Page 16: of Marine News Magazine (February 2015)

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INSIGHTS

The Vessel General Permit (VGP) and the (small) VGP The consolidation of Mariner credentialing functions are hot topics. These are primarily EPA mandates, but in West Virginia was accomplished in an arguable your responsibilities and those of the EPA overlap in choppy fashion, but is now more mature. Tell us about places, to say the least. Look at ballast water manage- service to the mariner today as opposed to when the ment for example. Who enforces the EPA’s VGP on the REC’s were fully staffed. Give us metrics.

waterfront? And, once again, do you have the manpow-

Centralization of the mariner credentialing process was a er to handle the sVGP responsibilities, when they come?

challenging endeavor to say the least. While I would agree

The Coast Guard includes VGP compliance checks dur- that, at the outset setbacks were encountered, I would ar- ing normally scheduled inspections and exams for certi? - gue that centralization has proven to be the single most sig- cation on inspected domestic vessels and during port state ni? cant improvement to the mariner credentialing program. control examinations on foreign vessels. De? ciencies are You asked speci? cally about credentialing, and I am always forwarded to EPA for possible enforcement and resolution. very pleased and proud to talk about our National Mari-

Currently, the sVGP has been deferred by the recent ‘How- time Center – a truly world class organization that is bench ard Coble’ Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act marked by nations around the world. In the last year or so of 2014 until December 18, 2017; therefore, the Coast the National Maritime Center (NMC) has successfully im-

Guard has no responsibility to include sVGP compliance plemented the mariner medical certi? cate regulations, which in our prevention program. If/when the sVGP becomes a affects 218,000 mariners – and is currently issuing medical requirement, we will work with the EPA to determine best certi? cates to medically quali? ed mariners within eleven days use of our available resources, but the basic plan would of receipt of application. The Coast Guard is achieving the be similar to our existing inspection/exam regime for the mutual CG-industry credential issuing goal of an average Net

VGP; we would check for compliance in the course of our Processing Time (NPT) of less than 30 days with no back- routine inspections or examinations. log. As of December 2014, the average NPT for Merchant

Mariner Credentials was 20.8 days with more than 80% is-

Drug & alcohol testing works. Yet, today, commercial sued in under 30 days. The Medical Certi? cate NPT was