[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 69 (Monday, April 13, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16814-16815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-8266]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 165

[Docket No. USCG-2008-1017]
RIN 1625-AA11


Regulated Navigation Areas; Bars Along the Coasts of Oregon and 
Washington

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting; reopening of comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces two public meetings to receive 
comments on the notice of proposed rulemaking entitled ``Regulated 
Navigation Areas; Bars Along the Coasts of Oregon and Washington'' that 
was published in the Federal Register on February 12, 2009 (74 FR 
7022). The Coast Guard is also reopening the period for public comment 
on that notice of proposed rulemaking.
    As stated in the notice of proposed rulemaking, the Coast Guard 
proposes to establish Regulated Navigation Areas (RNA) covering 
specific bars along the coasts of Oregon (OR) and Washington (WA) that 
will include procedures for restricting and/or closing those bars as 
well as additional safety requirements for recreational and small 
commercial vessels operating in the RNAs. The RNAs are necessary to 
help ensure the safety of the persons and vessels operating in those 
hazardous bar areas. The RNAs will do so by establishing clear 
procedures for restricting and/or closing the bars and mandating 
additional safety requirements for recreational and small commercial 
vessels operating in the RNAs when certain conditions exist.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published at 74 FR 
7022, Feb. 12, 2009 is reopened and will close on April 19, 2009. All 
comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard on or 
before April 19, 2009. The public meetings for the proposed rule will 
be held in Astoria, OR, on Tuesday, April 14, 2009, from 6 p.m. to 9 
p.m., and in Newport, OR, on Wednesday, April 15, 2009, from 6 p.m. to 
9 p.m., in order to provide an opportunity for oral comments. Please 
note that the meetings may close early if all business is finished. 
Written comments and related material may also be submitted to Coast 
Guard personnel specified at that meeting.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting in Astoria, OR, will be held at ``The 
Loft'' at the Red Building, 20 Basin Street, Astoria, OR 97103, 
telephone 503-325-2223. The public meeting in Newport, OR, will be held 
at The Embarcadero Resort Hotel & Marina, 1000 SE Bay Blvd., Newport, 
OR 97365, telephone 541-265-8521 or 1-800-547-4779.
    You may submit written comments identified by docket number USCG-
2008-1017 before or after the meeting using any one of the following 
methods:
    (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) Fax: 202-493-2251.
    (3) 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.
    (4) Hand delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone 
number is 202-366-9329.
    To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods. 
Our online docket for this rulemaking is available on the Internet at 
http://www.regulations.gov under docket number USCG-2008-1017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions concerning the 
meeting or the proposed rule, please call or e-mail LCDR Emily Saddler, 
Thirteenth Coast Guard District, Prevention Division, Inspections and 
Investigations Branch, telephone 206-220-7210, e-mail 
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing or 
submitting material to the docket, call Ms. Renee V. Wright, Program 
Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

[[Page 16815]]

Background and Purpose

    We published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal 
Register on February 12, 2009 (74 FR 7022), entitled ``Regulated 
Navigation Areas; Bars Along the Coasts of Oregon and Washington.'' In 
it we stated that we did not plan to hold a public meeting, but that we 
welcomed requests explaining why one would be beneficial (74 FR 7023). 
We received several such requests and have concluded that a public 
meeting would aid this rulemaking. Therefore, we are publishing this 
notice.
    In the NPRM, we propose to establish Regulated Navigation Areas 
(RNA) covering specific bars along the coasts of Oregon and Washington 
that will include procedures for restricting and/or closing those bars 
as well as additional safety requirements for recreational and small 
commercial vessels operating in the RNAs. The RNAs are necessary to 
help ensure the safety of the persons and vessels operating in those 
hazardous bar areas. The RNAs will do so by establishing clear 
procedures for restricting and/or closing the bars and mandating 
additional safety requirements for recreational and small commercial 
vessels operating in the RNAs when certain conditions exist.
    You may view the NPRM in our online docket, in addition to 
supporting documents prepared by the Coast Guard, including an 
``Environmental Analysis Checklist'' and RNA Fact Sheets for 
recreational, passenger, and commercial fishing vessels, and comments 
submitted thus far by going to http://www.regulations.gov. Once there, 
select the Advanced Docket Search option on the right side of the 
screen, insert USCG-2008-1017 in the Docket ID box, press Enter, and 
then click on the item in the Docket ID column. You may also visit the 
Docket Management Facility in Room W12-140 on the ground floor of the 
Department of Transportation West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays. We have an agreement with the 
Department of Transportation to use the Docket Management Facility.
    We encourage you to participate in this rulemaking by submitting 
comments either orally at the meetings or in writing. If you bring 
written comments to the meetings, you may submit them to Coast Guard 
personnel specified at the meetings to receive written comments. These 
comments will be submitted to our online public docket. All comments 
received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov 
and will include any personal information you have provided.
    Comments submitted after the meetings must reach the Coast Guard on 
or before April 19, 2009. If you submit a comment online via http://www.regulations.gov, it will be considered received by the Coast Guard 
when you successfully transmit the comment. If you fax, hand deliver, 
or mail your comment, it will be considered as having been received by 
the Coast Guard when it is received at the Docket Management Facility.
    Anyone can search the electronic form of 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 a Privacy Act notice 
regarding our public dockets in the January 17, 2008, issue of the 
Federal Register (73 FR 3316).

Information on Service for Individuals With Disabilities

    For information on facilities or services for individuals with 
disabilities or to request special assistance at the public meeting, 
contact LCDR Emily Saddler at the telephone number or e-mail address 
indicated under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this 
notice.

Public Meeting

    The Coast Guard will hold a public meeting regarding its 
``Regulated Navigation Areas; Bars Along the Coasts of Oregon and 
Washington'' proposed rule on Tuesday, April 14, 2009, from 6 p.m. to 9 
p.m, at The Loft at the Red Building, 20 Basin Street, Astoria, OR 
97103, telephone 503-325-2223, and on Wednesday, April 15, 2009, from 6 
p.m. to 9 p.m., at The Embarcadero Resort Hotel & Marina, 1000 SE Bay 
Blvd., Newport, OR 97365, telephone 541-265-8521 or 1-800-547-4779.
    We plan to have an official transcript of the meetings prepared and 
will make that transcript available through a link in our online 
docket.

    Dated: March, 30, 2009.
J.P. Currier,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Thirteenth Coast Guard 
District.
[FR Doc. E9-8266 Filed 4-7-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P