(a) Regulations. (1) In accordance with the general regulations in § 165.23 of this part, entry into, transiting, or anchoring within this safety zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Duluth or his or her designated on-scene representative.

(2) These safety zones are closed to all vessel traffic, except as may be permitted by the COTP Duluth or his or her designated on-scene representative.

(3) The “on-scene representative” of the COTP Duluth is any Coast Guard commissioned, warrant or petty officer who has been designated by the COTP Duluth to act on his behalf.

(4) Vessel operators desiring to enter or operate within the safety zone must contact the COTP Duluth or his or her on-scene representative to obtain permission to do so. The COTP Duluth or his or her on-scene representative may be contacted via VHF Channel 16. Vessel operators given permission to enter or operate in the safety zone must comply with all directions given to them by the COTP Duluth, or his or her on-scene representative.

(5) The enforcement dates and times for each of the safety zones listed in Table 1 are subject to change, but the duration of enforcement would remain the same or nearly the same as stated in Table 1. In the event of a change, the COTP Duluth will provide notice to the public by publishing a Notification of Enforcement in the Federal Register, as well as issuing a Broadcast Notice to Mariners.

(b) Definitions. As used in this section:

(1) Designated representative means any Coast Guard coxswain, petty officer, or other officer operating a Coast Guard vessel and a Federal, State, and local officer designated by or assisting the COTP Duluth in the enforcement of each safety zone.

(2) Public vessel means a vessel that is owned, chartered, or operated by the United States, or by a State or political subdivision thereof.

(3) Rain date refers to an alternate date and/or time in which the safety zone would be enforced in the event of inclement weather.

(c) Suspension of enforcement. The COTP Duluth may suspend enforcement of any of these zones earlier than listed in this section. Should the COTP Duluth suspend any of these zones earlier than the listed duration in this section, he or she may make the public aware of this suspension by Broadcast Notice to Mariners and/or on-scene notice by his or her designated representative.

(d) Exemption. Public vessels, as defined in paragraph (b) of this section, are exempt from the requirements in this section.

(e) Waiver. For any vessel, the COTP Duluth or his or her designated representative may waive any of the requirements of this section upon finding that operational conditions or other circumstances are such that application of this section is unnecessary or impractical for the purposes of safety or security.

(f) Notification. The enforcement dates and times for each of the listed safety zones are subject to change. Advance notice to the local maritime community will be made well in advance of the events through Notification(s) of Enforcement in the Federal Register, listing exact times and dates of the enforcement periods. A Broadcast Notice to Mariners will also be issued.