80 FR 50771 - Safety Zone, Swim Around Charleston; Charleston, SC

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 162 (August 21, 2015)

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary moving safety zone during the Swim Around Charleston, a swimming race occurring on waters of the Wando River, the Cooper River, Charleston Harbor, and the Ashley River, in Charleston, South Carolina. The Swim Around Charleston is scheduled to take place on September 26, 2015. The temporary safety zone is necessary for the safety of the swimmers, participant vessels, spectators, and the general public during the event. Persons and vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston or a designated representative.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 162 (Friday, August 21, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 50771-50773]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20737]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 165

[Docket Number USCG-2015-0276]
RIN 1625-AA00


Safety Zone, Swim Around Charleston; Charleston, SC

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Temporary final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary moving safety zone 
during the Swim Around Charleston, a swimming race occurring on waters 
of the Wando River, the Cooper River, Charleston Harbor, and the Ashley 
River, in Charleston, South Carolina. The Swim Around Charleston is 
scheduled to take place on September 26, 2015. The temporary safety 
zone is necessary for the safety of the swimmers, participant vessels, 
spectators, and the general public during the event. Persons and 
vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, 
or remaining within the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of 
the Port Charleston or a designated representative.

DATES: This rule is effective from noon until 6 p.m. on September 26, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: Documents mentioned in this preamble are part of docket 
USCG-2015-0276. To view documents mentioned in this preamble as being 
available in the docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov, type the 
docket number in the ``SEARCH'' box and click ``SEARCH.'' Click on Open 
Docket Folder on the line associated with this rulemaking. You may also 
visit the Docket Management Facility in Room W12-140 on the ground 
floor of the Department of Transportation West Building, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this rule, 
call or

[[Page 50772]]

email Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Ruleman, Sector Charleston 
Waterways Management, U.S. Coast Guard; telephone (843) 740-3184, email 
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing the 
docket, call Cheryl Collins, Program Manager, Docket Operations, 
telephone (202)-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Acronyms

DHS Department of Homeland Security
FR Federal Register
NPRM Notice of proposed rulemaking

A. Regulatory History and Information

    On May 26, 2015, we published a notice of proposed rulemaking 
(NPRM) entitled Safety Zone; Swim Around Charleston, Charleston, SC in 
the Federal Register (80 FR 30005). We received no comments on the 
proposed rule. No public meeting was requested, and none was held.

B. Basis and Purpose

    The legal basis for the rule is the Coast Guard's authority to 
establish regulated navigation areas and other limited access areas: 33 
U.S.C. 1231; 50 U.S.C. 191; 33 CFR 1.05-1, 6.04-1, 6.04-6, and 160.5; 
and Department of Homeland Security Delegation No. 0170.1.
    The purpose of the rule is to ensure the safety of the swimmers, 
participant vessels, spectators, and the general public during the Swim 
Around Charleston.

C. Discussion of Comments and This Temporary Final Rule

    The Coast Guard did not receive any comments to the proposed rule, 
and no changes were made to the regulatory text.

D. Regulatory Analyses

    We developed this rule after considering numerous statutes and 
executive orders related to rulemaking. Below we summarize our analyses 
based on these statutes and executive orders.

1. Regulatory Planning and Review

    This rule is not a significant regulatory action under section 3(f) 
of Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review, as 
supplemented by Executive Order 13563, Improving Regulation and 
Regulatory Review, and does not require an assessment of potential 
costs and benefits under section 6(a)(3) of Executive Order 12866 or 
under section 1 of Executive Order 13563. The Office of Management and 
Budget has not reviewed it under those Orders. The economic impact of 
this rule is not significant for the following reasons: (1) The safety 
zone will only be enforced for a total of six hours; (2) the safety 
zone will move with the participant vessels so that once the swimmers 
clear a portion of the waterway, the safety zone will no longer be 
enforced in that portion of the waterway; (3) although persons and 
vessels may not enter, transit through, anchor in, or remain within the 
safety zone without authorization from the Captain of the Port 
Charleston or a designated representative, they may operate in the 
surrounding area during the enforcement period; (4) persons and vessels 
may still enter, transit through, anchor in, or remain within the 
safety zone if authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston or a 
designated representative; and (5) the Coast Guard will provide advance 
notification of the safety zone to the local maritime community by 
Local Notice to Mariners and Broadcast Notice to Mariners.

2. Impact on Small Entities

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601-612, as 
amended, requires federal agencies to consider the potential impact of 
regulations on small entities during rulemaking. 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 received zero comments from the Small Business 
Administration on this rule. 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 would affect the following entities, some of which may be 
small entities: The owners or operators of vessels intending to transit 
or anchor in a portion of the Wando River, the Cooper River, Charleston 
Harbor, or the Ashley River in Charleston, South Carolina from noon 
until 6 p.m. on September 26, 2015. Due to the limited duration and 
geographical scope of this rule, it will not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.

3. Assistance for Small Entities

    Under section 213(a) of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement 
Fairness Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-121), we want to assist small 
entities in understanding this rule. If the rule would affect your 
small business, organization, or governmental jurisdiction and you have 
questions concerning its provisions or options for compliance, please 
contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section, above.
    Small businesses may send comments on the actions of Federal 
employees who enforce, or otherwise determine compliance with, Federal 
regulations to the Small Business and Agriculture Regulatory 
Enforcement Ombudsman and the Regional Small Business Regulatory 
Fairness Boards. The Ombudsman evaluates these actions annually and 
rates each agency's responsiveness to small business. If you wish to 
comment on actions by employees of the Coast Guard, call 1-888-REG-FAIR 
(1-888-734-3247). The Coast Guard will not retaliate against small 
entities that question or complain about this rule or any policy or 
action of the Coast Guard.

4. Collection of Information

    This rule will not call for a new collection of information under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520).

5. Federalism

    A rule has implications for federalism under Executive Order 13132, 
Federalism, if it has a substantial direct effect on States, on the 
relationship between the national government and the States, or on the 
distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of 
government. We have analyzed this rule under that Order and determined 
that this rule does not have implications for federalism.

6. Protest Activities

    The Coast Guard respects the First Amendment rights of protesters. 
Protesters are asked to contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section to coordinate protest activities so that 
your message can be received without jeopardizing the safety or 
security of people, places or vessels.

7. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1531-1538) 
requires Federal agencies to assess the effects of their discretionary 
regulatory actions. In particular, the Act addresses actions that may 
result in the expenditure by a State, local, or tribal government, in 
the aggregate, or by the private sector of $100,000,000 (adjusted for 
inflation) or more in any one year. Though this rule will not result in 
such an expenditure, we do discuss the effects of this rule elsewhere 
in this preamble.

[[Page 50773]]

8. Taking of Private Property

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

9. 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.

10. 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 create an 
environmental risk to health or risk to safety that may 
disproportionately affect children.

11. Indian Tribal Governments

    This rule does not have tribal implications under Executive Order 
13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments, 
because it does not have a substantial direct effect on one or more 
Indian tribes, on the relationship between the Federal Government and 
Indian tribes, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities 
between the Federal Government and Indian tribes.

12. Energy Effects

    This action is not a ``significant energy action'' under Executive 
Order 13211, Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect 
Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use.

13. Technical Standards

    This rule does not use technical standards. Therefore, we did not 
consider the use of voluntary consensus standards.

14. Environment

    We have analyzed this rule under Department of Homeland Security 
Management Directive 023-01 and Commandant Instruction M16475.lD, which 
guide the Coast Guard in complying with the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321-4370f), and have determined 
that this action is one of a category of actions that do not 
individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human 
environment. This rule involves a safety zone. This rule is 
categorically excluded from further review under paragraph 34(g) of 
Figure 2-1 of the Commandant Instruction. An environmental analysis 
checklist and Categorical Exclusion Determination was completed for 
2015. The environmental analysis checklist and Categorical Exclusion 
Determination are available in the docket where indicated under 
ADDRESSES. We seek any comments or information that may lead to the 
discovery of a significant environmental impact from this rule.

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--REGULATED NAVIGATION AREAS AND LIMITED ACCESS AREAS

0
1. The authority citation for part 165 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  33 U.S.C. 1226, 1231; 50 U.S.C. 191; 33 CFR 1.05-1, 
6.04-1, 6.04-6, and 160.5; and Department of Homeland Security 
Delegation No. 0170.1.

0
2. Add Sec.  165.T07-0276 to read as follows:


Sec.  165.T07-0276  Safety Zone, Swim Around Charleston; Charleston, 
SC.

    (a) Regulated area. The following regulated area is a moving safety 
zone: all waters within a 75-yard radius around Swim Around Charleston 
participant vessels that are officially associated with the swim. The 
Swim Around Charleston swimming race consists of a 10-mile course that 
starts at Remley's Point on the Wando River in approximate position 
32[deg]48'49'' N., 79[deg]54'27'' W., crosses the main shipping channel 
of Charleston Harbor, and finishes at the General William B. 
Westmoreland Bridge on the Ashley River in approximate position 
32[deg]50'14'' N., 80[deg]01'23'' W. All coordinates are North American 
Datum 1983.
    (b) Definition. The term ``designated representative'' means Coast 
Guard Patrol Commanders, including Coast Guard coxswains, petty 
officers, and other officers operating Coast Guard vessels, and 
Federal, state, and local officers designated by or assisting the 
Captain of the Port Charleston in the enforcement of the regulated 
area.
    (c) Regulations. (1) All persons and vessels are prohibited from 
entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within the 
regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston 
or a designated representative.
    (2) Persons and vessels desiring to enter, transit through, anchor 
in, or remain within the regulated area may contact the Captain of the 
Port Charleston by telephone at (843) 740-7050, or a designated 
representative via VHF radio on channel 16, to request authorization. 
If authorization to enter, transit through, anchor in, or remain within 
the regulated area is granted by the Captain of the Port Charleston or 
a designated representative, all persons and vessels receiving such 
authorization must comply with the instructions of the Captain of the 
Port Charleston or a designated representative.
    (3) The Coast Guard will provide notice of the regulated area by 
Local Notice to Mariners, Broadcast Notice to Mariners, and on-scene 
designated representatives.
    (d) Effective date. This rule is effective on September 26, 2015 
and will be enforced from noon until 6 p.m.

    Dated: August 3, 2015.
G. L. Tomasulo,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the Port Charleston.
[FR Doc. 2015-20737 Filed 8-20-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P