[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 56 (Tuesday, March 24, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 14057-14058]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-7634]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 100

[CGD07-98-013]
RIN 2115-AE46


Special Local Regulations; River Race Augusta, Augusta, GA

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 River Race Augusta, which will be held annually on 
the third Friday, Saturday and Sunday of May, between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) each day. Historically, there have been 
approximately sixty participants racing 16 to 18 foot outboard power 
boats on that portion of the Savannah River at Augusta, GA, between 
mile markers 199 and 197. These proposed regulations are necessary to 
provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event, as 
the nature of the event and the closure of the Savannah River creates 
an extra or unusual hazard in the navigable waters.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 23, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Group 
Charleston, 196 Tadd Street, Charleston, SC 29401, or may be delivered 
to the operations office at the same address between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. The telephone 
number is (803) 724-7621. 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 A.L. Cooper, Coast Guard Group 
Charleston at (803) 720-7748.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Request for Comments

    The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to participate in the 
rulemaking by submitting written views, data or arguments. Persons 
submitting comments should include their names, addresses, identify the 
notice (CGD07-98-013) and the specific section of this proposal to 
which their comments apply and give the reason for each comment.
    The Coast Guard will consider all comments received during the 
comment period. It may change this proposal in view of the comments 
received. The Coast Guard plans no public hearing. Persons may request 
a public hearing by

[[Page 14058]]

writing to the address under ADDRESSES. The request should include the 
reasons why a hearing would be beneficial. If the Coast Guard 
determines that the opportunity to make oral presentations will aid 
this rulemaking, it will hold a public hearing at a time and place 
announced by a later notice in the Federal Register.

Background and Purpose

    These proposed regulations are intended to provide for the safety 
of life and to promote safe navigation on the waters off Augusta on the 
Savannah River during the River Race Augusta by controlling the traffic 
entering, exiting and traveling within these waters. Historically, the 
concentration of spectator and participant vessels associated with the 
River Race has posed safety concerns, which are added in this proposed 
special local regulation. The proposed regulation would not permit the 
entry or movement of spectator vessels and other non-participating 
vessel traffic in the area downstream from the U.S. Highway 1 Bridge on 
the Savannah River between mile markers 199 and 197, annually from 7 
a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, on the third Friday, Saturday and Sunday of 
May. These proposed regulations would permit the movement of spectator 
vessels and other non-participants after the termination of the race 
each day and during intervals between scheduled events at the 
discretion of the Coast Guard Patrol Commander.

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 
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 10(e) of the regulatory policies and procedures of DOT is 
unnecessary. These proposed regulations would last for only 10 hours 
each day of the event.

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'' include small business, not-for-profit organizations that 
are independently owned and operated and are not dominant in their 
field, and government jurisdictions with populations of less than 
50,000.
    Therefore, the Coast Guard certifies under 5 U.S.C. 606(b) that 
this proposal, 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 ten hours in a limited area of the Savannah River for 
three 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

    This proposal 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 
proposal consistent with Section 2.B.2. of Commandant Instruction 
M16475.1C. 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.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 100

    Marine safety, Navigation (water), Reporting and record keeping 
requirements, Waterways.

Proposed Regulations

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Coast Guard proposes to 
amend Part 100 of Tile 33, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:
    1. The authority citation for Part 100 continues to read as 
follows:

PART 100--(Amended)

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

    2. A new section 100.732 is added to read as follows:


Sec. 100.732  Annual River Race Augusta; Savannah River, Augusta GA.

    (a) Definitions: (1) Regulated area. The regulated area is formed 
by a line drawn directly across the Savannah River at the U.S. Highway 
1 Bridge at mile marker 199 and directly across the Savannah River at 
mile market 197. The regulated area would encompass the width of the 
Savannah River between these two lines.
    (2) Coast Guard Patrol Commander. The Coast Guard Patrol Commander 
is a commissioned, warrant, or petty officer of the Coast Guard who has 
been designated by the Commander, Coast Guard Group Charleston, South 
Carolina.
    (b) Special local regulations. (1) Entry into the regulated area is 
prohibited to all non-participants.
    (2) After termination of the River Race Augusta each day, and 
during intervals between scheduled events, at the direction of the 
Coast Guard Patrol Commander, all vessels may resume normal operations.
    (3) The Captain of the Port Charleston will issue a Marine Safety 
Information Broadcast Notice to Mariners to notify the maritime 
community of the special local regulations and the restrictions 
imposed.
    (c) Dates. This section becomes effective annually from 7 a.m. to 5 
p..m. EDT each day, on the third Friday, Saturday and Sunday of May, 
unless otherwise specified in the notice to mariners.

    Dated: March 6, 1998.
Captain R. Olsen, Jr.,
U.S. Coast Guard, 7th Coast Guard District, Commander Acting.
[FR Doc. 98-7634 Filed 3-23-98; 8:45 am]
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