
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 139 (Thursday, July 19, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 42465-42467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-17562]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 100

[Docket Number USCG-2012-0495]
RIN 1625-AA08


Special Local Regulations, Cruce a Nado Internacional, Ponce 
Harbor; Ponce, PR

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes to establish special local 
regulations on the waters of Ponce Harbor in Ponce, Puerto Rico during 
the Cruce a Nado Internacional, a swimming event. The event is 
scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 2, 2012. Approximately 85 
swimmers are anticipated to participate in the swimming event, and 
there are not expected to be any spectator vessels present during the 
event. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the 
safety of life on the navigable waters of the United States during the 
event. These special local regulations would establish a swim area, 
where all persons and vessels, except those persons participating in 
the race and vessels patrolling the swim area, will be prohibited from 
entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within unless 
authorized by the Captain of the Port San Juan or a designated 
representative.

DATES: Comments and related material must be received by the Coast 
Guard on or before August 20, 2012. Requests for public meetings must 
be received by the Coast Guard on or before August 3, 2012.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number using 
any one of the following methods:
    (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) Fax: 202-493-2251.
    (3) Mail or Delivery: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. 
Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001. Deliveries 
accepted between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
federal holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329.
    See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion 
of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for further instructions 
on submitting comments. To avoid duplication, please use only one of 
these three methods.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this rule, 
call or email Mr. Robert Cerrato, Sector San Juan Prevention 
Department, Coast Guard; telephone (787) 289-2097, email 
Robert.J.Cerrato@uscg.mil. If you have questions on viewing or 
submitting material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, 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. Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to participate in this rulemaking by submitting 
comments and related materials. All comments received will be posted 
without change to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any 
personal information you have provided.

1. Submitting Comments

    If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this 
rulemaking, indicate the specific section of this document to which 
each comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or 
recommendation. You may submit your comments and material online at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but 
please use only one of these means. If you submit a comment online, it 
will be considered received by the Coast Guard when you successfully 
transmit the comment. If you fax, hand deliver, or mail your comment, 
it will be considered as having been received by the Coast Guard when 
it is received at the Docket Management Facility. We recommend that you 
include your name and a mailing address, an email address, or a 
telephone number in the body of your document so that we can contact 
you if we have questions regarding your submission.
    To submit your comment online, go to http://www.regulations.gov, 
type the docket number USCG-2012-0495 in the ``SEARCH'' box and click 
``SEARCH.'' Click on ``Submit a Comment'' on the line associated with 
this rulemaking.
    If you submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them 
in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for 
copying and electronic filing. If you submit comments by mail and would 
like to know that they reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped, 
self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will consider all comments and 
material received during the comment period and may change the rule 
based on your comments.

2. Viewing Comments and Documents

    To view comments, as well as documents mentioned in this preamble 
as being available in the docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov, 
type the docket number USCG-2012-0495 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.

3. Privacy Act

    Anyone can search the electronic form of comments received into any 
of our dockets by the name of the

[[Page 42466]]

individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted 
on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may 
review a Privacy Act notice regarding our public dockets in the January 
17, 2008, issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 3316).

4. Public Meeting

    We do not now plan to hold a public meeting. But you may submit a 
request for one on or before June 18, 2012 using one of the methods 
specified under ADDRESSES. Please explain why you believe a public 
meeting would be beneficial. If we determine that one would aid this 
rulemaking, we will hold one at a time and place announced by a later 
notice in the Federal Register.

B. Basis and Purpose

    The legal basis for the rule is the Coast Guard's authority to 
establish special local regulations: 33 U.S.C. 1233. The purpose of the 
rule is to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters of the 
United States during the Cruce a Nado Internacional swimming event.

C. Discussion of Proposed Rule

    On September 2, 2012, Club Cruce a Nado is sponsoring the Cruce a 
Nado Internacional, a swimming event. The event will be held on the 
waters of Ponce Harbor in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Approximately 85 swimmers 
are anticipated to participate in the event. No spectator vessels are 
anticipated to be present during the event.
    The proposed rule would establish special local regulations that 
will encompass certain waters of Ponce Harbor in Ponce, Puerto Rico. 
The special local regulations will be enforced from 10 a.m. until 6 
p.m. on September 2, 2012. The special local regulations will establish 
a swim area, where all persons and vessels, except those persons 
participating in the race and vessels patrolling the swim area, will be 
prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or 
remaining within unless authorized by the Captain of the Port San Juan 
or a designated representative.
    Persons and vessels may request authorization to enter, transit 
through, anchor in, or remain within the swim area by contacting the 
Captain of the Port San Juan by telephone at (787) 289-2041, or a 
designated representative via VHF radio on channel 16. If authorization 
to enter, transit through, anchor in, or remain within the swim area is 
granted by the Captain of the Port San Juan or a designated 
representative, all persons and vessels receiving such authorization 
must comply with the instructions of the Captain of the Port San Juan 
or a designated representative. The Coast Guard will provide notice of 
the special local regulations by Local Notice to Mariners, Broadcast 
Notice to Mariners, and on-scene designated representatives.

D. Regulatory Analyses

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

1. Regulatory Planning and Review

    This proposed 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 special local regulations will be enforced 
for only eight hours; (2) although persons and vessels will not be able 
to enter, transit through, anchor in, or remain within the swim area 
without authorization from the Captain of the Port San Juan or a 
designated representative, they may operate in the surrounding area 
during the enforcement period; (3) persons and vessels may still enter, 
transit through, anchor in, or remain within the swim area during the 
enforcement period if authorized by the Captain of the Port San Juan or 
a designated representative; and (4) the Coast Guard will provide 
advance notification of the special local regulations to the local 
maritime community by Local Notice to Mariners and Broadcast Notice to 
Mariners.

2. Impact on Small Entities

    Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612), we have 
considered the impact of this proposed rule on small entities. The 
Coast Guard certifies under 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that this proposed rule 
will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of 
small entities.
    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 may affect the following entities, some of which 
may be small entities: The owners or operators of vessels intending to 
enter, transit through, anchor in, or remain within that portion of 
Ponce Harbor encompassed within the special local regulations from 10 
a.m. until 6 p.m. on September 2, 2012. For the reasons discussed in 
the Regulatory Planning and Review section above, this rule will not 
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities.
    If you think that your business, organization, or governmental 
jurisdiction qualifies as a small entity and that this rule would have 
a significant economic impact on it, please submit a comment (see 
ADDRESSES) explaining why you think it qualifies and how and to what 
degree this rule would economically affect it.

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 proposed 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, above. The Coast Guard will not retaliate against small 
entities that question or complain about this proposed rule or any 
policy or action of the Coast Guard.

4. Collection of Information

    This proposed 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 the 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 proposed 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.

[[Page 42467]]

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 proposed rule would not 
result in such an expenditure, we do discuss the effects of this rule 
elsewhere in this preamble.

8. Taking of Private Property

    This proposed rule would 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 proposed 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 From Environmental Health Risks

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

11. Indian Tribal Governments

    This proposed rule does not have tribal implications under 
Executive Order 13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal 
Governments, because it would 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 proposed rule is not a ``significant energy action'' under 
Executive Order 13211, Actions Concerning Regulations That 
Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use because it is 
not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 12866 and 
is not likely to have a significant adverse effect on the supply, 
distribution, or use of energy. The Administrator of the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs has not designated it as a 
significant energy action. Therefore, it does not require a Statement 
of Energy Effects under Executive Order 13211.

13. Technical Standards

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

14. Environment

    We have analyzed this proposed 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 made a preliminary determination 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 proposed rule 
involves special local regulations issued in conjunction with a regatta 
or marine parade. This rule is categorically excluded from further 
review under paragraph 34(h) of Figure 2-1 of the Commandant 
Instruction. We seek any comments or information that may lead to the 
discovery of a significant environmental impact from this proposed 
rule.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 100

    Marine safety, Navigation (water), Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Waterways.

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Coast Guard proposes 
to amend 33 CFR part 100 as follows:

PART 100--SAFETY OF LIFE ON NAVIGABLE WATERS

    1. The authority citation for part 100 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority:  33 U.S.C. 1233.

    2. Add a temporary Sec.  100.35T07-0495 to read as follows:


Sec.  100.35T07-0495   Special Local Regulations, Cruce a Nado 
Internacional, Ponce Harbor; Ponce, Puerto Rico.

    (a) Regulated Area. The following regulated area is established as 
a special local regulation. All coordinates are North American Datum 
1983.
    (1) Swim Area. All waters of Ponce Harbor encompassed within an 
imaginary line connecting the following points: starting at Point 1 in 
position 17[deg]58.85 N, 66[deg]37.48 W; thence southwest to Point 2 in 
position 17[deg]57.50 N, 66[deg]38.20 W; thence southeast to Point 3 in 
position 17[deg]57.35 N, 66[deg]37.95 W; thence northeast to point 4 in 
position 17[deg]58.73 N, 66[deg]37.25 W; thence northwest along the 
northeastern shoreline of Bahia de Ponce to the origin. All persons and 
vessels, except those persons participating in the race and vessels 
patrolling the swim area, are prohibited from entering, transiting 
through, anchoring in, or remaining within the swim area.
    (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 San Juan in the enforcement of the regulated areas.
    (c) Regulations.
    (1) Persons and vessels may request authorization to enter, transit 
through, anchor in, or remain within the regulated areas by contacting 
the Captain of the Port San Juan by telephone at 787-289-2041, or a 
designated representative via VHF radio on channel 16. If authorization 
is granted by the Captain of the Port San Juan or a designated 
representative, all persons and vessels receiving such authorization 
must comply with the instructions of the Captain of the Port San Juan 
or a designated representative.
    (2) The Coast Guard will provide notice of the regulated areas by 
Local Notice to Mariners, Broadcast Notice to Mariners, and on-scene 
designated representatives.
    (d) Enforcement Date. This rule will be enforced from 10 a.m. until 
6 p.m. on September 2, 2012.

    Dated: June 7, 2012.
D.W. Pearson,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the Port San Juan.
[FR Doc. 2012-17562 Filed 7-18-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P


