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Votes Scheduled for VIDA in Senate. Over the past several months, AWO and its coalition partners have worked diligently to secure the 60 votes needed to allow Senate floor debate on the Coast Guard Authorization Act, which includes the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act. As a result of these advocacy efforts, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has scheduled a cloture vote on the bipartisan legislation for November 13. If cloture is invoked, floor debate and votes on final passage will occur in the Senate the following day, with House consideration later this fall.
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VGP 3.0 Will Not Be Published This Year, EPA Says. The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that the Vessel General Permit (VGP) will not be reissued prior to its December 18, 2018 expiration date. If VIDA has not passed by that date, EPA will administratively continue the 2013 VGP, allowing it to remain in effect until Congress takes action on VIDA or a new permit is proposed in spring 2019. If the 2013 VGP is administratively continued, vessels currently covered by the permit will continue to be covered and no additional action on the part of the operator will be required. Operators of vessels without current permit coverage, such as vessels under construction, are encouraged to seek coverage prior to December 18 to ensure compliance. If VIDA is enacted this fall, EPA will not publish a new permit and the current VGP will remain in effect until it is superseded by new regulations jointly promulgated by EPA and the Coast Guard that will preempt state regulation of ballast water and other vessel discharges.
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Administration, Congressional and Private Sector Leaders Speak Up in Support of Jones Act. Dr. Peter Navarro, Director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, wrote an op-ed for The Florida Times-Union, noting the christening of Crowley Maritime Corporation’s El Coqui, the newest LNG-powered Con-Ro in the Puerto Rico trade. Dr. Navarro highlighted the Jones Act as one of “two key Buy American, Hire American policies giving added lift to our merchant marine,” observing: “The Jones Act requires that a ship like the El Coqui, which moves between two United States ports, be built in the United States and owned and crewed by Americans.”
Additionally, the Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill recently published two notable op-eds in support of the Jones Act. Representative John Garamendi (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, wrote on October 18 that the law is the base of the “fundamental pillar” that is the maritime industry, which is vital for American economic and national security. On October 22, Frontiers of Freedom President George Landrith emphasized in an op-ed that arguments against the law tend to be “falsely premised,” and explained that the Jones Act supports national security, well- paying American jobs and American shipbuilding capability.
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Coast Guard Plans Deregulatory Action on PIC-Fuel Transfer and More. The Trump Administration recently released its Fall 2018 Regulatory Plan, which focuses on regulatory reform. Within the plan, the Coast Guard announced that it will propose reforms to the process of designating a Person in Charge (PIC) of a fuel transfer on an inspected vessel. The proposed rule will add the option of designating the PIC using a letter of designation (LOD), which is currently an option for uninspected vessels but not inspected vessels, as an alternative to requiring the PIC to obtain a Merchant Mariner Credential with an officer or Tankerman-PIC endorsement. This action is the result of recommendations made by AWO, the Towing Safety Advisory Committee and the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee.
Additionally, the Coast Guard confirmed plans to proceed with several other deregulatory actions for which AWO has advocated, including changes to radar observer endorsement requirements to eliminate redundant refresher training and delaying the implementation of TWIC reader requirements.
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Coast Guard Releases Maritime Commerce Strategic Outlook. At AWO’s Fall Convention, RADM John Nadeau, Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy, announced the Coast Guard’s release of the Maritime Commerce Strategic Outlook, which details the Commandant’s long-term vision to support and grow maritime commerce. The outlook identifies three critical strategic efforts: protecting waterways to enable lawful trade; modernizing mariner information systems and aids to navigation; and transforming workplace capacity by leveraging the capabilities of third-party organizations. The Coast Guard highlighted the critical contributions of the U.S. maritime industry to the national and global economy, and RADM Nadeau explained that the outlook will not lead to additional regulation or change levels of service, but demonstrates that “the Coast Guard recognizes the incredible value of what you do.” He added that the Coast Guard is committed to working with the maritime industry to ensure that it remains “the key to the nation’s success.”
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Coast Guard Maritime Commons Blog Raises Cybersecurity Awareness. For National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Maritime Commons featured a series of posts providing the maritime industry with cybersecurity and cyber risk management information and resources. The posts have covered topics including examples of cyber threats that may be encountered by the maritime industry; the cyber-focused initiatives the Coast Guard is leading, including policy guidance; the Coast Guard’s cyber partnerships with public and private sector organizations; and the role of Area Maritime Security Committees in addressing cyber threats and vulnerabilities. Of particular interest to AWO members may be CG-5P Policy Letter 08-16, which provides guidance on reporting a cyber incident; the Maritime Cyber Awareness Training webinar made available online by the Office of Port and Facility Compliance; and the information-sharing services that the Department of Homeland Security’s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) offers at no cost.
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Coast Guard Offers Free Replacement of Credentials Lost or Destroyed in Hurricane Michael. The National Maritime Center may issue a duplicate Merchant Mariner Credential free of charge if the original was lost or destroyed as a result of Hurricane Michael or subsequent flooding from the storm. The NMC will make every effort to mail duplicate credentials within one business day of receiving the required information, outlined here.
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Hudson River Safety Committee Meets in New York. The first public meeting of the Hudson River Safety Committee took place in Hyde Park, NY on October 2. Chairman Ian Corcoran of the Hudson River Pilots and Vice Chairman Scott Keller of the Hudson River Valley Greenway led the meeting, which was attended by CAPT Jason Tama, Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Sector New York, as well as representatives from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, towing vessel operators, and staff of state and federal lawmakers with districts on the Hudson River. The Committee discussed recent efforts to educate recreational boaters on safety best practices on the river, industry safety concerns with the proposed Champlain Hudson Power Express cable and the effects of commercial vessel displacement. The Coast Guard created the Committee as a forum for public and industry stakeholders to discuss safety issues on the Hudson River following last year’s Ports and Waterways Safety Assessment. While the Committee did not discuss the Coast Guard’s indefinitely delayed anchorage proposal at this meeting, it plans to set up a subcommittee to examine the issue in the coming months. AWO member participation is strongly encouraged.
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Coast Guard Developing Proposed Atlantic Coast Fairway Regulation. The U.S. Coast Guard’s Office of Marine Transportation Systems has told stakeholders that it is working to develop a proposal to establish a navigation safety fairway for towing vessels along the Atlantic Coast. AWO expects that the proposal will align closely with the recommendations of the Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study, which was published in 2016 following extensive Coast Guard outreach to navigation industry stakeholders, including AWO. The creation of an Atlantic Coast Fairway is one of AWO’s top coastal safety priorities.
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Port Authority of NY/NJ and NYCEDC Announce North Atlantic Marine Highway Alliance. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced late last month the creation of the North Atlantic Marine Highway Alliance, which will seek to foster the use of barge services to offset the use of trucks and supplement rail cargo to and from the Port of New York and New Jersey. The U.S. Maritime Administration will support this effort through its marine highway grant program. The use of short sea shipping routes for barge traffic could reduce congestion at a time when New York’s demand for cargo transportation is expected to increase drastically over the coming decades. The Alliance will work to develop a strategy for ensuring the marine highway is successful.
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| Bay-Houston Towing Company Hosts Tugboat Tour. During AWO’s Fall Convention, Larry Perryman and Bay-Houston Towing Company hosted a tugboat tour for AWO staff in Houston, TX. The tour was informative and staff appreciated the opportunity to learn about the daily operations of a member company. |
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AWO Members Complete RCP Audits. Congratulations to Baton Rouge Harbor Service, Inc., United Marine Solutions, LLC, and Western Rivers Boat Management Inc., for successfully completing RCP audits since the last AWO Letter was published. To view members’ RCP status, click here.
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