Boat Traffic Closure Notice Issued During Air Show; Comment Period Open Till April 14

OCEAN CITY — The public comment period on a proposed temporary rule change that will prohibit boat traffic in a vast area just off the coast of the resort during the Ocean City Air Show in June expires in a little over three weeks, but thus far no comments either for or against the regulation have been put into the record.

The U.S. Coast Guard has announced a special local regulation that would place a large section of open ocean just off the resort coast off limits to boat travel of any kind during the Ocean City Air Show from June 12-15. Coast Guard official Ron Houck of the U.S. Coast Guard Baltimore Sector’s Waterways Management Division said this week the closed area will be a little over two miles in length and about a half mile wide and will extend from Talbot Street to 33rd Street and will be enforced daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the show.

The public comment period for the proposed temporary regulation expires on April 14. While few would argue with the need for safety during the air show, the closure of a vast area of open ocean off the coast of the resort will likely cause some economic hardship for recreational vessels and local businesses. In its notice of proposed rule-making, the Coast Guard acknowledges placing a large area off the coast off limits could create some hardship, the rule is needed to ensure public safety during the air show. Similar regulations have been approved for the air shows in recent years.

“These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event,” the notice of proposed rule-making reads. “This action is intended to temporarily restrict vessel traffic in a portion of the Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of Ocean City, Md. during the event.”

The Notice of Proposed Rule Making suggests the Ocean City Air Show and similar shows over areas populated by vessels create unique risks.

“Air shows are frequently held from locations above or near the navigable waters of the United States,” the notice reads. “The potential hazards associated with air shows are a safety concern during such events. The purpose of this rule is to protect mariners transiting the area from the potential hazards associated with an air show, such as aircraft accidents, dangerous projectiles and falling debris. This rule is needed to ensure safety on the waterway before, during and after the scheduled event.”

The notice of proposed rule-making asserts the Coast Guard will patrol the designated closed area off the coast during the air show and will restrict vessel travel through the area.

“The effect of this proposed rule will be to restrict general navigation in the regulated area during the event,” the notice reads. “Vessels intending to transit the Atlantic Ocean through the regulated area will only be allowed to do so when the Coast Guard Patrol Commander has deemed it safe.”

The notice suggests many of the activities associated with air shows present inherent dangers to those on the ground or on the water below them.

“The activities associated with an air show, such as air show performances and rehearsals, will occur over navigable waters and may have potential for negative impact on the safety or other interests of waterway users and near-shore activities in the event area,” the notice reads. “The activity includes high speed and low altitude aerobatic maneuvers near the shoreline that generally rely on the use of navigable waters as safety buffer to protect the public from hazards associated with an air show.”

The Coast Guard’s notice of proposed rule change was posted in the federal registry last Friday and the comment period expires on April 14. As of late yesterday, no comments either for or against the proposed rule change had been posted.