The US Coast Guard and the Marine Transportation Act of 2004 included a provision to add towing vessels to a list of vessels subject to inspection and certification. This Final Rule set July 20, 2018, as the compliance date for all towing vessels subject to Subchapter M.
For more than 10 years, the towing industry and the US Coast Guard have collaborated to develop regulations and a plan to transition the vessels into an inspected fleet.
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During public hearings and regulations taking form, the towing industry began undergoing voluntary examinations by marine safety personnel. This work allowed towing companies to verify their compliance with the uninspected vessel requirements, determine what items needed to replaced, and begin a dialogue with USCG as both entities moved toward towing vessel inspections.
After reviewing several thousand comments from a 2011 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a Final Rule was published June 20, 2016. This Final Rule set July 20, 2018, as the compliance date for all towing vessels subject to Subchapter M, even if the vessel does not have a Certificate of Inspection.
Any discussion of Subchapter M must include a mention of Third Party Organizations (TPOs) that will perform a large amount of the survey and audit work associated with vessels exercising the Towing Safety Management System option.
A USCG said, TPOs’ success will be critical for the success of Subchapter M. TPOs will also work closely with the US Coast Guard to verify vessel compliance and develop arrangements that will keep these vessels operating safely.
