[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 81 (Friday, April 25, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22427-22428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9008]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[USCG-2008-0224]


Announcement of Public Meeting Regarding the Naheola Railroad 
Bridge Across the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway, Mile 173.5, Near 
Pennington, AL

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard will hold a public meeting for citizens to 
provide oral comments relating to the alteration of the Naheola 
Railroad Bridge near Pennington, Alabama. The meeting will allow 
interested persons to present comments and information about the bridge 
being unreasonably obstructive to navigation. The meeting will be open 
to the public.

DATES: The meeting will be held on May 21, 2008, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 
If you would like to submit written materials as part of the meeting 
record or request to make an oral presentation at the meeting please 
provide your information to the District Bridge Administrator no later 
than May 16, 2008. If you wish to add comments directly to the Docket, 
they must reach the Coast Guard no later than May 16, 2008.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Alabama's Delta Resource 
Center, 30945 Five Rivers Boulevard, Spanish Fort, Alabama 36527. Send 
written material, requests to make oral presentation or comments to 
Commander (dwb), Eighth Coast Guard District, Bridge Branch, 1222 
Spruce Street, Room 2.107F, Saint Louis, Missouri 63103.
    All other comments and materials may be submitted under the Coast 
Guard docket number USCG-2008-0224 to the Docket Management Facility at 
the U.S. Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use 
only one of the following methods:
    (1) Online: http://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (3) Hand delivery: Room W12-140 on the Ground Floor of the West 
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The 
telephone number is 202-366-9329.
    (4) Fax: 202-493-2251.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions regarding this 
notice call Mr. Roger K. Wiebusch, Bridge Administrator, telephone 
(314) 269-2378. If you have questions on viewing or submitting material 
to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket 
Operations, telephone 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to participate in this action by submitting 
comments and related materials. All comments received will be posted, 
without change, to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any 
personal information you have provided. We have an agreement with the 
Department of Transportation (DOT) to use the Docket Management 
Facility. Please see DOT's ``Privacy Act'' paragraph below.

[[Page 22428]]

Submitting Comments

    If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this 
notice (USCG-2008-0224), indicate the specific section of this document 
to which each comment applies, and give the reason for each comment. We 
recommend that you include your name and a mailing address, an e-mail 
address, or a phone number in the body of your document so that we can 
contact you if we have questions regarding your submission. You may 
submit your comments and material by electronic means, mail, fax, or 
delivery to the Docket Management Facility at the address under 
ADDRESSES; but please submit your comments and material by only one 
means. If you submit them by mail or delivery, submit them in an 
unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for 
copying and electronic filing. If you submit them by mail and would 
like to know that they reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped, 
self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will consider all comments and 
material received during the comment period. We may change this 
proposed rule in view of them.

Viewing Comments and Documents

    To view comments, as well as documents mentioned in this notice as 
being available in the docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov at any 
time, click on ``Search for Dockets,'' and enter the docket number for 
this notice (USCG-2008-0224) in the Docket ID box, and click enter. You 
may also visit the Docket Management Facility in Room W12-140 on the 
Ground Floor of the DOT West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.

Privacy Act

    Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments received into 
any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment 
(or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). You may review the Department of 
Transportation's Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register 
published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov.

Background

    Complaints have been received alleging that the bridge is 
unreasonably obstructive to navigation. Information available to the 
Coast Guard indicates numerous bridge allisions have occurred between 
1995 and 2007. The navigation opening of the bridge is 150 feet and 
causes significant delays to commercial water traffic. Mariners transit 
the bridge under a non-navigation span when possible. During periods of 
high water mariners often double trip the bridge, which adds many hours 
to the bridge transit. Based on the comments received at the public 
meeting, the bridge may be found to be unreasonably obstructive to 
navigation. Such a finding may require relocating and increasing the 
horizontal clearance of the railroad bridge to meet the reasonable 
needs of navigation.

Procedural

    The hearing is open to the public. Attendees at the meeting, who 
wish to present testimony and have not previously made a request to do 
so, will follow those having submitted a request, as time permits. If a 
large number of persons wish to speak, the presiding officer may limit 
the time allotted to each speaker. Conversely, the public meeting may 
end early if all present wishing to speak have done so.

Information on Services for Individuals With Disabilities

    For information on facilities or services for individuals with 
disabilities or to request special assistance at the meeting, contact 
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section as 
soon as possible.

    Dated: March 20, 2008.
Roger K. Wiebusch,
Bridge Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E8-9008 Filed 4-24-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P