Guidance on verification of Fouling Maintenance and Sediment Removal Procedures
The Coast Guard’s final rule on Ballast Water Management was published on March 23, 2012 in the Federal Register, and became effective 90 days after publication, on June 21, 2012.
The Coast Guard amended its regulations on ballast water management by establishing a standard for the allowable concentration of living organisms in ballast water discharged from ships in waters of the United States. The Coast Guard also amended its regulations for engineering equipment by establishing an approval process for ballast water management systems.
The numerical limits set by the discharge standard in this Final Rule were supported by reports from the National Academy of Science and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board in 2011 as the most stringent that vessels can practicably implement and that the Coast Guard can enforce at this time.
The Coast Guard has recently issued two files to help explain the new Ballast Water Management regulations:
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Guidance on verification of Fouling Maintenance and Sediment Removal Procedures, 5 Nov 2012
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PowerPoint Presentation (with audio narration) – USCG Ballast Water Final Rule, 5 Nov 2012
Source: USCG