The U.S. Coast Guard, under the Department of Homeland Security, has taken swift action to implement a temporary special local regulation (SLR) on a section of the Red River near Shreveport, Louisiana. This rule, effective daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May 22, 2026, through May 24, 2026, is specifically designed to manage safety during the 'Red River Rumble F1 Powerboat Showdown,' a high-speed marine event. The Captain of the Port (COTP), Sector Lower Mississippi River, has identified significant hazards associated with the race, necessitating the immediate closure of a segment of the river to all unauthorized vessels and persons.
Emergency Action for a High-Speed Event
The planned powerboat race involves multiple heats over several hours each day, with vessels operating at extreme speeds. The COTP has determined that this event presents a range of potential dangers, including the risk of airborne watercraft, vessel collisions, capsizing incidents, dangerous projectiles, and mechanical failures. The temporary SLR, codified as 33 CFR Part 100, Sec. 100.T899-1129, is a preventative measure. Its purpose is to protect all involved: event participants, non-participants on the waterway, and the general marine environment, both during and immediately surrounding the scheduled race period. Without such a regulation, the potential for serious accidents and injuries would be substantially elevated, underscoring the Coast Guard's mandate to ensure safety on navigable waters.
Regulatory Framework and Justification for Expedited Action
This temporary final rule is issued under the authority of 46 U.S.C. 70041, which grants the Coast Guard the power to establish special local regulations for marine events. Significantly, the Coast Guard opted to enact this rule without prior public notice and comment. This decision was made under the 'good cause' exceptions provided by 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) and 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). The agency determined that it was impracticable and contrary to the public interest to delay the regulation's effective date to allow for an NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) and subsequent comment period. The short timeline between notification of the event on November 20, 2025, and the race start on May 22, 2026, meant that waiting for public input would have jeopardized the safety of all parties by preventing enforcement of critical safety measures. The immediate effectiveness of the rule, less than 30 days after publication, was similarly justified by the urgent need to mitigate identified risks.
Scope and Enforcement of the Regulation
The regulated area encompasses all navigable waters of the Red River near Shreveport, Louisiana, specifically between mile markers 227.8 and 229, extending from the surface to the bottom. Within this defined zone, only registered participants and authorized support personnel are permitted to enter, transit, or remain. 'Support personnel' is broadly defined to include safety observers, law enforcement, medical staff, administrators, and technicians assisting with the event. Any other individual or vessel seeking access to the regulated area must obtain specific permission from the COTP or their designated representative, who may be a Coast Guard Patrol Commander or another authorized federal, state, or local officer. Mariners can contact the COTP or their representative via VHF-FM channel 16 or by telephone at (866) 360-3386. The Coast Guard will ensure mariners are aware of the restricted area through local and broadcast notices.
Broader Implications for Waterway Management
The implementation of this temporary regulation highlights the Coast Guard's proactive approach to balancing the promotion of marine recreation with its paramount responsibility for waterway safety. While the rule itself is limited in scope and duration, it exemplifies the agency's capacity for rapid regulatory response to ensure public welfare during potentially hazardous events. The required regulatory analyses, though abbreviated due to the emergency nature of the rule, confirmed that it would not significantly impact small entities, necessitate new information collection, conflict with federalism principles or tribal governments, or create unfunded mandates. Environmentally, it falls under a categorical exclusion for special local regulations. This process underscores the critical role of the COTP in assessing and mitigating local maritime risks, and it sets a precedent for how similar high-impact events on federal waterways might be managed through swift, targeted regulatory action in the future.
