Page 20: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 1996)

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

President Clinten Signs Maritime Security Act

U.S. President Bill Clinton signed the Maritime Security Act of 1996 into law. It funds a plan to pay subsidies to U.S.-flagged ships for being available to haul defense supplies at wartime. Under the bill, operators of U.S.-flagged ships that could be used for military sup- ply purposes will get $2.3 mil- lion/year for each ship this year, and $2.1 million per ship, per year through 2005. The bill authorized

P n • Q • •••

V : tsm '... CE3 : CH3

A » •••• tsa k—j 623a cisa • O v -*> *> • £33 £33 . EES gaga ess raa Cva ~ » a** assets m m m M * P ^

T 5 % eaa « * a ^ • v co m J • •••

EE» era

G33 £33 GxS LA'.3 I S I ii s assa •cm csra

CON-SELECT

CONTROLS A WORLD OF GENERATORS

ALL/^^^T^ OVER

THE\>\\ WORLD

CON-SELECT, INC.

P.O. BOX 8745

MANDEVILLE, LA. 70470-8745

MORE WORKBOATS

HAVE CON-SELECT

SWITCHBOARDS

THAN ANY OTHER

MANUFACTURER

Manufacturers of:

Quality Marine Electrical Switchgear,

Power, Control and Distribution

Equipment ... For Thirty Years

Circle 375 on Reader Service Card

A sound method of cleaning boilers

Our sonic cleaning systems are effective and simple. The main principle is to keep the surfaces continually clean by vibration of the deposits. For this purpose we have developed powerful sound emitters especially designed to withstand the harsh conditions met out at sea.

The sonic cleaning system on board vessels will apart from the general improvement in boiler and economizer efficiency also significally reduce the risk of stack fires and minimize the problems with sootflakes on decks and passangers.

Our sonic cleaning system: • reduces shut down periods • reaches hard to access areas • has low operating and mainte- nance cost • requires minimal initial capital investment • improves boiler performance • gives better fuel economy • cleans heating surfaces con- tinually • has low energy consumption • will not corrode the surfaces • causes no wear and tear

O

SONOFORCE

INSONEX and SONOFORCE

Kockum Sonics AB

Phone: +46 40 671 88 00, Fax: +46 40 21 65 13, E-mail: [email protected]

INSONEX and SONOFORCE are tradematks registered by Kockum Sonics AB 22

Circle 280 on Reader Service Card $100 million a year for these pay- ments.

The president said, "Today I am pleased to sign into law H.R. 1350, the 'Maritime Security Act of 1996.'

This act sets the course for

America's merchant marine into the 21st century."

He went on to point out, "In recent years, our country has again been reminded of the critical role played by the U.S. merchant marine in protecting our interests and the security of our allies. It will ensure that the United States will continue to have American flag ships crewed by loyal American cit- izen merchant mariners to meet our nation's economic and sealift defense requirements."

The president said the merchant marine is an important component of the sealift needed by the

Department of Defense, and by contracting with the owners and operators, the government will have access to a fleet of modern commercial ships.

U.S. Trade

Representative

Dismayed Over

Failed Accerd

Acting U.S. Trade Representative

Charlene Barshefsky said she was disappointed in Congress' fail- ure to pass legislation that would allow the U.S. to ratify the OECD

Shipbuilding Agreement. "Enactment of this legislation would have made it possible for

American shipbuilders to compete on an equal footing with their for- eign competitors," she said.

The agreement was signed by the

U.S. in December 1994.

Legislation that would have enabled the Administration to rati- fy the agreement was approved by the House Ways and Means

Committee on March 21, 1996, and by the Senate Finance Committee on May 13, 1996. However, amendments to that legislation subsequently approved by the

House were inconsistent with the original agreement, and did not provide a basis for such ratifica- tion. "I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Senator Breaux,

Maritime Reporter/Engineering News