(a) Location. The following areas are safety zones: All waters of the Upper Mississippi River from mile 38.0 to mile 46.0, Thebes, IL; and from mile 78.0 to mile 81.0, Grand Tower, IL, extending the entire width of the river.
(b) Effective dates. These safety zones are effective beginning November 10, 2014. Enforcement times and the requirements of this safety zones will be noticed as soon as is practicable before subsurface rock removal operations begin, actual notice will be used and additional notices made through Broadcast Notices to Mariners (BNM), or Local Notices to Mariners (LNM).
(c) Regulations.
(1) In accordance with the general regulations in § 165.23 of this part, entry into this area is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Ohio Valley or a designated representative.
(2) The Captain of the Port (COTP) Ohio Valley may prescribe, for all or specific portions of the safety zones, periods of enforcement and minimum operational requirements necessary to enter, transit through, or stop within the safety zone in order to preserve safe navigation on the Upper Mississippi River during subsurface rock removal operations and clearing of vessel queues following rock removal operations, including, but not limited to, the required use of assist vessels; and restrictions on the following:
(i) Tow size;
(ii) Tow configuration;
(iii) Vessel/barge draft;
(iv) Speed;
(v) Under keel clearance;
(vi) Hours of transit; and
(vii) One way traffic.
(3) All persons and vessels must comply with any requirement prescribed under paragraph (c)(2) of this section.
(4) Persons or vessels may request an exception from any requirement prescribed under paragraph (c)(2) of this section from the COTP Ohio Valley or a designated representative who may be a commissioned, warrant, or petty officer of the Coast Guard. The COTP Ohio Valley may be contacted by telephone at 1-800-253-7465 or on VHF-FM channel 16.
(d) Enforcement. The COTP Ohio Valley will notify the public of the specific requirements prescribed under paragraph (c)(2) of this section and of the times when those requirements will be enforced or when enforcement will be suspended, using means designed to ensure maximum effectual notice including, but not limited to, broadcast notices to mariners (BNM) and communications through the River Industry Action Committee.
[USCG-2013-0907, 79 FR 66626, Nov. 10, 2014]