[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 62439-62441]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24318]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2013-0562]


Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Inner Harbor Navigational Canal, 
New Orleans, LA

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of temporary deviation from regulations; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the 
operating schedules that govern the US 90 (Danzinger) Bridge across the 
Inner Harbor Navigational Canal (IHNC), mile 3.1, and the Senator Ted 
Hickey (Leon C. Simon Blvd./Seabrook) bridge across the IHNC, mile 4.6, 
both at New Orleans, LA. This deviation will test changes to the 
drawbridge operation schedule to determine whether a permanent change 
to the schedule is needed. These changes would allow for the safe 
navigation of vessels while reflecting the low volume of vessel traffic 
through the bridges thereby increasing efficiency of operations. The 
changes will allow the bridges to operate in a manner that will align 
the two operating schedules so the bridge owner will be able to use the 
same bridge crew personnel to operate both bridges with little to no 
affect on navigation through the bridges.

DATES: This deviation is effective from 12:01 a.m. on November 6, 2013 
through 11:59 p.m. on December 6, 2013.
    Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard 
on December 23, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2013-0562 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 instructions on 
submitting comments. To avoid duplication, please use only one of these 
four methods.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this test 
deviation, call or email the Coast Guard;

[[Page 62440]]

Mr. Jim Wetherington, telephone 504-671-2128, emails 
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing or 
submitting material to the docket, call Barbara Hairston, Program 
Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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 (USCG-2013-0562), 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 (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 
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. We recommend that you include your name and a 
mailing address, an email address, or a phone 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, type the docket number [USCG-2013-
0562] 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 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 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-2013-0562) 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 four methods specified under 
ADDRESSES. Please explain why one 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. Basis and Purpose

    On June 05, 2013 the Coast Guard District Eight Commander received 
a request from Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development 
(LDOTD), on behalf of the Orleans Levee District, to modify the 
operating regulations of the U.S. 90 (Danziger) and the Senator Ted 
Hickey (Leon c. Simon Blvd./Seabrook) bridges on the Inner Harbor 
Navigational Canal (IHNC) past the Gulf Intra-Costal Waterway (GIWW).
    The US 90 (Danzinger) Bridge across the IHNC, mile 3.1, at New 
Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana is a Vertical lift bridge with a 
vertical clearance of 50 feet above Mean High Water (MHW), elevation 
5.0 Mean Sea Level (MSL), in the closed-to-navigation position and 120 
feet MHW, elevation 5.0 MSL, in the open-to-navigation position. The 
Senator Ted Hickey (Leon C. Simon Blvd./Seabrook) Bridge across the 
IHNC, mile 4.6, at New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana is a Bascule 
bridge with a vertical clearance of 46 feet above Mean High Water 
(MHW), elevation 5.0 Mean Sea Level (MSL), in the closed-to-navigation 
position and unlimited in the open-to-navigation position.
    Under 33 CFR 117.458(b), the draw of the US 90 (Danzinger) Bridge, 
mile 3.1, shall open on signal; except that from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. the 
draw shall open on signal if at least four hours notice is given, and 
the draw need not be opened from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 6:30 
p.m. Monday through Friday. Under 33 CFR 117.458(c), the draw of the 
Senator Ted Hickey (Leon C. Simon Blvd./Seabrook) Bridge, mile 4.6, 
shall open on signal; except that from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, the draw need not be opened. This 
operating regulation has been in effect since 2003.
    This regulation would allow LDOTD to improve the systematic 
efficiency of bridge operations for vessels using the portions of the 
IHNC that are not associated with the GIWW. The changes will do this by 
allowing bridge operations to be accomplished with the same personnel 
and allowing the regulations to work with one another thereby allowing 
for faster response times for openings and more efficient use of the 
waterway and ultimately more fiscal responsibility on behalf of the 
owner. This test will allow for comments on a current notice of 
proposed rule making (NPRM) that is being run in conjunction with this 
test. Comments on this test and the NPRM with the same docket number 
will be evaluated at the same time. The bridges will return to normal 
operations upon completion of the test to allow for evaluation of any 
and all comments.
    Currently, there is minimal vessel traffic (nine per month and 32 
per month, respectively) in this area and land traffic would not be 
adversely impacted by this test as the opening times would be 
minimized.
    The test deviation will begin at 12:01 a.m. on the date 15 days 
after publication in the Federal Register. It will end at 11:59 p.m. 30 
days later. During this 30 day period, the US 90 (Danzinger) Bridge 
will open if two hours notice is given 24 hours a day; except the 
bridge need not open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 
Monday through Friday. The Senator Ted Hickey (Leon C. Simon Blvd./
Seabrook) Bridge will open on signal from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and from 8 
p.m. to 8 a.m. if two hours notice is given; except the bridge need not 
open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through 
Friday. During this time, vessels that do not require an opening can 
still pass through the bridges. There are no alternate routes 
available. Waterway users are encouraged to comment on the test

[[Page 62441]]

deviation and the NPRM as described above.
    In accordance with 33 CFR 117.35(e), the drawbridges must return to 
their regular operating schedules immediately at the end of the 
effective period of this temporary deviation. This deviation from the 
operating regulations is authorized under 33 CFR 117.35.

    Dated: September 23, 2013.
David M. Frank,
Bridge Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2013-24318 Filed 10-21-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P