Tag: USA

ABS Announces Partnership with ESRG

Can the Obama administration succeed where its predecessors failed on the Law of the Sea treaty? Few modern treaties have generated more domestic controversy for less reason than the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. By codifying generous rights and freedoms of navigation throughout the world's oceans, the treaty promotes global trade, economic prosperity, and naval mobility. It is a commonsense guide to 71 percent of the Earth's surface, and for that reason it has been accepted by 161 nations, including Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom. But not the United StatesSince the convention took effect in 1994, every U.S. president and Chief of Naval Operations has supported its ratification. In 2004 the Senate Foreign Relations Committee endorsed the Convention by a vote of 19 to 0; and in 2007, it approved the treaty by a vote of 17 to 4. But, because of staunch opposition from a handful of conservatives worried about what they say are threats to America's sovereignty, the treaty has never come up for a vote before the full U. S. Senate.Now, the Obama administration is trying to change that. On May 9, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Chairman of the ...

Lower costs, simplified procedures and greater predictability in their transatlantic activities EU and U.S. certified trusted traders will enjoy lower costs, simplified procedures and greater predictability in their transatlantic activities, as a result of a mutual recognition decision signed today. The European Union and the United States of America formally agreed to recognise each other's safe traders, thereby allowing these companies to benefit from faster controls and reduced administration for customs clearance. Importantly, mutual recognition will also improve security on imports and exports, by enabling customs authorities to focus their attention on real risk areas.There are currently some five thousand companies approved as Authorised Economic Operators (AEOs) in the EU - a number which is growing year on year. The EU and USA are strategic trade partners, with imports and exports accounting for almost 500 billion in 2011. Today's decision will further boost trade opportunities and contribute to the smooth flow of goods between both sides, without compromising the high security standards on either side of the Atlantic. The joint decision will start to be implemented from 1 July 2012.Commissioner Šemeta said: "Today's agreement is a major step forward in the EU-US trade relationship. At a time when businesses need ...

EPA - New regulations to become mandatory from mid-March 2012 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is establishing a No Discharge Zone (NDZ) for marine waters of the state of California for sewage discharges from all passenger vessels of 300 gross tones or greater, and for oceangoing vessels of 300 gross tons or greater with available holding tank capacity or containing sewage generated while the vessel was outside California marine waters.California marine waters extend out to three nautical miles from the baseline. The designation comes into effect on March 28. For more information, click here.Further information can be found in a fact sheet published by the EPA.Source: EPA

New regulations to become mandatory from mid-March 2012 On 9 February 2012 the Final Rule establishing the California No Discharge Zone (NDZ) was signed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Final Rule will enter into force 30 days after being published in the Federal Register. It is expected that the new regulations will become mandatory from mid-March 2012 although an exact date has not yet been advised by the EPA.The new regulations will prohibit the discharge of treated and untreated sewage in an area along the California coast from the Oregon border to the Mexican border within California marine waters extending seawards a distance of three nautical miles from the baseline as determined by the Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, and within all tidal enclosed bays and estuaries. The existing California NDZs covering ten bays and marinas remain in effect. The EPA has published a map showing the areas concerned.Foreign flag and United States flagged vessels are affected as follows:Large Passenger Vessels of 300 GT of over, which have berths or overnight accommodation for passengers.Large Oceangoing Vessels of 300 GT or over, including military, governmental, commercial and private vessels, which are equipped with ...

Horizon Lines ordered to pay $1,500,000 Horizon Lines, LLC was sentenced Tuesday in front of the Honorable Richard Seeborg after pleading guilty to felony charges concerning violations of international and national oil pollution laws that occurred on a large container ship called the S/S Horizon Enterprise, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced. As part of a plea agreement, the company was ordered to pay $1,500,000, with $500,000 of the monies going to environmental projects in the San Francisco Bay area.Horizon Lines pled guilty to two counts of making false statements based on their knowing failure to maintain an accurate Oil Record Book in which all transfers and discharges of oil and oily waste are required to be recorded. "Horizon's intentional tampering with its pollution control equipment showed a blatant disregard for the environment," U.S. Attorney Haag said. "This case demonstrates our commitment to enforcing U.S. and international oil pollution laws to protect our natural resources."According to the plea agreement, engineers aboard the S/S Horizon Enterprise intentionally tricked pollution control equipment that would otherwise ensure oily waste does not go overboard. This created the possibility that oily waste could be released into the ocean. To disguise this conduct from the U.S. ...

EPA has recently redrafted VGP for public review and comment The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently redrafted the Vessel General Permit (VGP) for public review and comment. The new VGP will replace the existing 2008 VGP when the latter expires on 19 December 2013.The proposed changes include the following:The addition of fish hold effluent to the 26 vessel discharges covered by the present permitNumeric ballast water discharge limits for most vesselsMore stringent effluent limits for oil to sea interfaces and for exhaust gas scrubber wash waterThe authorisation of electronic record keepingA single annual report in place of the one time report and the annual non-compliance reportIn addition, a Small Vessel General Permit (sVGP) is proposed covering non-recreational vessels of less than 79 feet in length and commercial fishing vessels. This would be introduced after the present moratorium on incidental discharges for such vessels, with the exception of ballast water, expires on 18 December 2013.As small vessel operations differ considerably from those of larger vessels, the proposed sVGP is simpler in its scope and application, covering pollutants that may arise from nine discharge management categories. The permit would also provide for more simplified inspections and reporting than is ...

A contract to supply 10 automatic stacking cranes and 17 customer automatic shuttle carriers Cargotec has won a contract to supply ten state-of-the-art Kalmar automatic stacking cranes and 17 customer specific automatic shuttle carriers to leading terminal services' provider TraPac Inc, in Los Angeles, USA. The equipment will be delivered to TraPac Inc, a subsidiary of Mitsui OSK Lines, in 2012 and 2013. The parties have agreed not to disclose the value of the order. The order has been booked in the third quarter of 2011.Lennart Brelin, Cargotec Executive Vice President, Americas said this order reinforced the company's position as a leading supplier in port automation. "Since 1990, we have steadily developed our track record in the field of port automation and this order would not have been achieved without our recent efforts in port automation. This is our first large automation order in the Americas region and it strengthens our position globally in port automation."Cargotec's strategy is to focus on customers and to invest in attractive customer segments. In June this year Cargotec announced the opening of its Technology and Competence Centre in Singapore which, in cooperation with the Technology and Competence Centre in Tampere, Finland, focuses on developing ...

Irene is a category three hurricane on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale The US Navy, on Thursday, ordered all its ships away from its huge port at Hampton Roads, Virginia, as the eastern US seaboard braced for the destructive-strength Hurricane Irene."Ships will make final preparations overnight in anticipation of getting underway early August 25 (Friday)," a Navy statement said.Vice Admiral Daniel Holloway, commander of the US 2nd Fleet, said that the decision to send the ships from Hampton Roads is based on Hurricane Irene's current track that indicates the storm will produce at least 50 knots of wind and a large storm surge.Irene is a category three hurricane on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, and is forecast to strengthen to a category four storm with winds of 135 miles (217 kilometers) per hour by the time it reaches the US coast over the weekend.Along the coastline North Carolina, directly in Irene's path as its forecast to skirt north, officials ordered mandatory evacuations for tourists."The forecasted destructive winds and tidal surge is too great to keep the ships in port. There is a much greater potential of not only the ships being damaged, but also the pier infrastructure," said Holloway, adding that the ...

30 million barrels transported within U.S. borders moved on foreign ships U.S. ship owners complain the Obama administration has routinely let oil from federal stockpiles be shipped on foreign-owned vessels, sidestepping federal law.As it rushed to transport millions of barrels to stabilize world oil prices earlier this summer, the administration has waived the 90-year-old Jones Act 46 times, The New York Times reported.The law requires that entirely domestic cargo be carried aboard U.S.-flagged ships except in extraordinary circumstances.The Times says American barges carried oil from the reserve just once this summer, while 30 million barrels transported within U.S. borders moved on ships, with foreign crews, from the Marshall Islands, Panama and other countries.That translated to lower costs and saved time for oil buyers, but took potential work from more than 30 U.S. cargo vessels and as many as 400 crew, U.S. ship owners said."The idea was to create American jobs and help the economy," said Christopher Coakley, vice president for legislative affairs at the American Waterways Operators. "But all the profit from the sale of the oil has gone to traders and oil companies and all the profit from movement of the oil has gone to foreign shippers and crewmen, ...