(a) Any time the Chief, Office of Bridge Programs determines that a Detailed Investigation is warranted, or when Congress declares a bridge unreasonably obstructive, the District Commander will hold a public meeting near the location of the bridge to provide the bridge owner, waterway users, and other interested parties the opportunity to offer evidence and be heard, orally or in writing, as to whether any alterations are necessary to provide reasonably free, safe, and unobstructed passage for waterborne traffic. The District Commander will issue a public notice announcing the public meeting stating the time, date, and place of the meeting.

Terms Used In 33 CFR 116.25

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.

(b) When a bridge is statutorily determined to be an unreasonable obstruction, the scope of the meeting will be to determine what navigation clearances are needed.

(c) In all other cases, the scope of the meeting will be to address issues bearing on the question of whether the bridge is an unreasonable obstruction to navigation and, if so, what alterations are needed.

(d) The meeting will be recorded. Copies of the public meeting transcript will be available for purchase from the recording service.

[CGD 91-063, 60 FR 20902, Apr. 28, 1995, as amended by CGD 96-026, 61 FR 33664, June 28, 1996; USCG-2013-0397, 78 FR 39174, July 1, 2013]