E7-15694. United States Navy Restricted Area, Key West Harbor, at U.S. Naval Base, Key West, Florida

AGENCY:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is amending the existing regulations for a restricted area at Naval Air Station Key West (NASKW). Naval Air Station Key West maintains ammunition magazines on Fleming Island that have explosive safety quality-distance (ESQD) requirements in place to ensure reasonable safety from serious injury should there be a magazine fire or explosion. The previous restricted area regulations did not adequately cover the ESQD requirements. This amendment to the existing regulation is necessary to protect the public from potentially hazardous conditions that may exist as a result of military use of the area.

DATES:

Effective Date: September 10, 2007.

ADDRESSES:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN: CECW-CO, 441 G Street, NW., Washington, DC 20314-1000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. David Olson, Headquarters, Operations and Regulatory Community of Practice, Washington, DC at 202-761-4922 or Mr. Jon M. Griffin, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, Regulatory Division, at 904-232-1680.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Pursuant to its authorities in Section 7 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1917 (40 Stat 266; 33 U.S.C. 1) and Chapter XIX of the Army Appropriations Act of 1919 (40 Stat 892; 33 U.S.C. 3), the Corps is amending the regulations in 33 CFR part 334 by modifying the restricted area at § 334.610. The modification to the existing restricted area is described below. The proposed rule was published in the February 21, 2007, issue of the Federal Register (72 FR 7841). One comment was received in response to the proposed rule. That commenter had no objection to the proposed amendment.

The Ammunition and Hazardous Materials Handling Review Board has cited NASKW for allowing anchored pleasure craft to be within the inhabited building distance of the Fleming Island Magazine area. The amendment to the regulations will allow the Commanding Office NASKW to restrict passage of persons, watercraft, and vessels to ensure that ESQD requirements related to the Fleming Island Magazine area are met.

Procedural Requirements

a. Review Under Executive Order 12866. This rule is issued with respect to a military function of the Defense Department and the provisions of Executive Order 12866 do not apply.

b. Review Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act. This rule has been reviewed under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (Pub. L. 96-354) which requires the preparation of a regulatory flexibility analysis for any regulation that will have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities (i.e., small businesses and small governments). The Corps has concluded that modifying this restricted area would have practically no economic impact on the public, and would create no anticipated navigational hazard or interference with existing waterway traffic. Accordingly, it is certified that this rule will not have a significant economic impact on small entities.

c. Review Under the National Environmental Policy Act. The Corps has concluded, based on the minor nature of this action, that the amendment to the restricted area will not be a major Federal action having significant impact on the quality of the human environment and, therefore, preparation of an environmental impact statement will not be required. An environmental assessment has been prepared and it is available by contacting the district office listed at the end of the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section, above.

d. Unfunded Mandates Act. This rule does not impose an enforceable duty among the private sector and, therefore, is not a Federal private sector mandate and is not subject to the requirements of Section 202 or 205 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (Pub. L. 104-4, 109 Stat. 48, 2 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.). We have also found under Section 203 of the Act that small governments will not be significantly or uniquely affected by this rule.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 334

• Danger zones
• Navigation (water)
• Restricted areas
• Waterways

For the reasons set out in the preamble, the Corps amends 33 CFR part 334 as follows:

PART 334—DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS

1. The authority citation for 33 CFR Part 334 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 40 Stat. 266 (33 U.S.C. 1) and 40 Stat. 892 (33 U.S.C. 3).

2. Amend § 334.610 by revising paragraph (a)(4) to read as follows:

§ 334.610

Key West Harbor, at U.S. Naval Base, Key West, Fla.; naval restricted areas and danger zone.

(a) The areas. * * *

(4) Beginning at the last point designated in area 3 at Latitude 24°34.0550′ N., Longitude 81°47.9166′ W.; proceed in a northwesterly direction to a point at Latitude 24°34.2725′ N., Longitude 81°48.1304′ W.; thence proceed in a northeasterly direction to a point at Latitude 24°34.3562′ N., Longitude 81°48.0192′ W.; thence proceed in a northwesterly direction to a point at Latitude 24°34.4506′ N., Longitude 81°48.1444′ W.; thence proceed in a northwesterly direction to a point at Latitude 24°34.5619′ N., Longitude 81°48.1873′ W.; thence proceed in a northeasterly direction to a point at Latitude 24°34.9084′ N., Longitude 81°48.0945′ W.; thence proceed in a northeasterly direction to a point at Latitude 24°34.9809′ N., Longitude 81°47.9400′ W.; proceed in a general northerly direction maintaining a distance of 100 yards from the shoreline of Fleming Key, continue around Fleming Key to a point easterly of the southeast corner of Fleming Key at Latitude 24°34.0133′ N., Longitude 81°47.6250′ W.; thence easterly to Latitude 24°33.9600′ N., Longitude 81°47.3333′ W.; thence southerly to a point on the shore at Latitude 24°33.9117′ N., Longitude 81°47.3450′ W. The Department of the Navy plans to install buoys along that portion of the restricted area boundary which marks the outer edge of the explosive hazard safety distance requirements.

* * * * *

Dated: August 6, 2007.

Lawrence A. Lang,

Acting Chief, Operations Directorate of Civil Works.