Date: September 1, 2006

Contact: Ninth Coast Guard District Public Affairs
(216) 902-6020

COAST GUARD RE-OPENS PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
FOR GREAT LAKES SAFETY ZONES

CLEVELAND - The Ninth Coast Guard District has re-opened the time for public comments concerning the proposed Great Lakes safety zones, as published in the federal register on August 1, 2006.

In an effort to have full consideration of all issues prior to finalizing these zones, the public comments time period will be extended an additional 60 days once published in the federal register.

Ninth Coast Guard District units placed small caliber weapons on cutters and small boats beginning in January 2006.  Since then, there have been twenty-three (23) temporary safety zones announced and established for gunfire exercises, and all were safely executed.  

The Ninth Coast Guard District is proposing to make these safety zones permanent to support military and homeland security training and readiness.  This training will include live gunfire exercises.  Our top priority when conducting these exercises is public safety.

A chart of the safety zones and the published federal register entry can be found at http://www.d9publicaffairs.com.

Public comments or concerns can be submitted by:

• E-mail through the web site for the Docket Management System at http://dms.dot.gov.
• Fax to the Docket Management Facility at (202) 493-2251.
• Mail to the Docket Management Facility (USCG-2006-2567), U.S. Department of Transportation, Room PL-401, 400 SW, Washington, D.C. 20590-0001.

For questions concerning the federal register entry, contact Cmdr. Gustav Wulfkuhle, Ninth Coast Guard District Enforcement Branch, Response Division, at (216) 902-6091.  

For media inquiries, contact Chief Petty Officer Robert K. Lanier, Ninth Coast Guard District Public Affairs, at (216) 902-6022.

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