Page 28: of Marine News Magazine (February 2017)

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SPECIAL REPORT

The Looming sVGP

Deadline

The sVGP and recent ballast water treatment system approvals create another headache for small vessel owners. Steve Candito provides a primer.

By Steve Candito he long delayed Small Vessel General Permit signi? cant dif? culty, but those owners that do not act ju- (sVGP) legislation is scheduled to come into force diciously and rely on the passage of VIDA to alleviate this

T on December 18, 2017. Despite some confusion “headache” may ? nd themselves scrambling to avoid vessel and inconsistencies on this issue generally, there is cur- delays and potentially ? nes and other penalties. rently no serious effort to delay the sVGP requirement.

Thus, vessel owners should be preparing now for compli- The Long Reach of EPA ance. Although the deadline is still months away, the com- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ? rst is- placency that permeates the Vessel General Permit (VGP) sued the VGP requirement back in 2008 and subsequently issue, the related ballast water management requirements reissued it in 2013. The VGP provides for National Pol- and the proposed Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA) lutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit can easily distract vessel owners from taking timely action. coverage for incidental discharges into waters of the US

Those owners that remain vigilant will be able to com- from commercial (non-military and non-recreational) ply with non-ballast water sVGP requirements without vessels greater than 79 feet in length and for ballast wa-

Credit: Alexander Maksimenko

February 2017

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