[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 17 (Monday, January 27, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 4587-4588]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00339]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
33 CFR Part 117
[Docket No. USCG-2019-0911]
Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Mobile River, Hurricane, 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
vertical lift bridge across Mobile River, mile 13.3 near Hurricane,
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 27, 2020 through
6 p.m. March 27, 2020.
Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard
on or before March 27, 2020.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2019-0911 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 test
deviation, 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 Mobile River bridge
tender to their centralized location in Mobile, AL. This CSX vertical
lift bridge is located at Mobile River, mile 13.3, Mobile County, near
Hurricane, AL. It has a vertical clearance of 5.5' in the closed to
vessel position. The bridge operates according to 33 CFR 117.5. Mobile
River is used primarily by commercial tow and 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
[[Page 4588]]
outcome of this deviation from drawbridge regulations. If you submit a
comment, please include the docket number for this document, 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 deviation from drawbridge regulations
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 another document is published.
Dated: January 8, 2020.
Douglas Allen Blakemore, Sr.,
Bridge Administrator, Eighth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2020-00339 Filed 1-24-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P