Safety Zone; Kachemak Bay, Alaska

AGENCY:

Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION:

Temporary final rule.

SUMMARY:

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary 200 yard radius safety zone on the navigable waters of the United States around the Heavy-lift vessel SWAN that will load the Crowley Marine barge 240-1 carrying living quarters for the Exploratory Drilling Structure “OSPREY” in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. This safety zone is implemented to ensure the safe and timely anchoring, loading, and departure of vessels and a barge operating in Kachemak Bay.

DATES:

This temporary final rule is effective from 12:01 a.m. on May 4, 2000, until 11:59 p.m. on May 9, 2000.

ADDRESSES:

The public docket for this rulemaking is maintained by Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Anchorage, 510 “L” Street, Suite 100, Anchorage, AK 99501. Materials in the public docket are available for inspection and copying at Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Anchorage. Normal Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lieutenant Commander Rick Rodriguez, Chief of Port Operations, USCG Marine Safety Office, Anchorage, at (907) 271-6724.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Regulatory History

A notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) was not published for this regulation. In keeping with requirements of 5 U.S.C. 553(B), the Coast Guard finds that good cause exists for not publishing a NPRM. In keeping with the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 553 (d)(3), the Coast Guard also finds that good cause exists for making this regulation effective less than 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. Meeting these requirements is impracticable because the scope of the loading activities and logistical details surrounding the loading of this barge on the Heavy-lift vessel SWAN was not finalized and provided to the Coast Guard until less than 30 days before the project date. Furthermore, it is in the public interest to insure the timely and safe loading of the barge onboard the Heavy-lift vessel SWAN to ensure that they do not place other vessels or personnel at risk to injury.

Background and Purpose

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary 200-yard radius safety zone on the navigable waters of the United States around the Heavy-lift vessel SWAN that will load the Crowley Marine barge 240-1 carrying the living quarters for the Exploratory Drilling Structure “OSPREY” in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. The safety zone is designed to permit the safe and timely anchoring, loading, and departure of this vessel in the narrow timeframe in which this can be safely done. The safety zone's 200-yard standoff also aids the safety of these evolutions by minimizing conflicts and hazards that might otherwise occur with other transiting vessels. The limited size of the zone is designed to minimize impact on other mariners transiting through the area.

Regulatory Evaluation

This rule is not a significant regulatory action under section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866 and does not require an assessment of potential cost and benefits under section 6(a)(3) of that order. It has not been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget under that order. It is not significant under the regulatory policies and procedures of the Department of Transportation (DOT) (44 FR 11040, February 26, 1979). The Coast Guard expects the economic impact of this proposal to be so minimal that a full Regulatory Evaluation under paragraph 10(e) of the regulatory policies and procedures of DOT is unnecessary.

Small Entities

Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the Coast Guard considers whether this rule will have significant economic impacts on a substantial number of small entities. “Small entities” include small businesses, not-for-profit organizations that are independently owned and operated and are not dominant in their fields, and governmental jurisdictions with populations less than 50,000. Because this safety zone is very small, will only be in effect for six days, and does not impede access to other maritime facilities in the area, the Coast Guard believes there will be no impact to small entities. Therefore, the Coast Guard certifies under 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that this rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.

Collection of Information

This rule does not provide for a collection of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Federalism

The Coast Guard has analyzed this rule under the principles and criteria contained in Executive Order 12612 and has determined that this rule does not have sufficient federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.

Environment

The Coast Guard considered the environmental impact of this rule and concluded that, under Figure 2-1, paragraph 34(g) of Commandant Instruction M16475.1C, this rule is categorically excluded from further environmental documentation because it establishes a safety zone. A “Categorical Exclusion Determination” is available in the docket for inspection or copying where indicated under ADDRESSES.

Unfunded Mandates

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1531-1538) and E.O. 12875, Enhancing the Intergovernmental Partnership, (58 FR 58093, October 28, 1993) govern the issuance of Federal regulations that require unfunded mandates. An unfunded mandate is a regulation that requires a State, local, or tribal government or the private sector to incur direct costs without the Federal Government's having first provided the funds to pay those costs. This rule will not impose an unfunded mandate.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 165

• Harbors
• Marine safety
• Navigation (water)
• Reporting and record keeping requirements
• Security measures
• Waterways

Temporary Regulation

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

PART 165—[AMENDED]

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

Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1231; 50 U.S.C. 191; 33 CFR 1.05-1(g), 6.04-1, 6.04-6, and 160.5; 49 CFR 1.46.

2. From 12:01 a.m. on May 4, 2000, until 11:59 p.m. on May 9, 2000, § 165.T17-00-001 is temporarily added to read as follows: