reasons addressed under the Regulatory Evaluation above, 
the Coast Guard finds that this rule will not have a significant impact 
on a substantial number of small entities.

Collection of Information

    This proposal 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 rule under the principles and 
criteria contained in Executive Order 12612, and has determined that 
this rule does not have sufficient federalism implications to warrant 
the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.

Environment

    The Coast Guard has considered the environmental impact of this 
rule and concluded that, under section 2.B.2.e.(34)(g) of Commandant 
Instruction M16475.1B (as revised by 59 FR 38654, July 29, 1994), this 
rule is categorically excluded from further environmental 
documentation. A Categorical Exclusion Determination and an 
Environmental Analysis Checklist are included in the docket.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 165

    Harbors, Marine safety, Navigation (water), Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Security measures, Waterways.

Proposed Regulation

    For reasons set our in the preamble, the Coast Guard proposes to 
amend 33 CFR Part 165 as follows:

PART 165--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 165 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1231; 50 U.S.C. 191; 33 CFR 1.05-1(g), 
6.04-1, 6.04-6, and 160.5; 49 CFR 1.46.

    2. Section 165.113, is added to read as follows:


Sec. 165.113   Security Zone: Dignitary Arrival/Departure Logan 
International Airport, Boston, MA.

    (a) Location. The permanent security zone consists of four sectors 
that may be activated in part, or in whole, when the U.S. Secret 
Service activates a Federal Protection Zone and requests a security 
zone. These zones are for the protection of the President and Vice 
President of the United States, as well as visiting heads of foreign 
states or foreign governments arriving at, or departing from, Logan 
International Airport and as determined by the transit route across 
Boston Harbor. The security zone will be as follows:
    (1) Sector one will go into effect 15 minutes prior to the 
scheduled landing or takeoff of the aircraft carrying either the 
President, Vice President, or visiting head of foreign states or 
foreign governments at Logan International Airport. Sector one will 
preclude all vessels from approaching within three hundred yards of the 
Logan International Airport shoreline, bound on the west by a line 
drawn between positions 42 deg.22'45'' N, 071 deg.01'05'' W and 
42 deg.21'48'' N, 071 deg.01'45'' W (NAD 1983).
    (2) Sector two will go into effect 15 minutes before the vehicle 
carrying either the President, Vice President, or visiting heads of 
foreign states or foreign governments enters the Callahan Tunnel or 
Sumner Tunnel. Sector two will preclude all vessels from entering an 
area of the main ship channel, Boston Inner Harbor, fifty yards in all 
directions from a point directly above the Callahan Tunnel and the 
Sumner Tunnel.
    (3) Sector three will go into effect 15 minutes before the vehicle 
carrying either the President, Vice President, or visiting heads of 
foreign states or foreign governments enters the Ted Williams Tunnel. 
Sector three will preclude all vessels from entering an area of the 
main ship channel, Boston Inner Harbor, fifty yards in all directions 
from a point directly above the Ted Williams Tunnel.
    (4) Sector four will go into effect 15 minutes before either the 
President, Vice President, or visiting head of foreign states or 
foreign governments board the designated transport vessel. Sector four 
will preclude all vessels from approaching within three hundred yards 
in all directions from the designated vessel transporting either the 
President, Vice President, or visiting head of foreign states or 
foreign governments between Logan International Airport and any 
location in Boston Harbor.
    (5) The activation of a particular sector of this security zone 
will be announced via Safety Marine Information Broadcasts and by 
locally issued notices.
    (b) Regulations:
    (1) The general regulations covering security zones contained in 33 
CFR 165.33 apply.
    (2) All persons and vessels shall comply with the instructions of 
the Coast Guard Captain of the Port or the designated on scene patrol 
personnel. Coast Guard patrol personnel include commissioned, warrant, 
and petty officers of the Coast guard. Upon being hailed by a Coast 
Guard vessel via siren, radio, flashing light, or other means, the

[[Page 1091]]

operator of a vessel shall proceed as directed.

    Dated: December 11, 1997.
J. L. Grenier,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the Port, Boston, Massachusetts.
[FR Doc. 98-450 Filed 1-7-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-14-M