00-15518. Safety Zone; Hill Bay, VA

AGENCY:

Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION:

Temporary final rule.

SUMMARY:

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the County of Mathews fireworks display to be held on shore adjacent to Hill Bay, Mathews, Virginia. This action will restrict vessel traffic on Hill Bay within a 500-foot radius of the shoreside display. The safety zone is necessary to protect mariners and spectators from the hazards associated with the fireworks display.

DATES:

This rule is effective from 9 p.m. until 10 p.m. on July 4, 2000.

ADDRESSES:

You may mail comments and related material to USCG Marine Safety Office Hampton Roads, 200 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA, or deliver them to the same address between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. USCG Marine Safety Office Hampton Roads maintains the public docket for this rulemaking. Comments and materials received from the public, as well as documents indicated in this preamble as being available in the docket, will become part of this docket and will be available for inspection or copying at the above address between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Chief Petty Officer Roddy Corr, project officer, USCG Marine Safety Office Hampton Roads, telephone number [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

Although this rule is being published as a temporary final rule without prior notice, an opportunity for public comment is nevertheless desirable to ensure the rule is both reasonable and workable. Accordingly, we encourage you to submit comments and related material. If you do so, please include your name and address, identify the docket number (CGD05-00-020), indicate the specific section of this document to which each comment applies, and give the reason for each comment. Please submit all comments and related materials in an unbound format, no larger than 8.5 by 11 inches, suitable for copying. If you would like to know they reached us, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope.

Regulatory Information

We did not publish a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for this regulation. Under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the Coast Guard finds that good cause exists for not publishing an NPRM. We were not notified of the event in sufficient time to publish a NPRM, allow for comments, and publish a final rule in sufficient time to allow notice to the public for the fireworks display. In previous years, this event and similar ones have been held without incident and without comment from the public regarding the Coast Guard's establishment of limited safety zones around fireworks displays.

Background and Purpose

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the County of Mathews fireworks display to be held on shore adjacent to Hill Bay, Mathews, Virginia. The safety zone will restrict vessel traffic on Hill Bay within a 500-foot radius of the fireworks display, in approximate position 37° 29.20′ N, 076° 18.50′ W. The safety zone is necessary to protect mariners and spectators from the hazards associated with the fireworks display.

The safety zone is effective from 9 p.m. until 10 p.m. on July 4, 2000. Additional public notifications will be made prior to the event via marine information broadcasts.

Regulatory Evaluation

This rule is not a “significant regulatory action” under section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866 and does not require an assessment of potential costs and benefits under section 6(a)(3) of that Order. The Office of Management and Budget has not reviewed it under that Order. It is not “significant” under the regulatory policies and procedures of the Department of Transportation (DOT) (44 FR 11040, February 26, 1979). This temporary final rule only affects a limited area for one hour, alternative routes exist for maritime traffic, and advance notification via marine information broadcasts will enable mariners to plan their transit to avoid entering the restricted area. The Coast Guard expects the economic impact of this rule to be so minimal that a full regulatory evaluation under paragraph 10(e) of the regulatory policies and procedures of the DOT is unnecessary.

Small Entities

Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the Coast Guard considered whether this rule would have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The term “small entities” comprises small businesses, not-for-profit organizations 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 rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.

This rule will affect the following entities, some of which might be small entities: the owners or operators of vessels intending to operate or anchor in portions of Hill Bay within 500 feet of a shoreside fireworks display in approximate position 37° 29.20′ N, 076° 18.50′ W.

This safety zone will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities for the following reasons: This temporary final rule only affects a limited area for one hour, alternative routes exist for maritime traffic, and advance notification via marine information broadcasts will enable mariners to plan their transit to avoid entering the restricted area.

Collection of Information

This rule calls for no new collection of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Federalism

We have analyzed this rule under Executive Order 13132 and have determined that this rule does not have implications for federalism under that order.

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1531-1538) governs the issuance of federal regulations that require unfunded mandates. An unfunded mandate is a regulation that requires a state, local, or tribal government or the private sector to incur direct costs without the Federal Government's having first provided the funds to pay those unfunded mandate costs. This rule will not impose an unfunded mandate.

Taking of Private Property

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

Civil Justice Reform

This 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.

Protection of Children

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

Environment

The Coast Guard considered the environmental impact of this rule and concluded that under figure 2-1, paragraph (34)(g), of Commandant Instruction M16475.1C, this rule is categorically excluded from further environmental documentation. This regulation will have no impact on the environment.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 165

• Harbors
• Marine safety
• Navigation (water)
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements
• Security measures
• Waterways

For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Coast Guard amends 33 CFR part 165 as follows:

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; 33 CFR 1.05-1(g), 6.04-1, 6.04-6, and 160.5; 49 CFR 1.46. Section 165.100 is also issued under authority of Sec. 311, Pub. L. 105-383.

2. Add temporary § 165.T05-020 to read as follows:

§ 165.T05-020

Safety Zone; Hill Bay, Virginia.

(a) Location. The following area is a safety zone: All waters of Hill Bay, within a 500-foot radius of a shoreside fireworks display in approximate position 37°(29.20′ N, 076° 18.50′ W.

(b) Captain of the Port. Captain of the Port means the Commanding Officer of the Marine Safety Office Hampton Roads, Norfolk, VA or any Coast Guard commissioned, warrant, or petty officer who has been authorized to act on his behalf.

(c) Regulations: (1) All persons are required to comply with the general regulations governing safety zones found in section 165.23 of this part.

(2) Persons or vessels requiring entry into or passage through this safety zone must first request authorization from the Captain of the Port. The Coast Guard representative enforcing the safety zone can be contacted on VHF marine band radio, channels 13 and 16. The Captain of the Port can be contacted at telephone number [phone].

(3) The Captain of the Port will notify the public of changes in the status of this safety zone by marine information broadcast on VHF marine band radio, channel 22 (157.1 MHz).

(d) Effective Date: This section is in effect from 9 p.m. until 10 p.m. on July 4, 2000.

Dated: June 6, 2000.

J. E. Schrinner,

Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the Port Hampton Roads.