[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 15 (Thursday, January 23, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 3853-3854]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00292]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2019-0910]


Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Bayou Sara, Saraland, AL

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 schedule that governs the CSX Transportation Railroad swing 
bridge across Bayou Sara, mile 0.1 near Saraland, Alabama. This 
deviation is needed to collect and analyze information on vessel 
traffic when the bridge tender is moved to a geographically remote 
centralized control point located in Mobile, AL. The Coast Guard is 
seeking comments from the public about the impact to vessel traffic 
generated by this change.

DATES: This deviation is effective from 6 a.m. January 23, 2020 through 
6 p.m. March 23, 2020.
    Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard 
on or before March 23, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2019-0910 using Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov.
    See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion 
of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further instructions on 
submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this 
proposed rulemaking, call or email Mr. Doug Blakemore, Eighth Coast 
Guard District Bridge Administrator; telephone (504) 671-2128, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background, Purpose and Legal Basis

    CSX Railroad has established a central location to operate CSX 
drawbridges. They have requested to relocate the Bayou Sara bridge 
tender to their centralized location in Mobile, AL. This CSX swing 
bridge is located at Bayou Sara, mile 0.1, Mobile County, near 
Saraland, AL. It has a vertical clearance of 5' in the closed to vessel 
position. The bridge operates according to 33 CFR 117.105. Bayou Sara 
is used primarily by recreational vessels. The bridge opens for vessels 
about 6 times per day and vessels that do not need the bridge to open 
may pass.
    This deviation will last for 60 days. CSX will collect data on all 
bridge openings to ensure that the remote operations will not impact 
navigation. CSX will immediately return the tender to the bridge 
location if there are any system failures or weather conditions that 
will not allow the bridge tender to operate the bridge from Mobile.
    The Coast Guard will publish information about this temporary 
deviation in our Local and Broadcast Notice to Mariners so that 
mariners are informed of this operating change and our request for 
comments on the change.
    In accordance with 33 CFR 117.35(e), the drawbridge must return to 
its regular operating schedule 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.

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, visit http://www.regulations.gov/privacynotice.
    Documents mentioned in this NPRM as being available in this docket 
and all public comments, will be in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following that website'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.


[[Page 3854]]


    Dated: January 7, 2020.
Douglas Allen Blakemore, Sr.,
Bridge Administrator, Eighth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2020-00292 Filed 1-22-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P