Page 14: of Marine News Magazine (November 2013)

Non-Tank Vessel Response Plan regulations: The NTVRP Þ nal rule was published on 30 Septem- ber 2013. Covered vessels (nontank vessels of 400 GT and over) must submit oil spill response plans to the Coast Guard by 30 January 2014. Larger nontank vessels must enter into contracts with response providers, while smaller nontank vessels are only required to identify response pro- viders (with the written permission of the response pro- vider to be so identiÞ ed). Many nontank vessels started the planning process several years ago based on USCG non- binding guidance. Now itÕs time for everyone to join in. Experience with tank vessels has shown that proper plan- ning reduces both the frequency and volume of oil spills. OPA 90 Salvage Marine Fire Fighting (SMFF) rules: The salvage and marine Þ reÞ ghting Þ nal rule was pub- lished on 31 December 2008. Initially, it applied only to tank vessels and implementation went smoothly. The new NTVRP rule incorporates the salvage and marine Þ reÞ ght-ing requirements, so covered nontank vessels must also plan for these issues. I foresee some difÞ culty here as many of the nontank vessels (particularly those at the lower end of the size limit and some of the older foreign vessels) may not have at hand all of the resources required, such as ac- curate, current, and detailed ship plans. Ballast Water Regulations (IMO / USCG): The ballast water management system process received a major boost when Þ rst New York and most recently Cali- fornia backed down from their requirements for unique and impossible standards. Effectively, there are now just two standards in play: the IMO standard and the US stan- dard. The IMO standard has not ofÞ cially come into force yet, but is being used for installation of equipment on new ships worldwide. The US standard, which is a more stringent version of the IMO standard, is in effect, but no BWMS has yet been certiÞ ed as meeting the requirements. In the meantime, the USCG is granting 5-year waivers for vessels that utilize the IMO standard. Transportation Workers IdentiÞ cation Credential (TWIC):An unmitigated disaster. The US Congress mandated this system in 2002, in reaction to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. Rather than just say that security on ves- INSIGHTSCoastguardsman examining a TWIC credential. 14 MNNovember 2013MN November2013 Layout 1-17.indd 14MN November2013 Layout 1-17.indd 1410/28/2013 3:12:22 PM10/28/2013 3:12:22 PM