[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 9, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 7131]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2898]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2009-0204]
RIN 1625-AA09


Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Mantua Creek, Paulsboro, NJ

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is withdrawing its notice of proposed 
rulemaking concerning the proposed change to the regulations that 
governed the operation of the S.R. 44 Bridge, at mile 1.7, across 
Mantua Creek at Paulsboro, NJ. The requested change would have allowed 
the drawbridge to operate on an advance notice basis year-round.

DATES: The notice of proposed rulemaking is withdrawn on February 9, 
2011.

ADDRESSES: The docket for this withdrawn rulemaking is available for 
inspection or copying at the 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, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. You may also find 
this docket on the Internet by going to http://www.regulations.gov, 
inserting USCG-2009-0204 in the ``Keyword'' box and then clicking 
``Search''.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this 
notice, call or e-mail Waverly W. Gregory, Jr., Fifth Coast Guard 
District; telephone (757) 398-6222, e-mail [email protected]. 
If you have questions on viewing material in the docket call Renee V. 
Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On April 24, 2009, we published a notice of proposed rulemaking 
(NPRM) entitled ``Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Mantua Creek, 
Paulsboro, NJ'' in the Federal Register (74 FR 18665-18667). The 
rulemaking would have allowed the drawbridge to operate on an advance 
notice basis year-round.

Withdrawal

    The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), the 
responsible party for the operation of the S.R. 44 Bridge, at mile 1.7, 
across Mantua Creek at Paulsboro, NJ, had requested to change the 
operating schedule for the S.R. 44 Bridge to require a four-hour 
advance notification of vessel openings year-round due to the decrease 
in vessel opening requests of the drawbridge in recent years.
    The Coast Guard recently received an application from the South 
Jersey Port Corporation and the Gloucester County Improvement Authority 
proposing the construction of an access road and bridge that will span 
Mantua Creek within close proximity to the upstream S.R. 44 Bridge. The 
proposed bridge will be a three-span composite steel plate girder 
bridge (fixed superstructure) with two concrete piers within Mantua 
Creek.
    Based on the expected increase in the use of the waterway and 
vessel opening requests of the S.R. 44 Bridge, the rulemaking could 
impose critical service delays to commercial vessels attempting to 
arrive promptly on scene for the proposed bridge construction. As a 
result of this change in circumstances, the proposed rulemaking would 
no longer improve the schedule for waterway users.

Authority

    This action is taken under the authority of 33 U.S.C. 499; 33 CFR 
1.05-1; Department of Homeland Security Delegation No. 0170.1.

    Dated: January 27, 2011.
William D. Lee,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2011-2898 Filed 2-8-11; 8:45 am]
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