[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 23, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-6811]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: March 23, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Coast Guard
33 CFR Part 165
[COTP Pittsburgh 94-005]
RIN 2115-AA97
Safety Zone; Ohio River
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.
ACTION: Temporary final rule.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone on the Ohio
River back channel that separates Coraopolis, Pennsylvania from Neville
Island, Pennsylvania. This regulation is needed to control vessel
traffic in the regulated area during demolition of one main span and a
center support pier of a bridge at Ohio River back channel mile 9.6.
This regulation will restrict general navigation in the regulated area
during demolition operations for the safety of vessel traffic.
EFFECTIVE DATES: This regulation is effective at 8 a.m. on March 22,
1994 and will terminate at 4 p.m. on April 10, 1994, unless terminated
at a earlier date by the Captain of the Port, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
LT John Meehan, Port Operations Officer, Captain of the Port,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at (412) 644-5808.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Drafting Information
The drafters of this regulation are LT John Meehan, Project
Officer, Marine Safety Office, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and LCDR A.O.
Denny, Project Attorney, Second Coast Guard District Legal Office.
Regulatory History
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553, a notice of proposed rulemaking
has not been published for this regulation and good cause exists for
making it effective in less than 30 days from the date of publication.
Following normal rulemaking procedures would have been impracticable.
Specifically, a bridge is being removed from a navigable waterway.
Bridge removal operations pose inherent risks to the waterway because
the structure is progressively weakened as the operation proceeds. Once
commenced, such operations should be completed as quickly as possible.
Removal operations involving the southern main span of the bridge and
various northern span structural supports have already been completed,
leaving insufficient time to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking.
The Coast Guard deems it to be in the public's best interest to issue a
regulation without waiting for a comment period, as immediate
implementation of navigation restrictions is needed to ensure the
safety of vessels transitting the area and to minimize the time a
bridge in a weakened condition remains over the waterway.
Background and Purpose
The Coraopolis Highway Bridge at mile 9.6 on the Ohio River back
channel between Coraopolis, Pennsylvania and Neville Island,
Pennsylvania is no longer an active highway bridge and is in the
process of being removed. The bridge originally consisted of several
small spans that were located over land and two 300 foot main spans
that crossed over the waterway and met atop a stone pier at the center
of the channel. As part of the overall bridge removal operation, each
main span and the center support pier have been scheduled for
demolition with explosive charges. The first main span demolition,
involving the southern span (Coraopolis side of the back channel)
occurred on March 1, 1994. The second main span demolition, involving
the northern span (Neville Island side of the back channel) is
scheduled for approximately 10 a.m. on March 22, 1994. Steel members
and debris from the demolition of this northern span will fall into the
sailing line of the channel, creating an unsafe condition for vessels
attempting to transit. The contractor will immediately commence
clearing operations in the channel, but it will require 3 days to
restore the navigability of this section of the Ohio River back
channel. Accordingly, no vessel traffic will be permitted in the safety
zone extending from Ohio River back channel mile 9.3 to mile 9.9 during
this second demolition and subsequent channel clearing operations from
8 a.m. on March 22, 1994 to 4 p.m. on March 25, 1994. For the remaining
period that this safety zone is in effect, vessel traffic will be
permitted to proceed without restriction, except during periods when
the bridge's center pier is undergoing actual demolition operations.
These pier demolition operations are tentatively scheduled for 3 p.m.
on March 30, 1994 and 3 p.m. on April 6, 1994, and each will last
approximately four hours. During these times, no vessel traffic will be
permitted within the safety zone. In the event of unanticipated delays
involving the demolitions discussed above, the Captain of the Port
Pittsburgh will notify the marine community of schedule changes
affecting the duration of vessel traffic restrictions within the safety
zone via Marine Safety Information Radio Broadcasts on VHF Marine Band
Radio, Channel 22 (157.1 MHz) and via on site broadcast advisories on
Channel 13 (156.650 MHz).
Regulatory Evaluation
This temporary final rule 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 11034; February 26, 1979), it will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities,
and it contains no collection of information requirements. A full
regulatory analysis is unnecessary because the Coast Guard expects the
impact of this regulation to be minimal due to the relatively short
duration of vessel traffic restrictions, the relatively small size of
the area regulated, and the infrequency of commercial vessel transits
along this section of Ohio River back channel.
Federalism Assessment
Under the principles and criteria of Executive Order 12612, this
regulation does not raise sufficient federalism implications to warrant
the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.
Environmental Assessment
The Coast Guard considered the environmental impact of this
proposal and concluded that, under section 2.B.2.c. of Commandant
Instruction M16475.1B, this proposal is categorically excluded from
further environmental documentation as an action required to protect
public safety.
List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 165
Harbors, Marine safety, Navigation (water), Reporting and
recordkeepimg requirements, Security measures, Waterways.
Temporary Regulation
In consideration of the foregoing, the Coast Guard is amending
subpart C of part 165 of title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, as
follows. This is a temporary amendment and will not appear in the Code
of Federal Regulations.
PART 165--[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for part 165 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1231; 50 U.S.C. 191; 49 CFR 1.46 and 33 CFR
1.05-1(g), 6.04-1, 6.04-6, and 160.5.
2. A temporary Sec. 165.T02-014 is added to read as follows:
Sec. 165.T02-014 Safety Zone: Ohio River.
(a) Location. The Ohio River back channel (channel dividing
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania from Neville Island, Pennsylvania) between
mile 9.3 and mile 9.9 is established as a safety zone.
(b) Effective Dates. This regulation is effective at 8 a.m. on
March 22, 1994 and will terminate at 4 p.m. on April 10, 1994, unless
terminated at an earlier date by the Captain of the Port, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
(c) Regulations. In accordance with the general regulations in
Section 165.23 of this part, entry into this zone is prohibited unless
authorized by the Captain of the Port. The Captain of the Port
Pittsburgh will notify the marine community of times when vessel
traffic will be permitted within the safety zone via Marine Safety
Information Radio Broadcasts on VHF Marine Band Radio, Channel 22
(157.1 MHz) and via on site broadcast advisories on Channel 13 (156.650
MHz).
Dated: March 10, 1994.
M.W. Brown,
Commander, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the Port, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
[FR Doc. 94-6811 Filed 3-22-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-14-M
