[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 32 (Thursday, February 15, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6821-6822]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-03178]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2016-0257]
RIN 1625-AA09


Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Delaware River, Pennsauken 
Township, NJ

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; notice reopening comment period.

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

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is reopening the comment period to solicit 
additional comments concerning the notice of proposed rulemaking 
(NPRM), which published on June 30, 2017, and was initially reopened 
for comments on December 6, 2017. Reopening the comment period will 
allow the public to provide input on the proposed change to the 
regulation governing the DELAIR Memorial Railroad Bridge across the 
Delaware River, mile 104.6, at Pennsauken Township, NJ.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published June 30, 
2017, at 82 FR 29800, is reopened. Comments and related material must 
reach the Coast Guard on or before March 2, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2016-0257 using Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov.
    See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion 
of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for instructions on 
submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this proposed 
rule, call or email Mr. Hal R. Pitts, Fifth Coast Guard District (dpb); 
telephone (757) 398-6222, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background and Purpose

    On June 30, 2017, we published a notice of proposed rulemaking 
(NPRM) entitled, ``Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Delaware River, 
Pennsauken Township, NJ'' in the Federal Register (82 FR 29800). The 
original comment period closed on August 18, 2017. The NPRM proposed 
changes to the regulation governing the DELAIR Memorial Railroad Bridge 
across the Delaware River, mile 104.6, at Pennsauken Township, and 
contained useful background and analysis related to the proposed 
changes. The installation of the remote operation system capabilities 
did not change the operational schedule of the bridge.\1\ The public is 
encouraged to review the NPRM.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ A full description of the remote operational system is 
outlined in the aforementioned publication, which can be found at 
http://regulations.gov. (see ADDRESSES for more information).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On April 12, 2017, we published a temporary deviation entitled 
``Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Delaware River, Pennsauken Township, 
NJ'' in the Federal Register (82 FR 17561). This temporary deviation 
was performed from 8 a.m. on April 24, 2017, through 7:59 a.m. on 
October 21, 2017, and included a request for comments and related 
material to reach the Coast Guard on or before August 18, 2017. During 
this initial temporary deviation the bridge owner identified 
deficiencies in the remote operation center procedures, bridge to 
vessel communications, and equipment redundancy. Comments concerning 
these deficiencies were submitted to the docket and provided to the 
Coast Guard and bridge owner by representatives from the Mariners' 
Advisory Committee for the Bay and River Delaware.
    The bridge owner implemented policies and provided training to 
address the procedural and communications deficiencies, and implemented 
backup systems to mitigate potential equipment and systems failures. 
These changes were not fully evaluated during the temporary deviation 
ending October 21, 2017. Therefore, the Coast Guard decided to issue a 
second temporary deviation to complete the evaluation of the changes 
incorporated into the remote operation system.
    On October 18, 2017, we published a second temporary deviation 
entitled ``Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Delaware River, Pennsauken 
Township, NJ'' in the Federal Register (82 FR 48419). This second 
temporary deviation is from 8 a.m. on October 21, 2017, through 7:59 
a.m. on April 19, 2018. This second temporary deviation was issued to 
complete the evaluation of the changes incorporated into the remote 
operation system during the first temporary deviation ending October 
21, 2017. This notice included a request for comments and related 
material to reach the Coast Guard on or before January 15, 2018.
    On December 6, 2017, we published a notice of proposed rulemaking; 
reopening of comment period (NPRM); entitled ``Drawbridge Operation 
Regulation; Delaware River, Pennsauken Township, NJ'' in the Federal 
Register (82 FR 57561). This notice included a request for comments and 
related material to reach the Coast Guard on or before January 15, 
2018.
    On January 22, 2018, we published a notice of temporary deviation; 
reopening of comment period; entitled ``Drawbridge Operation 
Regulation; Delaware River, Pennsauken Township, NJ'' in the Federal 
Register (83 FR 2909). This notice included a request for comments and 
related material to reach the Coast Guard on or before March 2, 2018.
    This notice to extend the comment period to on or before March 2, 
2018, ensures there is notice and opportunity to comment on the 
proposed rule that would allow the bridge to be remotely operated from 
the Conrail South Jersey dispatch center in Mount Laurel, NJ, instead 
of being operated by an on-site bridge tender, before the proposed 
changes become final.

II. Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We view public participation as essential to effective rulemaking, 
and will consider all comments and material received during the comment 
period. Your comment can help shape the outcome of this rulemaking. 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.
    We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be 
submitted using http://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate 
instructions. We accept anonymous comments. All comments

[[Page 6822]]

received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov 
and will include any personal information you have provided. For more 
about privacy and the docket, visit http://www.regulations.gov/privacyNotice.
    Documents mentioned in this NPRM as being available in this docket, 
as well as all public comments, will be in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following that website's 
instructions. Additionally, if you go to the online docket and sign up 
for email alerts you will be notified when comments are posted or a 
final rule is published.

    Dated: January 24, 2018.
M.L. Austin,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2018-03178 Filed 2-14-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P


