Tag: USCG

their agreement to jointly enforce Annex VI of MARPOL On June 27, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Coast Guard announced their agreement to jointly enforce Annex VI to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), as implemented in the United States by the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) by way of a Memorandum of Understanding.Annex VI of MARPOL addresses air pollution from ships through the use of both engine-based and fuel-based standards. Since January 8, 2009, all U.S. flagged vessels and non-U.S. flagged vessels operating in U.S. waters must be in compliance with the regulations of MARPOL Annex VI and the APPS provisions implementing Annex VI.Holland and Knight have produced an alert which discusses the specifics of the Memorandum and other details of importance to the maritime industry.Source: USCG/ USA EPA Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

RINA has received delegation for Load Line, SOLAS, MARPOL, ISM, and Tonnage survey Classification society RINA has been authorised by the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct plan review and approval and initial and subsequent surveys for U.S.-flagged cargo and passenger vessels.Under the agreement signed , RINA has received delegation for Load Line, SOLAS, MARPOL, ISM, and Tonnage survey and certification services.The MOA delegating authority and establishing guidelines for co-operation between the USCG and RINA was signed at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, by Rear Admiral Paul F. Zukunft (Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship) USCG and Ugo Salerno, CEO, RINA.Ugo Salerno, CEO, RINA, says, We appreciate the trust the USCG is putting in RINA, and we salute the good relations and mutual respect we have developed over twenty years. We have focused relentlessly on quality and that has paid off as we have topped the quality table for classification societies as measured by Port State Control performance.Rear Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, USCG, says, The signing of this agreement is indicative of the trust and value the U.S. Coast Guard places in our partnerships that promote the safe and secure movement of shipping, people, and cargo across the vast ...

Establishes guidelines for co-operation Italian classification society RINA says that it has been authorised by the US Coast Guard to conduct plan review and approval and initial and subsequent surveys for US-flagged cargo and passenger vessels.The agreement delegates authority, and establishes guidelines for co-operation between the USCG and RINA, for Load Line, SOLAS, MARPOL, ISM, and tonnage survey and certification services. RINA says it was the first international classification society to sign a co-operation agreement with the USCG for foreign-flag passenger ships using US ports, and since then has worked hard with the Coast Guard to ensure that US passengers sail on safe ships. This latest agreement, according to RINA, recognises the success of that agreement and makes RINA's services available to the wider US shipping industry.Ugo Salerno, CEO, RINA, says, "We appreciate the trust the USCG is putting in RINA, and we salute the good relations and mutual respect we have developed over twenty years. We have focused relentlessly on quality and that has paid off as we have topped the quality table for classification societies as measured by Port State Control performance."Rear Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, USCG, says, "The signing of this agreement is indicative of the trust ...

RINA has received delegation for Load Line, SOLAS, MARPOL, ISM, and Tont surveys for US flagged nage Genoa-based classification society RINA has been authorized by the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct plan review and approval and initial and subsequent surveys for U.S.-flagged cargo and passenger vessels. Under the agreement signed yesterday, RINA has received delegation for Load Line, SOLAS, MARPOL, ISM, and Tonnage survey and certification services.The MOA delegating authority and establishing guidelines for co-operation between the USCG and RINA was signed at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington yesterday, by Rear Admiral Paul F. Zukunft (Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship) USCG and Ugo Salerno, CEO, RINA.RINA was the first international classification society to sign a co-operation agreement with the USCG for foreign-flag passenger ships using US ports, and since then has worked hard with the Coast Guard to ensure that US passengers sail on safe ships. Today this new agreement recognizes the success of that agreement and makes RINAs services available to the wider US shipping industry.Source: RINA

EPA and USCG announced an agreement The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Coast Guard (USCG) today announced an agreement to jointly enforce US and international air pollution requirements for vessels operating in US waters.The requirements establish limits on nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions and require the use of fuel with lower sulphur content, protecting people's health and the environment by reducing ozone-producing pollution, which can cause smog and aggravate asthma. The most stringent requirements apply to ships operating within 200 nautical miles of the coast of North America.From August 2012 the US and Canadian ECA will enter into force and the maximum permissible sulphur level in fuel oil will be 1.0 %. From 2015 the maximum permissible sulphur level will be lowered to 0.1 %. Additional information may be found from the links below:EPA, Coast Guard Announce Agreement to Enforce Air Pollution Requirements for Vessels Operating in U.S. Waters Designation of North American Emission Control Area to Reduce Emissions from Ships: Regulatory Announcement North American Emission Control AreaSource: BIMCO

The unpredictability of polar ice today makes the Arctic too big a gamble for large shippers Arctic shipping is an ice dream unlikely to come true any time soon, the head of one of the world's top shipping companies told The Arctic Imperative Summit.It was not exactly what some in the audience wanted to hear.A shrinking polar ice cap and a slow but steady increase in ships trafficking the Arctic Ocean along Russia's Northern Route has fueled a belief that direct shipping from Europe to the Far East could be on the horizon. The U.S. Coast Guard has begun referring to the narrow stretch of the Bering Sea between Wales and Naukan, Russia, as "Alaska's Strait of Gibralatar."That notion was pooh-poohed by Capt. Stephen Carmel, senior vice president for Maersk Line, Limited, the globe's leading mover of containerized freight.Polar ice: Unpredictable and pesky for shipsThe unpredictability of polar ice today makes the Arctic too big a gamble for large shippers, he said, and that doesn't look likely to change. The Maersk Line is a subsidiary of the Danish conglomerate A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, one of the world's 150 largest companies. Carmel himself is based in Norfolk, Va., but his view is ...

Seafarers need to continue reminding the legislators of their value Mr. Jeffrey LantzDirector Commercial Regulations and StandardsUnited States Coast Guard

Circular letter by the Hong Kong Marine Department The Hong Kong Marine Department (HKMD) has issued the following circular letter, which concerns, among others, their regaining of the qualification for the United States Coast Guard's Qualship 21 Program on 1 June 2011.Within this framework and in view of the recent PSC development in the US and Australian ports, HKMD has revised the PSC inspection Checklist by adding items specifically for Bulk Carriers, Oil Tankers, Chemical Carriers and Gas Carriers.Indeed, pre-arrival inspection has to be carried out in accordance with the PSC Inspection Checklist for Hong Kong registered ships before entering into any US or Australian ports.It has to be noticed that the checklist, after being completed and signed by the ship master, should be endorsed by the DPA of the management company before submission to HKMD for scrutiny and necessary follow-up action.To view the circular letter, click here.Source: Hong Kong Marine Department

The third assistant engineer died after picking up a live wire while conducting electrical repairs A safety audit carried out more than a month after a fatality on board has identified deviations that pose a threat to personnel.A US Coast Guard (USCG) report into a fatality on board an ExxonMobil-controlled chemical tanker has revealed how the shipowner failed to notify the loss of life to a classification society during a safety-management-system audit.The incident dates back to January 2009 on board the 47,781-dwt Wilmington (built 1984), when third assistant engineer Christopher Erickson died after picking up a live wire while conducting electrical repairs.A USCG probe into the accident found numerous safety failings and identifiable deviations from the International Safety Management code and Safety Management System, which posed a threat to personnel.

Authority to issue Certificates The US Coast Guard (USCG) has granted DNV the authority to issue Certificates of Fitness to US-flagged offshore supply vessels (OSVs) that transport or handle limited amounts of hazardous and noxious liquid substances (NLS).DNV will issue the certificates based upon IMO Resolution A.673(16), Guidelines for the Transport and Handling of Limited Amounts of Hazardous and Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk on Offshore Support Vessels, MARPOL 73/78 Annex II and the US Code of Federal Regulations.Offshore supply vessels with keels laid prior to 20 February 2010 that carry limited amounts of hazardous and noxious liquid substances in bulk outside of US waters will be required to obtain this Certificate of Fitness to complete the first annual inspection in 2011.Kenneth Vareide, DNV Maritime regional manager for North America, said "with this additional authorisation, DNV is now authorised to issue all certificates on behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard except for the High-Speed Craft Safety Certificates (HSCSC), which has not yet been delegated to any classification society. We appreciate the USCG's trust and confidence in our services."Source: DNV