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