The Oregon State Marine Board has opened rulemaking to require boats operating in coastal waters to carry U.S. Coast Guard -approved visual distress signals, including those waters directly connected to the ocean, up to a point where the waterway is less than two nautical miles wide (mouth of the Columbia River). Adoption of this rule, OAR 250-010-0164, would establish the state requirement for visual distress signals in coast waters consistent with Federal equipment requirements, and is required through the U. S. Coast Guard grant agreement with Oregon. Written comments may be submitted by March 31, 2015 by 5 pm and can be submitted via email to osmb.rulemaking@state.or.us or by U.S. mail to: June LeTarte, Administrative Rules Coordinator, 435 Commercial Street NE, Suite 400, P.O. Box 14145, Salem, OR 97309-5056. Comments via telephone will not be accepted. To view the proposed language, visit http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/Pages/admin/OSMB_Rulemaking_Newpage.aspx.
