Page 14: of Marine News Magazine (April 2024)

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Insights tion on a couple of issues, including engine room crew- For AWO, as an organization, what is its top ing on ATBs with automated systems. This is an issue priorities for the coming six to 12 months and that Congress thought that it addressed in the last Coast what’s being done to address them?

Guard Authorization bill, the last National Defense Au- We’ve hit on some of them. If I had to take it up to a thorization Act. Unfortunately, the Coast Guard hasn’t higher level, I would say really focusing on our relationship implemented it yet. It shouldn’t come to this, but Con- with the Coast Guard and making sure not only that we gress may need to tell them again, “We told you to do this. have good communication and consultation, but also that

Please, this time, get it done.” the agency is producing practical risk-based regulations,

The issue of sexual assault and sexual harassment pre- policies, policy interpretations. That is a high priority, and vention and response is really important for both mariner that touches on a range of issues from Subchapter M to safety and mariner mental health and well-being. We’ve ATBs to SASH, etc. We’d like to see Coast Guard Authori- got a continuing need to make sure that our members zation Bill and a Water Resources Development Act to get have the resources that they need to build and maintain enacted that address some key industry priorities that don’t the kind of workplace cultures that are needed in this in- include any harmful provisions.

dustry. We also need to make sure that the Coast Guard We are always about spreading the word about the im- is clearly and practically implementing the Safer Seas Act portance of the Jones Act and making sure that not only that was enacted at the end of the last Congress. There are do we have strong bipartisan congressional support, which several areas with respect to surveillance cameras for larger we do, strong support from the top of the administration, offshore vessels’ master key control systems where existing which we do, in President Biden, but also that agencies guidance is not clear at best and is problematic at worst. are faithfully carrying out that direction in their Jones Act

There’s a need for some clarity there. enforcement policies.

The last thing I’ll say is the Vessel Incidental Discharge Last, I’ll mention state advocacy. We talked about CARB

Act. EPA is due to ? nalize its regulations implementing that earlier. That is at the top of the list of regulations that need statute later this year, setting standards for ballast water and revisions in order to work from a safety standpoint and other vessel discharges. The Coast Guard will then need to from a supply-chain standpoint, but there are others out pick up the baton and produce its regulations implement- there, too, we’re dealing with.

ing the EPA standards. That’s where they’ll deal with things like inspection and record-keeping which have been really Is there anything else you’d like to add or that you signi? cant parts of the burden that companies have incurred think Marine News readers should know about?

under the Vessel General Permit. We would like to see both We’re trying to do hard things, and so it’s really impor- agencies move forward quickly. They’re already really late. tant that we are a united industry, that we’re ? elding a full

They’ve blown past their statutory deadlines. They need to team and that we are pushing hard together to tackle some get those rules published in practical ways so that the intent of these tough issues. We have a long history as an industry of Congress in passing that legislation can be realized. of winning on tough issues. Sometimes we win in over- © Branden / Adobe Stock 14 | MN April 2024