Tag: California

 California Air Resources Board (CARB) has published guidance for vessel operators, utilizing the research exemption to use fuel at or below 0.1% sulphur that does not meet specifications for distillate fuel grades in the California Ocean-Going Vessel Fuel Rule.Several vessel operators are now complying with the California Ocean-Going Vessel Fuel Regulation (OGV Fuel Rule) using fuel at or below 0.1% sulfur that does not meet the OGV Fuel Rule specifications for distillate fuel grades under a process detailed in Marine Notice 2014-1 .While these low sulfur non-distillate fuels, primarily described as ultra-low sulfur fuel oil (“ULSFO”), can be used to comply with the regulation under the Research Exemption, ARB staff has found that without taking precautions, there is a high likelihood of a violation of the sulfur limit. Based on reviews of bunker delivery notes from the vessel operators, these fuels, as purchased, are generally reported to be below, but close to, the 0.1% sulfur regulatory limit.However, shipboard in-use samples collected and tested by ARB staff have sometimes been found to exceed the regulatory limit. The discrepancy could be due to shipboard contamination with high sulfur fuels in tanks or pipes, or other factors. This notice is to alert vessel operators that ...

 California Governor Brown signed into law AB 1312  amending the state’s Marine Invasive Species Act. The State Lands Commission (SLC) issued a letter summarizing the measure, which takes effect on 1 January 2016.The Marine Invasive Species Act, which generally applies to all vessels carrying or capable of carrying ballast water into the coastal waters of the state after operating outside of the coastal waters of the state and to all ballast water and associated sediments taken on a vessel, imposes specified requirements on the master, owner, operator, or person in charge of one those vessels to minimize the uptake and release of nonindigenous species. The act requires the State Lands Commission to adopt regulations governing ballast water management practices for vessels arriving at a California port from a port outside of the Pacific Coast Region, as defined.This bill would define the term “port” for purposes of the act to mean any port or place in which a vessel was, is, or will be anchored or moored, or where a vessel will transfer cargo. The act requires the master, owner, operator, agent, or person in charge of a vessel carrying, or capable of carrying, ballast water, that visits a California port, to provide ...

 US Senators for California introduced the West Coast Ocean Protection Act, legislation to permanently prohibit offshore drilling on the outer continental shelf of California, Oregon and Washington.The legislation, first introduced in 2010, would amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to permanently protect the $44 billion coastal economies of the three states, which support nearly 650,000 jobs in California, Oregon and Washington."Offshore drilling carries real risks, and an accident would be catastrophic for California's environment and economy," Senator Feinstein said. "This is why I'm very happy to join with Senator Boxer and other colleagues on this legislation to permanently ban offshore drilling on the West Coast.""We cannot afford to put California's coastal economy at risk by drilling offshore," Senator Boxer said. "More than half a million California jobs and more than $34 billion in annual economic activity depend on a pristine coastline, and we owe it to current and future generations to protect our coast from a disaster like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.""We must protect our coastal communities, economies and ecosystems against the risk of an oil spill. In addition, the threat of seismic activity along the Cascadia Subduction Zone increases the probability of a catastrophic oil spill in the ...

 In light of the Refugio Oil Spill which occurred on 19 May 2015 in the Santa Barbara county of California, Senate Bill 788 was passed in order to address the danger and destruction caused by dirty oil in such pristine areas. The oil spill was caused by a broken pipeline which leaked an estimate of 101,000 gallons of oil into the environment. Out of the 101,000 gallons of oil discharged, approximately 21,000 gallons of oil managed to reach the Pacific Ocean. The Refugio Oil Spill is a reminder of a previous incident which occurred in Santa Barbara on 28 January 1969. More than three million gallons of oil were discharged into the environment due to a well blowout during drilling from an offshore oil platform.California’s Senate Bill 788 is an act, which if accepted, would abolish section 6244 of the Public Resources Code, relating to coastal resources. The bill has passed California’s state senate and is now heading to the Assembly. Section 6244 of the Public Resources Code currently reads:“The Commission may enter into any lease for the extraction of oil or gas from state-owned tide and submerged lands in the California Coastal Sanctuary if the commission determines that those ...

  The California Air Resources Board (ARB) posted an update to its Sustainable Freight Pathways to Zero and Near-Zero Discussion Document. The Discussion Document describes the actions that respond to the Board’s direction to identify, prioritize, and recommend specific measures and actions to reduce health risk from diesel particulate matter and meet the State’s air quality attainment and climate needs. Further details may be found by clicking hereIn the start, I was straightforward with you propecia before and after has changed my existence. It has become much more fun, and now I have to run. Just as it is incredible to sit.

  The California State Lands Commission (SLC) has issued a notice  stating that it is proposing regulatory amendments to Article 4.8, Biofouling Management to Minimize the Transfer of Nonindigenous Species from Vessels Operating in California Waters. Letter to Interested Parties Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Text of Proposed Regulations Initial Statement of Reasons Hull Husbandry Reporting Form Studies Relied Upon A public hearing will be held on 16 June in Long Beach regarding this proposal. Written comments must be received by 16 June. Further details may be found here. Source : California SLCIn the start, I was open with you propecia before and after has changed my life. It has become much more fun, and now I have to run. Just as it is fabulous to sit.

  The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has released its draft report, entitled as 'Heavy-Duty Technology and Fuels Assessment: Overview' to provide an overview and status update on the heavy duty technology, including marine vessels, and fuels available, including low sulphur diesel and LNG.  Ocean-Going Vessel Efficiency Improvements There are numerous technologies and efficiency improvements available that can reduce emissions from ocean-going vessels (OGV). These include systems for recycling heat energy, advanced designs for hull, propellers and rudders, optimization of the draft and speed for a given route and arrival time, and monitoring the fouling of hulls and propellers. Engine technologies are also an essential factor for achieving the potential benefits, and could include electronic controls that improve fuel efficiency, LNG engines, or diesel engines with SCR after-treatment. Collaborative efforts are underway to better understand the opportunities these technologies could potentially provide. The two major OGV engine manufacturers, MAN Diesel & Turbo and Wärtsilä, have worked together since 2002 to develop new technologies for marine engines that will increase engine efficiency and reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, reduce gaseous and particulate matter emissions, and increase engine reliability. This work was expected to reach completion by 2015. Another effort, the ...

  The California State Lands Commission (SLC) has issued its 2015 Biennial Report on the California Marine Invasive Species Program referring to California’s ballast water management program and hull husbandry program. The report notes that no currently available ballast water management system meets California performance standards. Key issues Eighty-four percent (84%) of the 18,739 qualifying voyage arrivals to California ports between July 2012 and June 2014 retained all ballast water on board. These arrivals posed no risk for species introductions associated with ballast water discharges. Some vessels, however, must discharge ballast due to cargo operations, navigation, and/or safety concerns. As ships increase in size, so does the capacity of their ballast water tanks and the volume of ballast water discharged. Since 2004, the total volume of ballast water discharged in California has increased 96% from 3.5 million metric tons (MMT) (2004a) to 6.9 MMT (2014a). The increase in the volume of discharged ballast water in California is driven, in large part, by bulk vessels. Bulk vessels accounted for only 8% of vessel arrivals to California between July 2012 and June 2014, yet were responsible for 45% of total volume of ballast water discharged during that same time period. Moreover, the ...

California OSPR has recently reviewed the Regulations which were approved on 16th December 2014.  The UK P&I Club reminds that under the regulations, on renewal of P&I coverage, vessel operators must submit a copy of their new Certificate of Entry (COE) within 45 days of expiration of the previous certificate. The regulations further require that vessel operators must submit a Certificate of Entry at least 10 calendar days prior to operating or entering California marine waters in order to apply for a California COFR.   The details of the requirements can be found in the text of the regulations by clicking here.  The IG has expressed strong concerns to California OSPR, since the 10 day requirement wrongly assumes that all owners complete their renewal negotiations and will be in possession of their new COE well in advance of 20 February. However, California OSPR has maintained this requirement in the amended regulations. The Club advises operators with vessels calling at California ports on or around 20th February on this and subsequent years are therefore recommended to renew their P&I cover for the following policy year well in advance of this date in order to ensure that the new COE can be issued ...