[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 5455-5456]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2589]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 100

[CGD07 98-002]
RIN 2115-AE46


Special Local Regulations; Hillsborough Bay, Tampa, FL

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Temporary final rule.

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SUMMARY: Special local regulations are being adopted for the Gasparilla 
Marine Parade. This event will be held on Saturday, February 7, 1998, 
between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 
Hillsborough Bay. These regulations are needed to provide for the 
safety of life on navigable waters during the event.

DATES: These regulations become effective at 9 a.m. and terminate at 
2:30 p.m. EST on February 7, 1998.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background and Purpose

    These regulations are needed to provide for the safety of life of 
spectators, to protect vessels participating in the parade, and to 
protect marine mammals during the Gasparilla Marine Parade on 
Hillsborough Bay on February 7, 1998. There will be approximately 750 
participants in the marine parade. Also, 200-400 spectator craft are 
expected. The parade will begin at the mouth of the Seddon Channel and 
end at the mouth of the Hillsborough River. The resulting congestion of 
navigable channels creates an extra or unusual hazard in the navigable 
waters.
    In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553, a notice of proposed rulemaking 
has not been published for these regulations and good cause exists for 
making them effective in less than 30 days from the date of publication 
in the Federal Register. Following normal rulemaking procedures would 
have been impracticable. The application to hold the event was not 
received with sufficient time remaining to publish proposed rules in 
advance of the event or to provide for a delay effective date.

[[Page 5456]]

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 the 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 
rule to be so minimal that a full Regulatory Evaluation under paragraph 
10e of the regulatory policies and procedures of DOT is unnecessary, as 
these regulations will be in effect for less that six hours in a 
limited area of Hillsborough Bay.

Small Entities

    Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the 
Coast Guard must consider whether this rule 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 
field, and governmental jurisdictions with populations of less than 
50,000.
    Therefore, the Coast Guard certifies under section 605(b) that this 
rule will not have a significant effect upon a substantial number of 
small entities, because the regulations are in effect for only six 
hours in a limited part of Hillsborough Bay.

Collection of Information

    This rule contains 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 
action consistent with section 2.B.2 of Commandant Instruction 
M16475.1B. In accordance with that section, this 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 Finding of No 
Significant Impact have been prepared and are available in the docket 
for inspection or copying.

List of Subject in 33 CFR Part 100

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

Temporary Regulations

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Coast Guard amends 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 temporary section 100.35T-07-002 is added to read as follows:


Sec. 100.35-T07-002  Special Local Regulations, Hillsborough Bay, 
Tampa, FL

    (a) Regulated Area: A regulated area is established in Hillsborough 
Bay, which consists of all waters east of a line drawn from Gadsen 
Point south to E. G. Simmons Park, at position 27-44.8 N, 082-28.3 W, 
then to the northern end of Hillsborough Bay. All coordinates 
referenced use Datum: NAD 83. Additionally, the regulated area includes 
the following, in their entirety: Hillsborough Cut ``D'' Channel, 
Sparkman Channel, Ybor Channel, Seddon Channel and the Hillsborough 
River south of the Cass Street Bridge.
    (b) Special Local Regulations:
    (1) Entry into the regulated area is closed to all commercial 
marine traffic from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. EST on February 7, 1998.
    (2) The regulated area is an idle speed, ``no wake'' zone.
    (3) All vessels within the regulated area shall stay clear of and 
give way to all vessels in parade formation in the Gasparilla Marine 
Parade.
    (4) When within the marked channels of the parade route, vessels 
participating in the Gasparilla Marine Parade may not exceed the 
minimum speed necessary to maintain steerage.
    (5) Jet skis and vessels without mechanical propulsion are 
prohibited from the parade route.
    (6) Northbound vessels of length in excess of 80 feet and without 
mooring arrangements made prior to February 7, 1998, are prohibited 
from entering Seddon Channel, unless the vessel is officially entered 
in the Gasparilla Marine Parade. All northbound vessels, not officially 
entered in the Gasparilla Marine Parade, in excess of 80 feet without 
prior mooring arrangements must use the alternate route through 
Sparkman Channel.
    (c) Dates: These regulations become effective at 9 a.m. and 
terminate at 2:30 p.m. EST on February 7, 1998.

    Dated: January 21, 1998.
R.C. Olsen, Jr.,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard Commander, Seventh Coast Guard District 
Acting.
[FR Doc. 98-2589 Filed 2-2-98; 8:45 am]
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