Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 165 / Tuesday, August 26, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 45159

firework is exploded for each event

listed in the table below. The events are

listed in the table below. The events are

listed chronologically by month with

their corresponding number listed in the

special local regulation, 33 CFR

100.114.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

mailed to Commander (osr), First Coast

Guard District, Captain John Foster

Williams Federal Building, 408 Atlantic

Ave., Boston, MA 02110–3350, or may

be hand delivered to Room 734 at the

same address, between 8 a.m. and 4

p.m., Monday through Friday, except

federal holidays. Comments will

become part of this docket and will be

available for inspection or copying at

the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lieutenant Commander William H.

Rypka, Office of Search and Rescue

branch, First Coast Guard District at

(617) 223–8460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

document implements the special local

regulations in 33 CFR 100.114 (62 FR

30988; June 6, 1997). All vessels are

prohibited from entering a 500 yard

radius of navigable water surrounding

the launch platform used in each

fireworks displayed listed below.

Table 1—Fireworks Displays

August

2. Summer Music Fireworks

Date: August 23, 1997

Time: 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Location: Niantic River, Harkness

Park, Waterford, CT

Lat: 41 18.2N, Long: 072 06.5W (NAD

1983)

4. Fall River Celebrates America

Fireworks

Date: August 9, 1997

Time: 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Location: Taunton River, Vicinity of

buoy #17, Fall River, MA

Lat: 41–33N Long: 071–10W (NAD

1983)

6. Oaks Bluff Fireworks

Date: August 22, 1997

Time: 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Location: Oaks Bluff Beach, Oaks

Bluff, MA

Lat: 41–27N Long: 070–33W (NAD

1983)

8. Gloucester Fireworks

Date: August 30, 1997

Rain Date: August 30, 1997

Time: 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Location: Gloucester Harbor,

Gloucester, MA

Lat: 42 36′′18′′N Long: 070 40′′34′′W

(NAD 1983)

Including the Northwest Shoreline of

Ten Pound Island.

9. Salute to Summer

Date: August 29, 1997

Time: 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Location: Narragansett Bay, East

Passage, off Coasters Harbor Island,

Newport, RI

Lat: 41–30N Long: 071–20W (NAD

1983)

10. Norwich Harbor Day Fireworks

Date: August 31, 1997

Time: 8:45 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Location: Norwich Harbor, off

American Wharf Marina, Norwich,

CT

Lat: 41–31.22N Long: 72–04.50W

(NAD 1983)

Dated: August 8, 1997.

R.M. Larrabee,

Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard Commander,

First Coast Guard District.

[FR Doc. 97–22672 Filed 8–25–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–14–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[CGD05–97–002]

RIN 2115–AE47

Drawbridge Operation Regulations;

Ship Channel, Great Egg Harbor Bay,

New Jersey

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: At the request of the New

Jersey Department of Transportation

(NJDOT), the Coast Guard is changing

the regulations governing operation of

the Route 52 (Ship Channel) Bridge

across Great Egg Harbor Bay, mile 0.5,

between Somers Point and Ocean City,

New Jersey.

This rule will require the Route 52

(Ship Channel) Bridge to open on signal

except that, between Memorial Day and

Labor Day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the

draw need only open on the hour and

half hour. During the summer tourist

season, this rule will curtail delays to

vehicular traffic while still providing for

the reasonable needs of navigation.

DATES: This final rule is effective on

September 25, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Documents as indicated in

this preamble are available for

inspection or copying at the office of the

Commander (Aowb), USCG Atlantic

Area, Federal Building, 4th Floor, 431

Crawford Street, Portsmouth, Virginia

23704–5004, between 8 a.m. and 4:30

p.m., Monday through Friday, except

Federal holidays. The telephone number

is (757) 398–6222.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ann Deaton, Bridge Administrator,

USCG Atlantic Area, (757) 398–6222.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Regulatory History

On April 21, 1997, the Coast Guard

published a Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking (NPRM) entitled

‘‘Drawbridge Operation Regulations;

Ship Channel, Great Egg Harbor Bay,

New Jersey’’ in the Federal Register (62

FR 19243). The Coast Guard received

one letter commenting on the proposed

rulemaking. No public hearing was

requested and none was held.

Background and Purpose

The current regulations found at 33

CFR 117.753 require the Route 52 (Ship

Channel) bridge to open on signal

except that from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., yearround a 24 hour advance notice is

required; and from Memorial Day

through Labor Day from 10 a.m. to 8

p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and

Federal holidays, the bridge opens only

on the hour and half hour for

recreational vessels.

The New Jersey Department of

Transportation (NJDOT) requested that

33 CFR 117.753 be amended to extend

the periods during the summer months

in which the bridge must open only on

the hour and half hour. In support of its

request NJDOT contended that its

records show that requests for openings

from Memorial Day through Labor Day

are minimal in number, such that the

requested amendment would not

significantly affect vessel traffic.

The Coast Guard reviewed NJDOT’s

bridge logs for 1993 through 1995,

copies of which are included in the

docket of this rulemaking. According to

the logs, for the years 1993 through

1995, from May through September

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday

through Friday, the Route 52 (Ship

Channel) bridge opened 250, 248, and

287 times, respectively, for recreational

and commercial vessels, an average of

12 openings per week. The Coast Guard

believes that this rule will balance the

needs of vehicular and vessel traffic

without unduly restricting vessel

navigation.

NJDOT also requested a change to the

operating regulations for the Route 52

(Beach Thorofare) Bridge. Due to the

close proximity of the Route 52 bridges

over Beach Thorofare and Ship Channel,

which are located approximately two

miles apart, synchronized openings will

augment the effectiveness of the

recommended change to the regulations

for the Route 52 (Ship Channel) Bridge.

Therefore, the Coast Guard is

amending Section 117.753 by revising
45160 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 165 / Tuesday, August 26, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

paragraph (b) to require the Route 52

(Ship Channel) Bridge, mile 0.5, Great

Egg Harbor Bay, to open on signal

except that openings will be limited to

on the hour and half hour from

Memorial Day to Labor Day from 8 a.m.

to 8 p.m.

The Coast Guard is also amending

Section 117.753 by deleting

subparagraphs (a)(1) and (b)(1) to

remove the requirement to open for

public vessels of the United States, state

and local vessels used for public safety,

a vessel in distress, or a vessel with a

tow. The regulatory requirements for

opening in these and emergency

situations are provided in 33 CFR

117.31.

Discussion of Comments and Changes

The Coast Guard received one

comment on the NRPM. The comment

stated that the proposed rule is unfair

since the majority of vessels requiring

bridge openings for the Route 52 (Ship

Channel) Bridge do not use the Route 52

(Beach Thorofare) Bridge, and the tidal

currents are extremely fast at the Route

52 (Ship Channel) Bridge which could

cause problems for vessels awaiting a

bridge opening. The Coast Guard

considered the comment received, but

has not changed the final rule. The

Coast Guard believes that synchronizing

the opening schedules of the Beach

Thorofare and Ship Channel bridges

will enhance the flow of vehicular

traffic along Route 52 without

unnecessarily impeding vessel traffic,

particularly if, as the comment suggests,

vessels transiting under one bridge do

not usually transit under the other.

Further, the Coast Guard believes that

limiting openings to twice per hour

during summer months will not cause

an unsafe accumulation of vessels

waiting for openings, as demonstrated

by the limited number of openings

required from 1993 to 1995. A

predictable schedule of openings on the

hour and half hour will only require

vessel operators to plan their transits in

order to minimize delays while waiting

for a bridge opening.

Regulatory Evaluation

This final rule is not a significant

regulatory action under section 3(f) of

Executive Order 12866 and does not

require an assessment of potential costs

and benefits under section 6(a)(3) of that

order. It has been exempted from review

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

final rule to be so minimal that a full

Regulatory Evaluation, under paragraph

10e 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

considered whether this rule will have

a significant economic impact 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 of less than 50,000.

This final rule does not restrict vessel

navigation, but merely limits the bridge

openings to on the hour and half hour,

from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., from Memorial

Day through Labor Day. Therefore, the

Coast Guard certifies under section

605(b) of the Regulatory Flexibility Act

(5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), that this final rule

will not have a significant economic

impact on a substantial number of small

entities.

Collection of Information

This final 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 will not

have sufficient federalism implications

to warrant preparation of a Federalism

Assessment.

Environment

The Coast Guard considered the

environmental impact of this rule and

concluded that under section

2.B.2.e.(32)(e) of Commandant

Instruction M16475.1B (as amended, 59

FR 38654, 29 July 1994), this final rule

is categorically excluded from further

environmental documentation. A

Categorical Exclusion Determination

statement has been prepared and placed

in the rulemaking docket.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 117

Bridges.

Regulations

For the reasons discussed in the

preamble, the Coast Guard amends 33

CFR Part 117 as follows:

PART 117—DRAWBRIDGE

REGULATIONS

1. The authority citation for part 117

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 33 U.S.C. 499; 49 CFR 1.46; 33

CFR 1.05–1(g); Section 117.255 also issued

under the authority of Pub. L. 102–587, 106

Stat. 5039.

2. Section 117.753 is revised to read

as follows:

§ 117.753 Ship Channel, Great Egg Harbor

Bay.

The draw of the S52 (Ship Channel)

bridge, mile 0.5 between Somers Point

and Ocean City, shall open:

(a) From 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., on signal,

if at least 24 hours advance notice is

given.

(b) From Memorial Day through Labor

Day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., on the hour

and half hour.

(c) At all other times, on signal, for

any vessel.

Dated: August 8, 1997.

Roger T. Rufe, Jr.,

Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard Commander,

Fifth Coast Guard District.

[FR Doc. 97–22674 Filed 8–25–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–14–P/M

POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 20

Implementation of Global Package Link

Service

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Interim rule with request for

comments.

SUMMARY: Global Package Link Service

is an international mail service designed

for companies sending merchandise to

other countries. To implement

agreements previously entered into with

the postal administrations of Mexico

and Singapore, those two countries are

now being added as destination

countries. This action is consistent with

the Postal Service’s original plan to add

destination countries as customer needs

dictate (59 FR 65961; December 22,

1994). Global Package Link Service has

previously been made available to

Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Germany,

Japan, and the United Kingdom (U.K.).

To use Global Package Link (GPL)

Service, a customer must mail at least

10,000 GPL packages a year and agree to

link its information systems with the

Postal Service’s so that the Postal

Service can extract certain information

about the contents of the customer’s

packages for customs clearance and

other purposes. Initially two levels of

service to Mexico and Singapore will be

offered to customers. Interim regulations

have been developed and are set forth

below for comment and suggested

revision prior to adoption in final form.