[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 17, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 22706-22707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9070]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Parts 100 and 165

[Docket No. USCG-2011-0551]


Special Local Regulation and Safety Zone; America's Cup Sailing 
Events, San Francisco, CA

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of a draft 
environmental assessment of the temporary special local regulation and 
temporary safety zone proposed for those portions of the ``America's 
Cup World Series,'' the ``Louis Vuitton Cup'' challenger selection 
series, and the ``America's Cup Finals Match'' sailing regattas that 
may be conducted in the waters of San Francisco Bay adjacent to the 
City of San Francisco waterfront in the vicinity of the Golden Gate 
Bridge and Alcatraz Island between August and September 2012 and 
between July and September 2013. We request your comments on this draft 
environmental assessment.

DATES: Comments and related material must be submitted to our online 
docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or before April 30, 2012, or 
reach the Docket Management Facility by that date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2011-0551 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. 
See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for instructions on 
submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, 
call or email LCDR Aaron Lubrano, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco, 
U.S. Coast Guard; telephone (415) 399-3446, email 
[email protected]. 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 submit comments and related material on the 
draft environmental assessment. All comments received will be posted, 
without change, to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any 
personal information you have provided.
    Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include the 
docket number for this notice (USCG-2011-0551) and provide a reason for 
each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and 
material online, or by fax, mail or hand delivery, but please use only 
one of these means. We recommend that you include your name and a 
mailing address, an email address, or a telephone number in the body of 
your document so that we can contact you if we have questions regarding 
your submission.
    To submit your comment online, go to http://www.regulations.gov, 
type ``USCG-2011-0551'' and click ``Search.'' Then click ``Submit a 
Comment'' in the ``Actions'' column. If you submit your comments by 
mail or hand 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.
    Viewing the comments and draft environmental assessment: To view 
the comments and draft environmental assessment, go to http://www.regulations.gov, type ``USCG-2011-0551'' and click ``Search.'' Then 
click the ``Open Docket Folder'' in the ``Actions'' column. If you do 
not have access to the Internet, you may view the docket online by 
visiting 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.
    Privacy Act: 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, system of records notice regarding our public dockets in 
the January 17, 2008, issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 3316).

Background and Purpose

    The America's Cup Race Management has applied for a Marine Event 
Permit to hold the 34th America's Cup races on the waters of San 
Francisco Bay in California. The Coast Guard has not approved the 
Marine Event Permit and is still evaluating the application, including 
the potential environmental impact of the requested permit. If the 
permit is approved, however, we anticipate that a special local 
regulation may be necessary to ensure public safety during the races. 
To provide adequate time for public input, we proposed a special local 
regulation and safety zone on January 30, 2012 (77 FR 4501).
    In the January 2012 notice of proposed rulemaking, the Coast Guard 
proposed regulations for the 2012 and 2013 races. These include 
proposed regulated areas surrounding the primary and contingent race 
areas; a designated area for recreational swimmers, rowers, and 
kayakers; a transit zone for using during the 2013 races; restrictions 
on vessel traffic and the use of Anchorage No. 7; and a safety zone 
around racing vessels. These proposed rules are temporary and would be 
enforced only on race days. The public comment period on these proposed 
rules remains open through April 30, 2012. If the Marine Event Permit 
is not approved, we will withdraw the proposed rules.

Draft Environmental Assessment

    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321-4370f), Department of Homeland Security 
Management Directive 023-01, and Commandant Instruction M16475.lD, we 
have prepared a draft environmental assessment (EA) of the proposed 
special local regulation and safety zone described above. The draft EA, 
which is available in the docket, identifies and

[[Page 22707]]

examines the reasonable alternatives and assesses their potential 
environmental impact. It also identifies the preferred alternative and 
how it affects the proposed rulemaking.
    We request your comments on environmental concerns that you may 
have related to the draft EA. This includes suggesting analyses and 
methodologies for use in the EA or possible sources of data or 
information not included in the draft EA. Your comments will be 
considered in preparing the final EA.
    This notice is issued under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a), and 
33 CFR 1.05-1, 100.35, and 165.5.

    Dated: March 29, 2012.
Cynthia L. Stowe,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the Port San Francisco.
[FR Doc. 2012-9070 Filed 4-16-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P