Tag: US

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and EPA will soon take action to ensure compliance with the forthcoming 0.10 percent fuel sulphur limits in the North American and U.S. Caribbean Sea Emmission Control Areas, or ECAs. “We will be coordinated in our efforts to ensure compliance with the new requirements effective 1 Jan, 2015,” said Rear Adm. Paul Thomas, assistant commandant for Prevention Policy at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters. “That includes working with EPA to actively check for compliance and taking appropriate enforcement action.” The USCG will continue to check Bunker Delivery Notes and other records during Port State and Flag State visits to vessels. The USCG and EPA are developing plans for joint boardings of vessels as well, that will include fuel oil sampling and in-the-field screening for sulphur levels. “Working closely with our partners at the Coast Guard, we’re stepping up our compliance efforts and will take targeted enforcement actions when necessary,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Making sure that everyone plays by the rules will help level the playing field for companies that comply, while reducing harmful air pollution in coastal and inland communities.” Maritime Commons will continue to provide updates as ...

LNG America announced an agreement with Buffalo Marine Service, Inc. (Buffalo Marine) to cooperate on the design of an LNG bunker fuel network for the U. S. Gulf Coast region. LNG America is developing a hub-and-spoke delivery system for LNG as fuel for the marine market and other high horsepower applications. Ultimately, LNG America will establish a robust delivery infrastructure to ensure the secure and safe delivery of LNG as fuel in major US ports. Buffalo Marine is one of the premiere bunkering companies in the Gulf of Mexico with over 50 vessels dedicated to bunkering in the region. The agreement will incorporate Buffalo Marine’s logistical, commercial, and administrative expertise regarding bunkering operations with LNG America’s experience with LNG as fuel for high horsepower applications; understanding of the emerging demand for LNG as a bunker fuel; and overall business-development efforts related to LNG bunkering. “Combining the bunkering experience of Buffalo Marine with our LNG experience and our progress towards building the infrastructure necessary to support LNG bunkering will help us to provide the best possible service to the emerging LNG fueled marine customers while using the best safety practices available from both industries,” said Keith Meyer, President and CEO of ...

Offshore Oil Platform Owner to Improve Safety and Operations in Gulf of Mexico Following Unauthorized Oil Discharges / EPA and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement secure settlement in first joint judicial enforcement action under Clean Water Act and Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Under a settlement agreement with the United States, ATP Infrastructure Partners, LP (ATP-IP) will pay a $1 million civil penalty and perform corrective measures to resolve claims by the U.S. under the Clean Water Act and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) of unauthorized discharges of oil and chemicals from an oil platform into the Gulf of Mexico, announced the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). This is the first joint judicial enforcement action involving EPA and BSEE claims in response to alleged violations of both the Clean Water Act and OCSLA. The United States’ complaint, which was filed in February 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, alleges that oil and an unauthorized chemical dispersant were discharged into the Gulf of Mexico from ATP-IP’s oil and gas production platform known as the ATP ...

2014 SAFETY4SEA Forum- Jeanne Grasso

Coast guards are the maritime workhorses of coastal states, intent on protecting their sovereign rights to fisheries and petroleum resources, while also safeguarding lives and the environment. In an Arctic Klondike, this institution – which often operates in the shadow of national navies – does the heavy lifting. Yet, striking the right balance on fleet structure, investments, and Arctic presence in times of budget austerity is no easy task for Arctic coastal states. Maritime activity levels in the Arctic are increasing, compared to low levels throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. It is not the number of trans-arctic voyages, but the number of ships with a destination in the Arctic itself that has predominately increased. This comes as a result of an increase in the transport of goods to and from the Arctic, and from an increase in cruise ship tourism offering “Arctic Cruises”. Similarly, exploratory drilling in Greenlandic, Alaskan or North Norwegian waters, and record yielding fish stocks in the Barents Sea and North Sea, contribute to this trend. As activity increases, the need for an active management of the maritime domain increases as well. When fisheries grow in volume, so does the need for fisheries inspections and research ...

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 established rigorous regulatory and liability controls to protect and clean up the marine environment from oil spills, including extensive provision to prevent the circumstances under which oil spills occur. OPA 9O increased federal authority to respond to oil spills and compensate for damage when spills occur in the United States. OPA 90 also requires owners and operators of evidence sufficient financial responsibility to cover potential liabilities under OPA 90. The US Pollution Risks publication by the UK P&I Club compiles summaries of all the Federal and state requirements on liability, COFR requirements and vessel contingency plan requirements. Legal Briefings provide an overview of certain laws and regulations. While every effort has been made to ensure their accuracy, it is only a guide and not a substitute for formal legal advice. This summary document was compiled by the UK Club's environmental team ledby Dr. Chao Wu and is one of a continuing series of publications which shares the legal expertise within the Club with its Members.  You can read more by clicking below In the outbreak, I was frank with you propecia before and after has changed my existence. It has become much more fun, and ...

NOAA, NASA and the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) have joined together to support three demonstration projects that will lay the foundation for the first national network to monitor marine biodiversity at scales ranging from microbes to whales.  The projects, to be funded at approximately $17 million over the next five years, subject to the availability of funds, will demonstrate how a national operational marine biodiversity observation network could be developed. Such a network would serve as a marine resource management tool to conserve existing biodiversity and enhance U.S. biosecurity against threats such as invasive species and infectious agents. The three demonstration marine biological observation networks will be established in four locations: the Florida Keys; Monterey Bay and the Santa Barbara Channel in California; and on the continental shelf in the Chukchi Sea in Alaska. Marine biodiversity is a key indicator of ocean health and critical to sustaining natural resources such as fisheries. The three projects, selected from 19 proposals, will be established in different marine environments in U.S. waters to integrate existing observations ranging from satellite observations to DNA sampling and fill data gaps with new observations. This joint effort supports the U.S. National Ocean ...

Three Colombian citizens pleaded guilty for conspiring to transport more than 1,000 kilograms of cocaine on board "go-fast boats" from the north coast of Colombia

Lloyd's Register Energy has released its findings from a major oil and gas survey conducted to assess the impact of innovation and investment by operators in America, Europe and Asia. The Technology Radar survey, launched at the start of the year, takes the pulse of technical innovation in the sector and looks ahead to the future investment drivers. The survey revealed the investment drives to be: Safety improvements (45%) Improving operational efficiency (44%) Reducing costs (43%) Accessing new reserves (29%) Increasing asset lifespan (27%)   Lead participants in the survey include commentary from UK Onshore Operations Group, Woodside Energy, Enertech, Maersk Drilling, TouGas Oilfield Solutions, Horton Wison Deepwater, Royal Dutch Shell, GE Oil & Gas, and also Douglas-Westwood, National Energy Technology Laboratory (US), and the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security. The Technology Radar survey is one of the largest polls on the issue of technology and innovation in the oil and gas industry. It takes in to account respondent's opinions and their business strategies in the near term (before 2020); the medium term (the years before and after 2020); and the longer term (from 2025 and beyond). Technology Radar survey is based on five research questions: Which technologies ...

GTT (Gaztransport & Technigaz) announced the signing of an agreement with Conrad Shipyard for the future production of LNG membrane tanks using GTT's technology. The signing of an agreement initiates the process of training and preparing Conrad Shipyard, a major US shipbuilder, to offer GTT's membrane containment technologies for LNG storage, transportation, and fuel tanks. The training process will include the construction of a membrane tank model to exhibit Conrad Shipyard's manufacturing and installation expertise. The successful construction of the model tank will demonstrate to both regulatory agencies and classification societies the shipyard's skills and experience in the production of sophisticated membrane technologies. This partnership demonstrates the continued commitment of both GTT North America and Conrad Shipyard to the development of the LNG fuel market in the US, including small and mid-scale LNG infrastructure to support development of this nascent market. Earlier in the year, Conrad and Bristol Harbor Group International (BHGI), a naval architecture and marine engineering firm, developed a concept design for a 4,200 cubic meter LNG bunker barge, adapting BHGI's proven 35,000 bbl, oil barge platform technology to include two LNG cargo tanks fitted with GTT's proprietary Mark III Flex Containment System technology. The use of GTT ...