78304 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 249 / Tuesday, December 30, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 

email Mrs. Kashanda L. Booker, Bridge 

Management Specialist, Fifth District, 

Coast Guard, telephone 757–398–6227, 

email Kashanda.L.Booker@uscg.mil. If 

you have questions on viewing the 

docket, call Cheryl Collins, Program 

Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 

202–366–9826. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The North 

Carolina Department of Transportation, 

who owns and operates this double-leaf 

bascule bridge, has requested a 

temporary deviation from the current 

operating regulations set out in 33 CFR 

117.829(a), to facilitate mechanical 

repair to the main breaker of the bridge. 

The removal and replacement of this 

breaker will involve removing power 

completely from the bridge to ensure a 

safe working condition. 

In the closed position to vessels, the 

Isabel S. Holmes Bridge has a vertical 

clearance of 42 feet above mean high 

water. Under this temporary deviation, 

the drawbridge will be closed to vessels 

requiring an opening from 8 a.m. on 

February 9, 2015 until 8 p.m. on 

February 10, 2015. 

Vessels that can pass under the 

drawbridge without an opening may do 

so at all times. There are no alternate 

routes for vessels transiting this section 

of the Northeast Cape Fear River. The 

drawbridge will be unable to open in 

the event of an emergency. The Coast 

Guard will also inform the users of the 

waterways through Local and Broadcast 

Notices to Mariners of the change in 

operating schedule for the bridge so that 

vessels can arrange their transits to 

minimize any impact caused by the 

temporary deviation. 

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. 

Dated: December 16, 2014. 

James. L. Rousseau, 

Bridge Program Manager, Fifth Coast Guard 

District. 

[FR Doc. 2014–30449 Filed 12–29–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Coast Guard 

33 CFR Part 117 

[Docket No. USCG–2014–0952] 

Drawbridge Operation Regulation; 

Victoria Barge Canal, Bloomington, 

Texas 

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice of temporary deviation 

from regulations; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has issued a 

temporary deviation from the method of 

operation for the Victoria Barge Canal 

Railroad Bridge across the Victoria 

Barge Canal, mile 29.4 at Bloomington, 

Victoria County, Texas. The bridge will 

continue to open on signal. The bridge 

owner, the Victoria County Navigation 

District, in conjunction with the Union 

Pacific Railroad (UPRR), the operator of 

the bridge, requested permission to 

remotely operate the bridge. This 

deviation tests a remote operating 

system as the method for opening the 

bridge under the existing operating 

schedule to determine whether a 

permanent change to remote operations 

can be approved. 

DATES: This deviation is effective from 

midnight on December 30, 2014 through 

midnight on June 29, 2015. 

Comments and related material must 

be received by the Coast Guard on 

March 2, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

identified by docket number USCG– 

2014–0952 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 three methods. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If 

you have questions on this test 

deviation, call or email the Coast Guard; 

Mr. David M. Frank, telephone 504– 

671–2128, email david.m.frank@

uscg.mil. If you have questions on 

viewing or submitting material to the 

docket, call Cheryl Collins, 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–2014–0952), 

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–2014–0952] 

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 81⁄2 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 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 249 / Tuesday, December 30, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 78305 

http://www.regulations.gov, type the 

docket number (USCG–2014–0952) 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 three 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 

The bridge owner, the Victoria County 

Navigation District, in conjunction with 

the UPRR requested permission to 

remotely operate the Victoria Barge 

Canal Railroad Bridge across the 

Victoria Barge Canal, mile 29.4 at 

Bloomington, Victoria County, Texas. 

Traffic on the waterway consists of 

primarily commercial traffic, vessels 

and tows providing services to the Port 

of Victoria. The vertical lift bridge has 

a vertical clearance of 22 feet above high 

water in the closed-to-navigation 

position and 50 feet above high water in 

the open-to-navigation position. 

Presently, the bridge is required to 

open on signal for the passage of vessels 

in accordance with 33 CFR 117.5. 

However, due to the passing trains, 

when a request signal to open the bridge 

is received and before opening the 

bridge for vessel traffic, the tender is 

required by his company to contact the 

railroad dispatcher so that railroad 

traffic can be stopped, if necessary. The 

bridge will continue to open on signal 

for the passage of vessels, but the 

method of opening the bridge will be 

accomplished through remote operation 

by the railroad dispatcher. 

The bridge operator, UPRR, 

determined that by remotely operating 

the bridge, vessel transit through the 

bridge will become more efficient. This 

new remote method of operation 

provides for the signal to open to be 

received directly by the railroad 

dispatcher and will allow the railroad 

dispatcher to then open the bridge from 

the remote location. 

Vessel traffic on the waterway will be 

monitored by the railroad dispatcher 

through the use of Automatic 

Identification System (AIS). The 

Victoria County Navigation District 

recommends that all vessels wishing to 

transit on the Victoria Barge Canal up to 

the Port of Victoria have an operating 

AIS transponder onboard. This AIS 

tracking system allows the Port of 

Victoria and the railroad dispatcher to 

determine where vessels are located on 

the waterway in relationship to the 

bridge. Movements of vessels with AIS 

onboard within two miles of the bridge 

will trigger notification to the railroad 

dispatcher that a vessel is approaching 

the bridge and needs the bridge to be 

opened. Any vessel that has passed the 

two-mile signage may also choose to 

contact the railroad dispatcher via 

telephone. Upon receipt of this initial 

notification, the railroad dispatcher 

must contact the vessel via 

radiotelephone (marine radio) on VHF– 

FM channel 13 to coordinate the safe 

passage of the vessel through the bridge. 

The railroad dispatcher must provide 

information to include, but not limited 

to, the availability to continue the vessel 

transit as the bridge is open for 

navigation or that the vessel will have 

to wait as a train is in the block. If a 

vessel is required to wait, the railroad 

dispatcher must indicate to the vessel 

the amount of time the vessel will have 

to wait so that the train can be cleared 

from the block. 

In preparation for this test deviation, 

the bridge owner has posted signage 

regarding the operation of the bridge at 

two miles, at one mile, and at one-half 

mile from the bridge in each direction. 

To facilitate the continued smooth 

operation of the bridge, mariners should 

exchange opening requests using the 

following method: 

1. When a vessel with AIS equipment 

onboard approaches the two-mile post, the 

vessel may continue to transit the waterway 

but must tune their radiotelephone to VHF– 

FM channel 13 and receive passing 

instructions from the railroad dispatcher. The 

dispatcher must contact the vessel promptly 

to provide passing instruction to insure the 

continued safe transit of the vessel. Vessels 

without AIS equipment or vessels with AIS 

who would prefer to call via telephone, may 

call the railroad dispatcher at 800–262–4691 

to arrange passing instructions. 

2. When any vessel approaches the onemile post, the railroad dispatcher should 

have either cleared the vessel through the 

bridge or given an indication that a train is 

in the block and the vessel will be cleared 

as soon as practicable. If the vessel has not 

yet spoken with the railroad dispatcher, the 

vessel should immediately call the railroad 

dispatcher via telephone at 800–262–4691. 

3. When any vessel reaches the one-half 

mile post and has not communicated with 

the railroad dispatcher nor been cleared to 

proceed, the vessel should stop and contact 

either the railroad dispatcher at 800–262– 

4691 or the Port of Victoria emergency 

contact at 361–570–8855. 

During the test deviation phase, the 

bridge will be operated from Spring, TX, 

but the bridge operator will be required 

to have a signal maintainer on call to 

respond to bridge operation issues 

should one occur. 

In accordance with 33 CFR 117.35(e), 

the drawbridge must return to its 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: December 4, 2014. 

David M. Frank, 

Bridge Administrator, Eighth Coast Guard 

District. 

[FR Doc. 2014–30494 Filed 12–29–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Coast Guard 

33 CFR Part 117 

[Docket No. USCG–2014–1026] 

Drawbridge Operation Regulations; 

Mystic River, Mystic, CT 

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice of deviation from 

drawbridge regulation. 

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has issued a 

temporary deviation from the operating 

schedule that governs the Amtrak 

Railroad Bridge across the Mystic River, 

mile 2.4, at Mystic, Connecticut. This 

deviation is necessary to allow the 

bridge owner to perform mechanical 

and electrical repairs at the bridge. This 

deviation allows the bridge to remain 

closed for two 14 day closures and two 

10 day closures. 

DATES: This deviation is effective from 

January 24, 2015 through March 27, 

2015. 

ADDRESSES: The docket for this 

deviation, [USCG–2014–1026] is 

available at http://www.regulations.gov. 


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