Page 40: of Marine News Magazine (February 2013)

Yacavone Crowley RescueHalcombPEOPLE & COMPANY NEWS 2012 Annual Report released in January stressed that inadequate dredging took a real toll on Great Lakes shipping in 2012. The drought has pushed water levels on Lake Michigan and Huron to record lows and that loss of draft cost some ships more than 10,000 tons of cargo on their Þ nal voyages of 2012. Legislation requiring the HMTF to spend what it takes in for dredging on dredging received broad support in the 112th Congress and LCA noted that most of the legislators who co-sponsored the House and Senate bills have returned to Washington in 2013. Key among legislators who are working to end the dredging crisis is Senator Carl Levin (D-MI). Coast Guard Reducing Passenger Vessel Drug Testing After repeated requests by the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA), the U.S. Coast Guard has announced the reduction for the testing rate for Coast Guard-mandated random drug tests to 25% for 2013 for passenger vessel operators. Through PVA/Coast Guard Quality Partnership meetings, PVA advocated for the reduction of the random drug testing rate. The maritime industry has demonstrated a consistent reduction in positives since mandatory drug testing was implemented, documenting a positive testing rate of less than 1% for the years 2010 and 2011. Current regulation allows regulators to decrease the random testing rate if the positive testing rate falls below 1%. The reduction was granted because vessel operators achieved this goal. This change will result in a meaningful decrease in the costs for random drug tests for vessel operators. February 2013 40 MNMN Feb2013 Layout 32-42.indd 40MN Feb2013 Layout 32-42.indd 401/30/2013 4:40:07 PM1/30/2013 4:40:07 PM