[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 5 (Friday, January 7, 1994)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 986-988]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-271]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: January 7, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Coast Guard
33 CFR Part 117
[CGD02 93-003]
RIN 2115-AE47
Drawbridge Operation Regulations, Illinois River, IL
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes amending a drawbridge regulation to
add a new regulation which will allow the remote operation of the
Chicago and Northwestern Transportation Company railway bridge at
Pekin, Illinois. This action is being proposed at the request of the
Chicago and Northwestern Transportation Company of Chicago, Illinois.
The change to remote operation will provide for more efficient
operation of the railway bridge.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 22, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to Commander (ob), Second Coast Guard
District, 1222 Spruce Street, St. Louis, MO 63103-2832, Attention:
Docket CGD02 93-003. Comments may also be delivered to room 2.107B at
the above address between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. For information concerning comments, the
telephone number is (314) 539-3724.
The Bridge Branch, Second Coast Guard District, maintains the
public docket for this rulemaking. Comments will become part of the
public docket and the docket will be available for inspection or
copying in room 2.107B at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roger K. Wiebusch, Bridge
Administrator, Second Coast Guard District, (314) 539-3724.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Request for Comments
The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to participate in
this rulemaking by submitting written data, views, or arguments.
Persons submitting comments should include their names and addresses,
identify this rulemaking, CGD02 93-003, identify the specific section
of this proposal to which each comment applies, and give the reason for
each comment. Each person who wants an acknowledgment of the receipt of
comments should enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope.
The Coast Guard will consider all comments received during the
comment period. The Coast Guard may change the proposal in view of the
comments.
The Coast Guard does not plan to hold a public hearing. Persons may
request a public hearing by writing to the Docket Clerk at the address
under ADDRESSES. If the Coast Guard determines that the opportunity to
make oral presentations will aid the rulemaking process, the Coast
Guard will hold a public hearing at a time and place announced by a
later notice in the Federal Register.
Drafting Information
The principal persons involved in drafting this document are Wanda
G. Renshaw, Project Officer, Bridge Branch, and Lieutenant Commander
Arne O. Denny, Project Attorney, Second Coast Guard District Legal
Office.
Background and Purpose
The Chicago and Northwestern Transportation Company (C&NW) has
requested Coast Guard approval to change the method of operating their
railway bridge at Pekin, Illinois. The draw of the Chicago and
Northwestern railway bridge, Mile 151.2 Illinois River, is presently
maintained in the open-to-navigation position, and closed by an on-site
bridge tender upon the approach of a train. On average, six to eight
trains cross the bridge daily. Communication between the bridge tender
and vessel operators is conducted on marine radio.
C&NW proposes to install remote operating equipment and a control
system, including radar, infrared boat detectors, high intensity lights
and communications equipment, that would permit operation of the draw
from the Chicago and Northwestern office in Chicago, Illinois. The
equipment would indicate any malfunction in the bridge operation and
enable the remote operator to ascertain the position of the lift span
at any time. The marine radio system will receive and transmit on the
VHF marine frequencies authorized by the Federal Communications
Commission. The bridge could also be operated at the bridge site, at
either portal, by authorized railroad personnel. Radio-telephone
equipment would also be provided to permit direct communications with
vessels when the bridge is operated at the bridge site. A radar antenna
will be installed on the fixed portion of the bridge structure, and the
received signal will be transmitted by fixed lines and a microwave link
to the Chicago and Northwestern office in Chicago. The radar system
will be designed to scan upstream and downstream of the bridge.
Infrared scanners will be located on the upstream and downstream ends
of the channel span piers to detect vessels in the channel span. If an
obstruction is detected beneath the lift span during the closing cycle
before the span is seated and locked, the lift span will be
automatically stopped and immediately raised to the fully open position
until the channel is clear.
During the bridge closing cycle, an automatic, synthesized-voice
announcement will be broadcast. At the appropriate times in the closing
cycle, the broadcast will announce that the bridge will close to
navigation, that the bridge is closed to navigation, or that the bridge
has reopened to navigation.
Discussion of Proposed Amendments
The proposed regulation will impose operating and equipment
requirements on Chicago and Northwestern which will ensure the safe and
timely operation of the railroad bridge. To do this, title 33 CFR part
117 needs to be amended. The present text of the existing subsection
117.393, Illinois River will be redesignated as subparagraph (a). This
subsection regulates the Burlington Northern's railroad bridge at mile
88.8 of the Illinois River, at Beardstown, Illinois. Except for being
renumbered, the regulation covering the operation of the Burlington
Northern railroad bridge will not be changed. The proposed regulation
will be numbered as subparagraph (b).
The proposed regulation will provide information about remote
operation of the Chicago and Northwestern railroad bridge. The Chicago
and Northwestern railroad bridge presently operates with an on-site
bridge tender and is normally in the open position or opens on demand
if it should be closed as a vessel approaches. If the Coast Guard
approves operation from a remote site, the railroad bridge will
continue to operate as a normally open span. However, the Coast Guard
will require the use of additional sound, voice, and light signals to
coincide with the various stages of the opening and closing of the
span.
Regulatory Evaluation
This proposal is not considered a significant regulatory action
under Executive Order 12866 and is not significant under the Department
of Transportation Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11040;
February 26, 1979). The Coast Guard expects the economic impact of this
proposal to be so minimal that a Regulatory Evaluation is unnecessary.
A sample group of Illinois River users have expressed no objection to
the proposal.
Small Entities
Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the
Coast Guard must consider whether this proposal will have a significant
impact on a substantial number of small entities. ``Small entities''
include independently owned and operated small businesses that are not
dominant in their field and that otherwise qualify as ``small business
concerns'' under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
The proposed change to the method for opening and closing the
Chicago and Northwestern railroad bridge is not significantly different
from the existing method which uses an on-site bridge tender. It does
not appear to impose any new burdens or delays on vessel operators.
Therefore, the Coast Guard certifies under 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that this
proposal, if adopted, will not have a significant impact on a
substantial number of small entities. If, however, you think that your
business qualifies as a small entity and that this proposal will have a
significant economic impact on your business, please submit a comment
(see ADDRESSES) explaining why you think your business qualifies and in
what way and to what degree this proposal will economically affect your
business.
Collection of Information
This proposal contains no collection of information requirements
under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Federalism
The Coast Guard has analyzed this proposal in accordance with the
principles and criteria contained in Executive Order 12612 and has
determined that this proposal does not have sufficient federalism
implications to warrant preparation of a Federalism Assessment.
Environment
The Coast Guard has reviewed the environmental impact of this
proposal and concluded that under section 2.B.2 of the NEPA
Implementing Procedures, COMDTINST M16475.1B this proposal is
categorically excluded from further environmental documentation because
promulgation of changes to drawbridge regulations have been found to
not have a significant effect on the human environment. A Categorical
Exclusion Determination is available in the docket for inspection or
copying where indicated under ADDRESSES.
List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 117
Bridges.
PART 117--DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS
For the reasons set out in the preamble, the Coast Guard proposes
to amend part 117 of title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:
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).
2. In Sec. 117.393, paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) are
redesignated as (a)(1) through (a)(5), respectively, the introductory
paragraph of Sec. 117.393 is redesignated as the introductory text of
paragraph (a) and a new paragraph (b) is added to read as follows:
Sec. 117.393 Illinois River.
* * * * *
(b) The draw of the Chicago and Northwestern railroad bridge, Mile
151.2, at Pekin, Illinois, is operated by a remote operator located at
the Chicago and Northwestern offices in Chicago, Illinois, as follows:
(1) The draw is normally maintained in the fully open position,
displaying green midchannel lights to indicate that the span is fully
open.
(2) The draw is equipped with the following:
(i) A radiotelephone link direct to the remote operator,
(ii) A horn for sound signals,
(iii) Eight high intensity amber warning lights, oriented upstream
and downstream, with two secured to the uppermost chord and two secured
to the lowermost chord of the drawspan,
(iv) A radar antenna on the lower portion of the drawspan capable
of scanning one mile upstream and one mile downstream, and
(v) Infrared scanners located on the upstream and downstream ends
of the channel span piers, to detect vessels or other obstructions
under the bridge.
(3) The remote operator shall maintain a radiotelephone watch for
mariners to establish contact as they approach the bridge to ensure
that the draw is open or that it remains open until passage is
complete.
(4) When a train approaches the bridge and the draw is in the open
position, the remote operator initiates a ten minute warning period
before closing the bridge. During this warning period, the amber lights
begin flashing and a signal of four short blasts sounds on a horn. The
four-blast signal will repeat after a five second interval. A
synthesized-voice message is broadcast over the radiotelephone as
follows: ``The Chicago and Northwestern railroad bridge at Mile 151.2,
Illinois River, will close to navigation in ten minutes.'' The
announcement is repeated every two minutes, counting down the time
remaining until closure.
(5) At the end of the ten minute warning period, the remote bridge
operator scans under the bridge using infrared detectors and the
upstream and downstream approaches to the bridge using radar to
determine whether any vessels are under or are approaching the bridge.
If any vessels are under or are approaching the bridge within one mile
as determined by infrared or radar scanning or by a radiotelephone
response, the remote operator shall not close the bridge until the
vessel or vessels have cleared the bridge.
(6) If no vessels are under or approaching the bridge, the
midchannel navigation lights will change from green to red, the horn
signal of four short blasts will sound, twice, and the radiotelephone
message will change to: ``The Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Bridge
at Mile 151.2, Illinois River, is closed to navigation.'' The message
will repeat every two minutes and the amber lights will continue to
flash until the bridge is fully reopened.
(7) If the infrared scanners detect a vessel or other obstruction
under the bridge before the drawspan is fully lowered and locked, the
closing sequence is stopped, automatically, and the drawspan is raised
to its fully open position until the channel is clear. When obstruction
has cleared the navigation span, the remote operator confirms that the
channel is clear, and reinitiates the ten-minute warning cycle.
(8) After the train has cleared the bridge, the remote operator
initiates the lift span raising cycle. When the draw is raised to its
full height and locked in place, the flashing lights stop and the
midchannel navigation lights change from red to green. The synthesized
voice announcement broadcasts at two minutes intervals for ten minutes
that the bridge is reopened to navigation.
Dated: December 27, 1993.
Paul M. Blayney,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Second Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 94-271 Filed 1-6-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-14-M
