
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 3, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 68033-68035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21754]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2023-0532]
RIN 1625-AA09


Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Sloop Channel, Nassau County, NY

AGENCY: Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes to temporarily modify the operating 
schedule that governs the Meadowbrook State Parkway Bridge, mile 12.8, 
across Sloop Channel, Nassau County, NY. The bridge owner, New York 
State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), submitted a request to 
operate the bridge under single leaf openings to perform bridge deck 
replacement. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

DATES: Comments and relate material must reach the Coast Guard on or 
before November 2, 2023.

ADDRESSES:  You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2023-0532 using Federal Decision Making Portal at https://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 Ms. Stephanie E. Lopez, First Coast Guard District, 
Project Officer, telephone 212-514-4335, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Table of Abbreviations [Delete/Add Any Abbreviations Not Used/Used 
in This Document]

CFR Code of Federal Regulations
DHS Department of Homeland Security
FR Federal Register
OMB Office of Management and Budget
NPRM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Advance, Supplemental)
Sec.  Section
U.S.C. United States Code
NYSDOT New York State Department of Transportation

II. Background, Purpose and Legal Basis

    The Meadowbrook State Parkway Bridge across Sloop Channel, mile 
12.8, Nassau County, NY, has a vertical clearance of 21 feet at mean 
high water and a horizontal clearance of 75.5 feet at mean high water. 
Waterway users include recreational and commercial vessels, including 
fishing vessels.
    The existing drawbridge operating regulations are listed at 33 CFR 
117.799(h). NYSDOT is requesting a temporary rulemaking to operate 
under single leaf openings while they perform bridge deck replacements. 
NYSDOT has reached out to local mariners and notified them of the 
proposed temporary rulemaking as well as outlined an alternate route 
for larger vessels that may not be able to make passage under the 
bridge with single leaf openings.

III. Discussion of Proposed Rule

    The Meadowbrook State Parkway Bridge will continue to operate under 
its regular operating schedule found in 33 CFR 117.799(f). However, 
this proposed rule when made final would allow the

[[Page 68034]]

bridge to operate under single leaf openings until May 15, 2024. For 
vessels that are too large for single leaf openings NYSDOT has set an 
alternate route. Vessels that can pass without requesting a bridge 
opening may do so. NYSDOT has reached phase 2 of the project which 
requires replacing the bridge deck. The reason for this request is to 
allow the project to progress while minimizing impact on mariners.

IV. Regulatory Analyses

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

A. Regulatory Planning and Review

    Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 direct agencies to assess the 
costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, if 
regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize 
net benefits. This proposed rule has not been designated a 
``significant regulatory action,'' under section 3(f) of Executive 
Order 12866, as amended by Executive Order 14094 (Modernizing 
Regulatory Review). Accordingly, the NPRM has not been reviewed by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
    This regulatory action determination is based on the ability of 
vessels to still transit the bridge under singe leaf openings or may 
transit through an alternate route.

B. 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 certifies under 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that this 
proposed rule would not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities.
    While some owners or operators of vessels intending to transit the 
bridge may be small entities, for the reasons stated in section IV.A. 
above, this proposed rule would not have a significant economic impact 
on any vessel owner or operator.
    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.
    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 
section. 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.

C. Collection of Information

    This proposed rule would call for no new collection of information 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.).

D. Federalism and Indian Tribal Governments

    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 
have determined that it is consistent with the fundamental federalism 
principles and preemption requirements described in Executive Order 
13132.
    Also, 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. If 
you believe this proposed rule has implications for federalism or 
Indian tribes, please contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section.

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

F. Environment

    We have analyzed this rule under Department of Homeland Security 
Management Directive 023-01, Rev.1, associated implementing 
instructions, and Environmental Planning Policy COMDTINST 5090.1 
(series), which guide the Coast Guard in complying with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA)(42 U.S.C. 4321-4370f). The 
Coast Guard has 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 proposed rule promulgates the 
operating regulations or procedures for drawbridges. Normally such 
actions are categorically excluded from further review, under paragraph 
L49, of Chapter 3, Table3-1 of the U.S. Coast Guard Environmental 
Planning Implementation Procedures.
    Neither a Record of Environmental Consideration nor a Memorandum 
for the Record are required for this rule. We seek any comments or 
information that may lead to the discovery of a significant 
environmental impact from this proposed rule.

V. 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.
    Submitting comments. We encourage you to submit comments through 
the Federal Decision-Making Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. To 
do so, go to https://www.regulations.gov, type USCG-2023-0532 in the 
search box and click ``Search.'' Next, look for this document in the 
Search Results column, and click on it. Then click on the Comment 
option. If your material cannot be submitted using https://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section of this document for alternate instructions.
    Viewing material in docket. To view documents mentioned in this 
proposed

[[Page 68035]]

rule as being available in the docket, find the docket as described in 
the previous paragraph, and then select ``Supporting & Related 
Material'' in the Document Type column. Public comments will also be 
placed in our online docket and can be viewed by following instructions 
on the https://www.regulations.gov Frequently Asked Questions web page. 
Also, if you click on the'' Dockets'' tab and then the proposed rule, 
you should see a ``Subscribe'' option for email alerts. Selecting this 
option will enable notifications when comments are posted, or if/when a 
final rule is published.
    We review all comments received, but we will only post comments 
that address the topic of the proposed rule. We may choose not to post 
off-topic, inappropriate, or duplicate comments that we receive.
    Personal information. We accept anonymous comments. Comments we 
post to https://www.regulations.gov will include any personal 
information you have provided. For more about privacy and submissions 
in response to this document, see DHS's eRulemaking System of Records 
notice (85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020).

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 117

    Bridges.

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Coast Guard proposes 
to amend 33 CFR part 117 as follows:

PART 117--DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS

0
1. The authority citation for part 117 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  33 U.S.C. 499; 33 CFR 1.05-1; DHS Delegation No. 
0170.1, Revision No. 01.3.

0
2. Amend Sec.  117.799 by:
0
a. Staying paragraph (h) until 3:30 p.m. on May 15, 2024.
0
b. Adding paragraph (k).
    The addition to read as follows:


Sec.  117.799  Long Island, New York Inland Waterway from East Rockaway 
Inlet to Shinnecock Canal.

* * * * *
    (k) The draw of the Meadowbrook State Parkway Bridge across Sloop 
Channel, mile 12.8, shall operate on single leaf openings until May 15, 
2024. The draw will open for commercial vessels engaged in commerce and 
shall open Monday through Friday from 6:20 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. and 3:20 
p.m. to 7:20 p.m. on signal at 20 and 50 minutes after the hour, and on 
signal at all other times. For all other vessels, the draw shall open 
on Monday thru Friday from 6:20 a.m. to 7:20 p.m. on signal at 20 and 
50 minutes after the hour, and the draw shall open on Saturday, Sunday, 
and Federal holidays from 7:20 a.m. to 8:20 p.m. on signal at 20 and 50 
minutes after the hour, and on signal at all other times.

    Dated: August 21, 2023.
J.W. Mauger,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, First Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2023-21754 Filed 9-28-23; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P


