[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 12, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 17561-17562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07287]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2016-0257]


Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Delaware River, Pennsauken 
Township, NJ

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 regulation that governs the DELAIR Memorial Railroad Bridge 
across the Delaware River, mile 104.6, at Pennsauken Township, NJ. This 
deviation will test the remote operation capability of the drawbridge 
to determine whether the bridge can be safely operated from a remote 
location. This deviation will allow the bridge to be remotely operated 
from the Conrail South Jersey dispatch center in Mount Laurel, NJ, 
instead of being operated by an on-site bridge tender.

DATES: This deviation is effective from 8 a.m. on April 24, 2017, to 
7:59 a.m. on October 21, 2017. Comments and related material must reach 
the Coast Guard on or before August 18, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2016-0257 using Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov.
    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 test 
deviation, call or email Mr. Hal R. Pitts, Fifth Coast Guard District 
(dpb); telephone (757) 398-6222, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background, Purpose and Legal Basis

    The DELAIR Memorial Bridge across the Delaware River, mile 104.6, 
at Pennsauken Township, NJ, owned and operated by Conrail Shared 
Assets, has a vertical clearance of 49 feet above mean high water in 
the closed-to-navigation position. There is a daily average of 28 New 
Jersey Transit trains and 8 Conrail freight trains that cross the 
bridge and a daily average of 3 bridge openings that allow one or more 
vessels to transit through the bridge during each opening. The bridge 
is normally maintained in the closed position, due to the average daily 
number of trains crossing the bridge. The operating schedule is 
published in 33 CFR 117.716. This operating schedule has been in effect 
since 1984 and will not change with the implementation of remote 
operation of the bridge. This test deviation allows the bridge to be 
operated remotely from the bridge owner's South Jersey dispatch center 
in Mount Laurel, NJ.
    The Delaware River is used by a variety of vessels including deep 
draft commercial vessels, tug and barge traffic, recreational vessels, 
and public vessels including military vessels of various sizes. The 
three-year average number of bridge openings and maximum number of 
bridge openings by month and overall for 2013 through 2015, as drawn 
from the data contained in the bridge tender logs, is presented below.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Average    Maximum
                       Month                         openings   openings
------------------------------------------------------------------------
January...........................................         73         88
February..........................................         54         56
March.............................................         80         94
April.............................................         55         68
May...............................................         60         67
June..............................................         60         71
July..............................................        122        162
August............................................        112        138
September.........................................        143        201
October...........................................        109        117
November..........................................        100        116
December..........................................        100        122
Monthly...........................................         89        201
Daily.............................................          3          7
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The bridge owner and the maritime community have been working 
together since 2013 in an effort to incorporate sensors and other 
technologies into the bridge and the Conrail South Jersey dispatch 
center to allow for the safe and effective remote operation of the 
bridge. The remote operation system includes eight camera views (four 
marine and four rail), two forward-looking infrared equipped camera 
views (marine), marine radar, a dedicated telephone line for bridge 
operations, radiotelephone on VHF-FM channels 13 and 16, and an 
automated identification system (AIS) transmitter to provide bridge 
status. The AIS transmitter has been installed on the New Jersey side 
of the bridge at the bridge and land intersection in approximate 
position 39 degrees, 58 minutes, 50.52 seconds North (39.9807), 75 
degrees, 03 minutes, 58.75 seconds West (-75.06632). The AIS 
transmitter is assigned maritime mobile service identity (MMSI) number 
993663001 and will provide the status of the bridge (open/closed/
inoperative) via the name transmitted by the private aids to navigation 
as: DELAIR BRG-OPEN

[[Page 17562]]

(fully open and locked position, channel light green), DELAIR BRG-
CLOSED (other than fully open, not inoperative), or DELAIR BRG-INOP 
(other than fully open, inoperative). The AIS transmitter will transmit 
the bridge status every two minutes and upon a change in the bridge 
status.
    The remote operation system is designed to provide equal or greater 
capabilities compared to the on-site bridge tender, in visibility of 
the waterway and bridge, and in signals (communications) via sound and 
visual signals and radio telephone (voice) via VHF-FM channels 13 and 
16. The remote operation system also incorporates real-time bridge 
status via AIS signal to aid mariners in voyage planning and 
navigational decision-making, a dedicated telephone line (856) 231-2301 
for bridge operations, and push-to-talk (PTT) capability on VHF-FM 
channel 13.
    The remote operation system will be considered failed and qualified 
personnel will return and operate the bridge within 60 minutes, if any 
of the following conditions are found: (1) The remote operation system 
becomes incapable of safely and effectively operating the bridge from 
the remote operation center, (2) visibility of the waterway or bridge 
is degraded to less than equal that of an on-site bridge tender (all 
eight camera views are required), (3) signals (communications) via 
sound or visual signals or radio telephone (voice) via VHF-FM channels 
13 or 16 become inoperative, or (4) AIS becomes inoperative.
    The test deviation will commence at 8 a.m. on April 24, 2017, and 
conclude at 7:59 a.m. on October 21, 2017. During the test deviation, a 
bridge tender will be stationed on-site at the bridge and will be able 
to immediately take local control of the bridge, as required. Vessels 
that require an opening shall continue to request an opening via the 
methods (sound or visual signals or radio telephone (VHF-FM) voice 
communications) as defined in 33 CFR 117.15(b) through (d), via 
telephone at (856) 231-2301, or push-to-talk (PTT) on VHF-FM channel 
13. Vessels may push the PTT button five times while on VHF-FM channel 
13 and the South Jersey dispatch center, or bridge tender at the 
bridge, will receive and respond to the request and commence opening of 
the bridge. During the test deviation, if the South Jersey dispatch 
center does not respond to a vessel's request, or is unable to operate 
the bridge, the bridge tender at the bridge will take immediate action 
to respond to the vessel's request for a bridge opening and commence 
opening of the bridge in accordance with regulations.
    During the second half of the test deviation period, commencing on 
or before 8 a.m. on July 23, 2017, the remote operation system will 
incorporate the capability to receive and respond to sound and visual 
signals from the remote operation center. Prior to incorporation of the 
capability to receive and respond to sound and visual signals from the 
remote operation center, the on-sight bridge tender will receive and 
respond to sound and visual signals and coordinate an opening of the 
bridge with the remote operation center. The signals for the remote 
operation center to respond to a sound signal for a bridge opening will 
include: (1) When draw can be opened immediately--a sound signal of one 
prolonged blast followed by one short blast and illumination of a fixed 
white light not more than 30 seconds after the requesting signal or (2) 
when the draw cannot be opened immediately--five short blasts sounded 
in rapid succession and illumination of a fixed red light not more 30 
seconds after the vessel's opening signal. The signals to respond to a 
visual signal for a bridge opening will include: (1) When draw can be 
opened immediately--illumination of a fixed white light not more than 
30 seconds after the requesting signal or (2) when the draw cannot be 
opened immediately--illumination of a fixed red light not more 30 
seconds after the vessel's opening signal. The fixed white light will 
remain illuminated until the bridge reaches the fully open position. 
The fixed white and red lights will be positioned on the east (New 
Jersey) bridge abutment adjacent to the navigation span.
    During the test deviation period, the bridge owner will collect 
data on the performance and operation of the bridge and efficacy of the 
remote operation system sensors, technologies, and processes and 
procedures. The incorporation of AIS is designed to enhance the 
availability of real-time information regarding the status of the 
DELAIR Bridge for vessel operators and other maritime stakeholders.
    The bridge owner conducted significant coordination with the U. S. 
Coast Guard, Mariners' Advisory Committee for the Bay and River 
Delaware, and maritime stakeholders in 2013, 2014, and 2015, regarding 
remote operation of the DELAIR Bridge and in developing a plan to 
perform this test deviation. The bridge owner also met with the U. S. 
Coast Guard and Delaware River Pilots, and provided a tour of their 
South Jersey dispatch center and demonstration of the remote operation 
of the bridge for interested stakeholders, in January 2015.
    In accordance with 33 CFR 117.35(e), the drawbridge must return to 
normal (local) operation at the end of the effective period of this 
temporary deviation. This deviation from the operating regulations is 
authorized under 33 CFR 117.35.

II. Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We view public participation as essential to effective rulemaking, 
and will consider all comments and material received during the comment 
period. Your comment can help shape the outcome of this rulemaking. 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.
    We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be 
submitted using http://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate 
instructions.
    We accept anonymous comments. All comments received will be posted 
without change to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any 
personal information you have provided. For more about privacy and the 
docket, you may review a Privacy Act notice regarding the Federal 
Docket Management System in the March 24, 2005, issue of the Federal 
Register (70 FR 15086).
    Documents mentioned in this notification and all public comments, 
are in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be 
viewed by following that Web site's instructions. Additionally, if you 
go to the online docket and sign up for email alerts, you will be 
notified when comments are posted or a final rule is published.

    Dated: April 6, 2017.
Hal R. Pitts,
Bridge Program Manager, Fifth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2017-07287 Filed 4-11-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P