[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 180 (Monday, September 17, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 57063-57066]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-22798]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 165

[Docket Number USCG-2012-0812]
RIN 1625-AA00


Safety Zone, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Emerald Isle, NC

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes to extend a temporary safety zone on 
the waters of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at Emerald Isle, North 
Carolina. The safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of 
mariners on navigable waters during maintenance of the NC 58 Fixed 
Bridge crossing the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 226, at 
Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The safety zone extension would 
temporarily restrict vessel movement within the designated area 
starting on December 12, 2012 through February 14, 2013.

DATES: Comments and related material must be received by the Coast 
Guard on or before October 2, 2012.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number using 
any one of the following methods:
    (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) Fax: 202-493-2251.
    (3) Mail or Delivery: 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. Deliveries 
accepted between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
federal holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329.
    See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion 
of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for further instructions 
on submitting comments. To avoid duplication, please use only one of 
these three methods.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this rule, 
call or email CWO4 Joseph M. Edge, U.S. Coast Guard Sector North 
Carolina; telephone 252-247-4525, 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: 

Table of Acronyms

DHS Department of Homeland Security
FR Federal Register
NPRM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

A. Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to participate in this rulemaking 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.

1. Submitting Comments

    If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this 
rulemaking, indicate the specific section of this document to which 
each comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or 
recommendation. You may submit your comments and material online at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but 
please use only one of these means. If you submit a comment online, 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. 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.

[[Page 57064]]

    To submit your comment online, go to http://www.regulations.gov, 
type the docket number (USCG-2012-0812) in the ``SEARCH'' box and click 
``SEARCH.'' Click on ``Submit a Comment'' on the line associated with 
this rulemaking.
    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 comments 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 and may change the rule 
based on your comments.

2. Viewing Comments and Documents

    To view comments, as well as documents mentioned in this preamble 
as being available in the docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov, 
type the docket number (USCG-2012-0432) in the ``SEARCH'' box and click 
``SEARCH.'' Click on Open Docket Folder on the line associated with 
this rulemaking. 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.

3. 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 notice 
regarding our public dockets in the January 17, 2008, issue of the 
Federal Register (73 FR 3316).

4. Public Meeting

    We do not now plan to hold a public meeting. But you may submit a 
request for one, using one of the methods specified under ADDRESSES. 
Please explain why you believe a public meeting would be beneficial. If 
we determine that one would aid this rulemaking, we will hold one at a 
time and place announced by a later notice in the Federal Register.

B. Regulatory History and Information

    This proposed rule would extend an existing safety zone in the 
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at Emerald Isle. The Coast Guard 
published a notice of proposed rulemaking for the existing safety zone 
on June 15, 2012 (USCG-2012-0432, 77 FR 35906), no comments were 
received and we published a final rule on July 30, 2012 (77 FR 44463).

C. Basis and Purpose

    North Carolina Department of Transportation has contracted Marine 
Contracting Corporation of Virginia Beach, Virginia to perform bridge 
maintenance on the NC 58 Fixed Bridge crossing the Atlantic 
Intracoastal Waterway, mile 226, at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The 
contract provides for replacement of the fender system to commence on 
September 12, 2012 with a completion date of December 12, 2012. The 
contractor has been granted an extension by North Carolina Department 
of Transportation until February 14, 2013 to complete the bridge 
maintenance. The contractor will utilize a 140 foot deck barge with a 
40 foot beam as a work platform and for equipment staging. The existing 
safety zone needs to be extended to provide a safety buffer for 
transiting vessels as bridge repairs present potential hazards to 
mariners and property due to reduction of horizontal clearance.

D. Discussion of Proposed Rule

    The proposed temporary safety zone will encompass the waters 
directly under the NC 58 Fixed Bridge crossing the Atlantic 
Intracoastal Waterway, mile 226, at Emerald Isle, North Carolina 
(34[deg]40'28'' N, 077[deg]03'56'' W). This initial zone is in effect 
from 8 a.m. September 12, 2012 through 8 p.m. December 12, 2012. The 
proposed extension will be in effect from 8 p.m. December 12, 2012 
through 8 p.m. February 14, 2013. During this period the Coast Guard 
would require a one hour notification to the work supervisor at NC 58 
Fixed Bridge, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway crossing, mile 226, 
Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The notification requirement would apply 
during the maintenance period for vessels requiring a horizontal 
clearance of greater than 50 feet.

E. Regulatory Analyses

    We developed this proposed rule after considering numerous statutes 
and executive orders related to rulemaking. Below we summarize our 
analyses based on a number of these statutes or executive orders.

1. Regulatory Planning and Review

    This proposed rule is not a significant regulatory action under 
section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review, 
as supplemented by Executive Order 13563, Improving Regulation and 
Regulatory Review, and does not require an assessment of potential 
costs and benefits under section 6(a)(3) of Executive Order 12866 or 
under section 1 of Executive Order 13563. The Office of Management and 
Budget has not reviewed it under those Orders. This rule does restrict 
traffic from transiting a portion of the Atlantic Intracoastal 
Waterway; it imposes a one hour notification to ensure the waterway is 
clear of impediment to allow passage to vessels requiring a horizontal 
clearance of greater than 50 feet.

2. Impact on Small Entities

    Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612), we have 
considered the impact of this proposed rule on small entities. The 
Coast Guard certifies under 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that this proposed rule 
will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of 
small entities. This proposed rule would affect the following entities, 
some of which may be small entities: The owners or operators of 
commercial tug and barge companies, recreational and commercial fishing 
vessels intending to transit the specified portion of Atlantic 
Intracoastal Waterway from 8 p.m. December 12, 2012 through 8 p.m. 
February 14, 2013.
    This safety zone would not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities for the following reasons. 
Although the safety zone will apply to this section of the Atlantic 
Intracoastal Waterway, vessel traffic will be able to request passage 
by providing a one hour advanced notification. Before the effective 
period, the Coast Guard will issue maritime advisories widely available 
to the users of the waterway. If you think that your business, 
organization, or governmental jurisdiction qualifies as a small entity 
and that this rule would have a significant economic impact on it, 
please submit a comment (see ADDRESSES) explaining why you think it 
qualifies and how and to what degree this rule would economically 
affect it.

3. Assistance for Small Entities

    Under section 213(a) of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement 
Fairness Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-121), we want to assist small 
entities in understanding this proposed rule. If the rule would affect 
your small business, organization, or governmental jurisdiction and you 
have questions concerning its provisions or options for compliance, 
please contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT, above. The Coast Guard will not retaliate against small 
entities that question or complain about this

[[Page 57065]]

proposed rule or any policy or action of the Coast Guard.

4. Collection of Information

    This proposed rule will not call for a new collection of 
information under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-
3520).

5. Federalism

    A rule has implications for federalism under Executive Order 13132, 
Federalism, if it has a substantial direct effect on the States, on the 
relationship between the national government and the States, or on the 
distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of 
government. We have analyzed this proposed rule under that Order and 
determined that this rule does not have implications for federalism.

6. Protest Activities

    The Coast Guard respects the First Amendment rights of protesters. 
Protesters are asked to contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section to coordinate protest activities so that 
your message can be received without jeopardizing the safety or 
security of people, places or vessels.

7. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1531-1538) 
requires Federal agencies to assess the effects of their discretionary 
regulatory actions. In particular, the Act addresses actions that may 
result in the expenditure by a State, local, or tribal government, in 
the aggregate, or by the private sector of $100,000,000 (adjusted for 
inflation) or more in any one year. Though this proposed rule would not 
result in such an expenditure, we do discuss the effects of this rule 
elsewhere in this preamble.

8. Taking of Private Property

    This proposed rule would not cause a taking of private property or 
otherwise have taking implications under Executive Order 12630, 
Governmental Actions and Interference with Constitutionally Protected 
Property Rights.

9. Civil Justice Reform

    This proposed rule meets applicable standards in sections 3(a) and 
3(b)(2) of Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice Reform, to minimize 
litigation, eliminate ambiguity, and reduce burden.

10. Protection of Children From Environmental Health Risks

    We have analyzed this proposed rule under Executive Order 13045, 
Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety 
Risks. This rule is not an economically significant rule and would not 
create an environmental risk to health or risk to safety that might 
disproportionately affect children.

11. Indian Tribal Governments

    This proposed rule does not have tribal implications under 
Executive Order 13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal 
Governments, because it would not have a substantial direct effect on 
one or more Indian tribes, on the relationship between the Federal 
Government and Indian tribes, or on the distribution of power and 
responsibilities between the Federal Government and Indian tribes.

12. Energy Effects

    This proposed rule is not a ``significant energy action'' under 
Executive Order 13211, Actions Concerning Regulations That 
Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use because it is 
not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 12866 and 
is not likely to have a significant adverse effect on the supply, 
distribution, or use of energy. The Administrator of the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs has not designated it as a 
significant energy action. Therefore, it does not require a Statement 
of Energy Effects under Executive Order 13211.

13. Technical Standards

    This proposed rule does not use technical standards. Therefore, we 
did not consider the use of voluntary consensus standards.

14. Environment

    We have analyzed this proposed rule under Department of Homeland 
Security Management Directive 023-01 and Commandant Instruction 
M16475.lD, which guide the Coast Guard in complying with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321-4370f), and 
have made a preliminary determination that this action is one of a 
category of actions that do not individually or cumulatively have a 
significant effect on the human environment. This proposed rule 
involves the establishment of a temporary safety zone. This rule is 
categorically excluded from further review under paragraph 34(g) of 
Figure 2-1 of the Commandant Instruction. A preliminary environmental 
analysis checklist supporting this determination and a Categorical 
Exclusion Determination are available in the docket where indicated 
under ADDRESSES. We seek any comments or information that may lead to 
the discovery of a significant environmental impact from this proposed 
rule.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 165

    Harbors, Marine safety, Navigation (water), Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Security measures, Waterways.

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Coast Guard proposes 
to amend 33 CFR part 165 as follows:

PART 165--REGULATED NAVIGATION AREAS AND LIMITED ACCESS AREAS

    1. The authority citation for part 165 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority:  33 U.S.C. 1231; 46 U.S.C. Chapter 701, 3306, 3703; 
50 U.S.C. 191, 195; 33 CFR 1.05-1, 6.04-1, 6.04-6, 160.5; Pub. L. 
107-295, 116 Stat. 2064; Department of Homeland Security Delegation 
No. 0170.1.

    2. Add Sec.  165.T05-0812 to read as follows:


Sec.  165.T05-0812  Safety Zone; Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, 
Emerald Isle, NC.

    (a) Regulated Area. The following area is a safety zone: This zone 
includes the waters directly under and 100 yards either side of the NC 
58 Fixed Bridge crossing the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 226, 
at Emerald Isle, North Carolina (latitude 34[deg]40'28'' N, longitude 
077[deg]03'56'' W).
    (b) Regulations. The general safety zone regulations found in 33 
CFR 165.23 apply to the safety zone created by this temporary section, 
Sec.  165.T05-0432. In addition the following regulations apply:
    (1) All vessels requiring greater than 50 feet horizontal clearance 
to safely transit through the NC 58 Fixed Bridge crossing the Atlantic 
Intracoastal Waterway, mile 226, at Emerald Isle, North Carolina must 
contact the work supervisor on VHF-FM marine band radio channels 13 and 
16 one hour in advance of intended transit.
    (2) All Coast Guard assets enforcing this safety zone can be 
contacted on VHF-FM marine band radio channels 13 and 16.
    (3) The operator of any vessel within or in the immediate vicinity 
of this safety zone shall:
    (i) Stop the vessel immediately upon being directed to do so by any 
commissioned, warrant or petty officer on board a vessel displaying a 
Coast Guard Ensign, and
    (ii) Proceed as directed by any commissioned, warrant or petty 
officer

[[Page 57066]]

on board a vessel displaying a Coast Guard Ensign.
    (c) Definitions.
    (1) Captain of the Port North Carolina means the Commander, Coast 
Guard Sector North Carolina or any Coast Guard commissioned, warrant or 
petty officer who has been authorized by the Captain of the Port to act 
on his behalf.
    (2) Designated representative means any Coast Guard commissioned, 
warrant, or petty officer who has been authorized by the Captain of the 
Port North Carolina to assist in enforcing the safety zone described in 
paragraph (a) of this section.
    (3) Work Supervisor means the contractors on site representative.
    (d) Enforcement. The U.S. Coast Guard may be assisted by Federal, 
State and local agencies in the patrol and enforcement of the zone.
    (e) Enforcement period. This section will be enforced from through 
8 p.m. December 12, 2012 through 8 p.m. February 14, 2013 unless 
cancelled earlier by the Captain of the Port.

    Dated: August 30, 2012.
A. Popiel,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the Port, U.S. Coast Guard Sector 
North Carolina.
[FR Doc. 2012-22798 Filed 9-14-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P