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REGULATORY REVIEW

The current ? ve-year vessel general it announced that the Vessel General comply with the terms and conditions permit expires December 18. EPA Permit “will not be reissued prior to of the “administratively continued” was supposed to present a new draft its December 18, 2018 expiration date permit. However, after December 18 permit early in 2018 – didn’t happen, but will be administratively continued even an “administratively continued” and it won’t happen because on Oc- and remain in effect until a new per- permit will be unavailable, but, of tober 11 EPA announced that it was mit is issued.” EPA writes that vessel course, still required. But the Agency kicking this can down the road when owners/operators need to continue to does say that it “stands ready to assist those applying for VGP,” which you have to have by December 18. How’s that for regulatory clarity? In the meantime, EPA’s new timetable for

VGP3 is Spring 2019.

Over the Horizon

Since the close of the comment period at the end of August, OMB is likely reviewing all comments. Un- fortunately, OMB staff would not respond to questions about how long their review might take or, more im- portantly, their schedule to actually follow up with actionable proposals.

Just as important is who will be in charge of this interagency regulatory house-cleaning; obviously, the higher the rank the more likely the chances for far-reaching reforms paying the biggest dividends.

OMB’s May 2018 request for com- ments stated that it “intends to com- municate regulatory reform sugges- tions suggested by the public to the

RRTFs (regulatory reform task forces) at the appropriate federal agencies for their consideration and to aid the agencies in the coordination of inter- agency streamlining of regulatory re- quirements.” Hopefully that commu- nication – and focused oversight – gets started sooner, not later. Stay tuned.

Tom Ewing is a free- lance writer special- izing in energy and environmental issues.

November 2018

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