Special Local Regulations: Hurricane Offshore Classic, St. Petersburg, FL

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 100

[CGD07-97-031]

RIN 2115-AE46

Special Local Regulations: Hurricane Offshore Classic, St.

Petersburg, FL

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes to establish permanent special local

regulations for the Hurricane Offshore Classic. This event will be held

annually during the third Saturday and Sunday of August, between 11

a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). There will be

approximately 400 participants and spectator craft. The resulting

congestion of navigable channels creates an extra or unusual hazard in

the navigable waters. These regulations are necessary to provide for

the safety of life of navigable waters during the event.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before 20 days after date of

August 5, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to U.S. Coast Guard Group St.

Petersburg, 600 8th Ave. S.E., St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5099, or

may be delivered to the Operations Department at the same address

between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal

holidays. The telephone number is (813) 824-7533. Comments will become

a part of the public docket and will be available for copying and

inspection at the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LTJG B. V. Howard, Coast Guard Group

St. Petersburg, FL at (813) 824-7533.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to participate in

this rulemaking by submitting written views, data, or arguments.

Persons submitting comments should include their names, addresses,

identify this rulemaking (CGD07-97-031), and the specific section of

this proposal to which their comments apply, and give reasons for each

comment.

The Coast Guard will consider all comments received during the

comment period. The regulations may be changed in view of the comments

received. All comments received before the expiration of the comment

period will be considered before final action is taken on this

proposal. No public hearing is planned, but one may be held if the

written requests for a hearing are received, and it is determined that

the opportunity to make oral presentations will add to the rulemaking

process.

Discussion of Regulations

The proposed regulations are needed to provide for the safety of

life during the Hurricane Offshore Classic. These regulations are

intended to promote safe navigation on the waters off St. Petersburg

during the races by controlling the traffic entering, exiting, and

traveling within these waters. The anticipated concentration of

spectator and participant vessels associated with the Hurricane

Offshore Classic poses a safety concern, which is addressed in these

special local regulations. No anchoring will be permitted west of turns

1 and 4 nor west of turns 2 and 3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT.

Approximately 300 spectator craft will be permitted near the race area,

but will be required to stay clear of the race lanes. The proposed

regulations would also permit anchoring for spectators north of the

northern straightaway and south of the southern straightaway, but only

in the designated spectator area defined in 2(b)(2) below.

All vessel traffic, not involved in the Hurricane Offshore Classic,

entering or exiting the Vinoy Basin between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. EDT must

transit around the race course, taking action to avoid a close-quarters

situation until finally past and clear of the racecourse. All vessel

traffic, not involved with the Hurricane Offshore Classic, transiting

the area off Coffeepot Bayou, The Pier, and Bayboro Harbor should

exercise extra caution and take action to avoid a close-quarters

situation until finally past and clear of the racecourse.

Regulatory Evaluation

This proposal is not a significant regulatory action under Section

3(f) of the Executive Order 12866 and does not require an assessment of

the potential costs and benefits under Section 6(a)(3) of that Order.

It has been exempted from review by the Office of Management and Budget

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). The Coast Guard expects the economic impact of this

proposed rule to be so minimal that a full Regulatory Evaluation under

paragraph 10e of the regulatory policies and procedures of DOT is

unnecessary. The proposed regulation would last for only 4 hours each

day for two days.

[[Page 38043]]

Small Entities

Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the

Coast Guard must consider whether this proposed rule, if adopted, will

have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small

entities. ``Small entities'' include 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.

Therefore, the Coast Guard certifies under 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that

this proposed rule, if adopted, would not have a significant economic

impact on a substantial number of small entities as the regulations

would only be in effect for approximately four hours each day for two

days each year. If, however, you think that your business or

organization qualifies as a small entity and that this proposed rule

will have a significant economic impact on your business or

organization, please submit a comment (see ADDRESSES) explaining why

you think it qualifies and in what way and to what degree this proposed

rule will economically affect it.

Collection of Information

These proposed regulations contain no collection of information

requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et

seq.).

Federalism

This action has been analyzed in accordance with the principles and

criteria contained in Executive Order 12612, and it has been determined

that the rulemaking does not have sufficient Federalism implications to

warrant the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.

Environmental Assessment

The Coast Guard has considered the environmental impact of this

proposal consistent with Section 2.B.2 of Commandant Instruction

M16475.1B. In accordance with that section, this proposed action has

been environmentally assessed (EA completed), and the Coast Guard has

concluded that it will not significantly affect the quality of the

human environment. An Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No

Significant Impact have been prepared and are available in the docket

for inspection or copying where indicated under ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 100

Marine Safety, Navigation (water), Reporting and recordkeeping

requirements, Waterways.

Proposed Regulations

In consideration of the foregoing, the Coast Guard proposes to

amend Part 100 of Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

PART 100--[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for Part 100 continues to read as

follows:

Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1233; 49 CFR 1.46 and 33 CFR 100.35.

2. A new section 100.728 is added to read as follows:

Sec. 100.728 Annual Hurricane Offshore Classic, St. Petersburg, FL.

(a) Regulated Area. The regulated area is formed by a line drawn

from position 27 deg.46.9'N, 082 deg.37.45'W (onshore at North Shore

Park) east southeast to position 27 deg.46.39'N, 082 deg.32.65'W;

thence due south to position 27 deg.44.67'N, 082 deg.32.65'W; thence

due west to position 27 deg.44.67'N, 082 deg.37.45'W (onshore just

south of Lassing Park). All coordinates referenced use datum: NAD 83.

(b) Special Local Regulations. (1) The regulated area is an idle

speed, ``no wake'' zone. (2) Spectator craft will be permitted near the

race area, but will be required to stay clear of the race lanes.

Anchoring for spectator craft is permitted north of the northern

straightaway and south of the southern straightaway, but only in the

designated spectator area between 27 deg.46.62'N, 082 deg.37.00'W to

27 deg.46.80'N, 082 deg.34.72'W and 27 deg.46.52'N, 082 deg.37.00'W to

27 deg.46.70'N, 082 deg.34.72'W for the northern area and

27 deg.46.25'N, 082 deg.37.00'W to 27 deg.45.90'N, 082 deg.34.72'W and

27 deg.46.15'N, 082 deg.37.00'W to 27 deg.45.80'N, 082 deg.34.72'W for

the southern area. All coordinates referenced use Datum: NAD 83. No

anchoring will be permitted west of turns 1 and 4 nor west of turns 2

and 3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. edt.

(3) All vessel traffic not involved in the Hurricane Offshore

Classic entering or exiting the Vinoy Basin between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

edt must transit around the race course, taking action to avoid a

close-quarters situation until finally past and clear of the

racecourse.

(4) All vessel traffic not involved with the Hurricane Offshore

Classic transiting the area off Coffeepot Bayou, The Pier, and Bayboro

Harbor should exercise extra caution and take action to avoid a close-

quarters situation until finally past and clear of the racecourse which

encompasses the area from position 27 deg.46.9'N, 082 deg.37.45'W

(onshore at North Shore Park) east southeast to position

27 deg.46.39'N, 082 deg.32.65'W; thence due south to position

27 deg.44.67'N, 082 deg.32.65'W; thence due west to position

27 deg.44.67'N, 082 deg.37.45'W (onshore just south of Lassing Park).

All coordinates referenced use Datum: NAD 83.

(5) Entry into the regulated area shall be in accordance with this

regulation. Spectator vessels will at all times stay in the spectator

areas defined in paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

(c) Effective Dates. This section is effective at 10 a.m. and

terminates at 6 p.m. edt annually for two days during the third

Saturday and Sunday of August.

Dated: July 1, 1997.

Norman T. Saunders,

Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard Commander, Seventh Coast Guard District.

[FR Doc. 97-18266 Filed 7-15-97; 8:45 am]

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