Document ID: USCG-2013-0319-0001
Agency: uscg
Document Type: Proposed Rule
Title: NPRM:  Drawbridge Operations: Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Treasure Island, FL (Federal Register Publication)
Posted Date: 2013-11-13T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 13, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 67999-68002]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27066]

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2013-0319]
RIN 1625-AA09

Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, 
Treasure Island, FL

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes to change the operating schedule that 
governs the Treasure Island Causeway Bridge, mile 119.0, Treasure 
Island, Florida. The Treasure Island Bridge is a double-leaf bascule 
bridge that provides a vertical clearance of 21 feet in the closed 
position. The Treasure Island Bridge crosses the Gulf Intracoastal 
Waterway at mile 119.0, Treasure Island, Pinellas County, Florida. 
Changing the schedule from on signal to three times an hour during the 
week and twice an hour on the weekends and Federal holidays between the 
hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. will reduce vehicle traffic issues caused by 
the bridge openings. Between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. the bridge will continue 
to open only on signal.

DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Coast Guard on or 
before February 11, 2014.

ADDRESSES:  You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2013-0319 using any one of the following methods:
    (1) Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.

[[Page 68000]]

    (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 proposed 
rule, call or email, Mr. Michael Lieberum, Chief Operations Section, 
Seventh Coast Guard District Bridge Branch at 305-415-6744, email 
michael.b.lieberum@uscg.mil. If you have questions on viewing or 
submitting material to the docket, call Barbara Hairston, Program 
Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Acronyms

DHS Department of Homeland Security
FR Federal Register
NPRM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

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 
proposed rulemaking (USCG-2013-0319), 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 at 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, 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, go to http://www.regulations.gov, 
type the docket number [USCG-2013-0319] 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 8\1/2\ 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 http://www.regulations.gov, 
type the docket number (USCG-2013-0319) 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 methods specified under ADDRESSES. 
Please explain why you believe a public meeting 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.

A. Basis and Purpose

    The City of Treasure Island has requested a change to the Treasure 
Island Causeway Bridge regulation due to an increase in vehicle traffic 
in this area. Based on the bridge logs this bridge opens on average 
less than twice an hour on signal. Scheduled openings at regular 
intervals between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. would reduce the vehicle traffic 
back-ups caused by the opening of the bridge. Motorists will be able to 
better judge when the bridge will be open, and this will lead to less 
vehicle congestion on the surface streets surrounding the bridge.

B. Discussion of Proposed Rule

    The current operating regulation governing the Treasure Island 
Causeway Bridge 33 CFR 117.5 requires the bridge to open on signal. The 
proposed schedule would have the bridge open at regular intervals 
between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The intervals will occur three 
times an hour during the week and twice an hour on the weekends. The 
Coast Guard does not anticipate longer bridge opening periods due to an 
accumulation of vessels, since the bridge currently opens less than 
twice an hour on average.

C. Regulatory Analyses

    We developed this proposed rule after considering numerous statutes 
and executive orders related to rulemaking. Below we summarize our 
analyses based on these statutes or executive orders.

1. Regulatory Planning and Review

    This proposed rule is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under 
section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review, 
as supplemented by Executive Order 13563, Improving Regulation and 
Regulatory Review, and does not require an assessment of potential 
costs and benefits under section 6(a)(3) of Order 12866 or under 
section 1 of Executive Order 13563. The Office of Management and Budget 
has not reviewed it under those Orders.
    This action will have a minor impact on vessels transiting the Gulf 
Intracoastal Waterway in the vicinity of Treasure Island, Florida and 
will still meet the reasonable needs of navigation. This action is 
designed to improve vehicle traffic flow in downtown Treasure Island.

2. Impact on Small Entities

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601-612, as 
amended, requires federal agencies to consider the potential impact of 
regulations on small entities during rulemaking. The term ``small 
entities'' comprises small businesses, not-for-profit organizations

[[Page 68001]]

that are independently owned and operated and are not dominant in their 
fields, and governmental jurisdictions with populations of less than 
50,000. The Coast Guard certifies under 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that this 
proposed rule would not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. This proposed rule would affect 
the following entities, some of which might be small entities: the 
owners or operators of vessels needing to transit the bridge daily from 
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. This proposed rule would change the regulations from 
one signal to three times an hour during the week and twice an hour on 
weekends and Federal holidays which should not have a substantial 
impact on any vessel traffic.
    If you think that your business, organization, or governmental 
jurisdiction qualifies as a small entity and that this rulemaking would 
have a significant economic impact on it, please submit a comment (see 
ADDRESSES) explaining why you think it qualifies and how and to what 
degree this proposed rule would economically affect it.

3. Assistance for Small Entities

    Under section 213(a) of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement 
Fairness Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-121), we want to assist small 
entities in understanding this proposed rule. If the rulemaking would 
affect your small business, organization, or governmental jurisdiction 
and you have questions concerning its provisions or options for 
compliance, please contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT, above. The Coast Guard will not retaliate against 
small entities that question or complain about this proposed rule or 
any policy or action of the Coast Guard.

4. Collection of Information

    This proposed rule would call for no new collection of information 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.).

5. Federalism

    A rule has implications for federalism under Executive Order 13132, 
Federalism, if it has a substantial direct effect on the States, on the 
relationship between the national government and the States, or on the 
distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of 
government. We have analyzed this proposed rule under that Order and 
have determined that it does not have implications for federalism.

6. Protest Activities

    The Coast Guard respects the First Amendment rights of protesters. 
Protesters are asked to contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section to coordinate protest activities so that 
your message can be received without jeopardizing the safety or 
security of people, places or vessels.

7. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1531-1538) 
requires Federal agencies to assess the effects of their discretionary 
regulatory actions. In particular, the Act addresses actions that may 
result in the expenditure by a State, local, or tribal government, in 
the aggregate, or by the private sector of $100,000,000 (adjusted for 
inflation) or more in any one year. Though this proposed rule will not 
result in such an expenditure, we do discuss the effects of this 
rulemaking elsewhere in this preamble.

8. Taking of Private Property

    This proposed rule would not cause a taking of private property or 
otherwise have taking implications under Executive Order 12630, 
Governmental Actions and Interference with Constitutionally Protected 
Property Rights.

9. Civil Justice Reform

    This proposed rule meets applicable standards in sections 3(a) and 
3(b)(2) of Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice Reform, to minimize 
litigation, eliminate ambiguity, and reduce burden.

10. Protection of Children From Environmental Health Risks

    We have analyzed this proposed rule under Executive Order 13045, 
Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety 
Risks. This rule is not an economically significant rule and would not 
create an environmental risk to health or risk to safety that might 
disproportionately affect children.

11. Indian Tribal Governments

    This proposed rule does not have tribal implications under 
Executive Order 13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal 
Governments, because it would not have a substantial direct effect on 
one or more Indian tribes, on the relationship between the Federal 
Government and Indian tribes, or on the distribution of power and 
responsibilities between the Federal Government and Indian tribes.

 12. Energy Effects

    This proposed rule is not a ``significant energy action'' under 
Executive Order 13211, Actions Concerning Regulations That 
Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use.

13. Technical Standards

    This proposed rule does not use technical standards. Therefore, we 
did not consider the use of voluntary consensus standards.

14. Environment

    We have analyzed this rule under Department of Homeland Security 
Management Directive 023-01 and Commandant Instruction M16475.lD, which 
guides the Coast Guard in complying with the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321-4370f), and have made a 
preliminary determination that this action is one of a category of 
actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant 
effect on the human environment. This proposed rule simply promulgates 
the operating regulations or procedures for drawbridges. This rule is 
categorically excluded, under figure 2-1, paragraph (32(e), of the 
Commandant Instruction. We seek any comments or information that may 
lead to the discovery of a significant environmental impact from this 
proposed rule.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 117

    Bridges.
    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Coast Guard proposes 
to amend 33 CFR part 117 as follows:

PART 117--DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS

0
1. The authority citation for part 117 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 499; 33 CFR 1.05-1; Department of Homeland 
Security Delegation No. 0170.1.

0
2. In Sec.  117.287, revise paragraph (g) to read as follows:

Sec.  117.287  Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

* * * * *
    (g) The draw of the Treasure Island Causeway bridge, mile 119.0 
shall open on signal except that from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. the draw need 
open on the hour, 20 minutes after the hour and 40 minutes after the 
hour Monday through Friday and on the quarter hour and three quarter 
hour on Saturday, Sunday and Federal holidays.
* * * * *

[[Page 68002]]

    Dated: October 3, 2013.
J.H. Korn,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Seventh Coast Guard 
District.
[FR Doc. 2013-27066 Filed 11-12-13; 8:45 am]
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