Page 44: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 1994)

OPA 90 UPDATE:

COFRs — Tanker Industry

Deadline Is Near by Michael Minogue, Director, Environmental Crisis Management

On July 1, 1994 the U.S. Coast

Guard (USCG) issued its interim final rule (IFR) pertaining to Cer- tificates of Financial Responsibility (COFRs) under OPA 90. Unfortu- nately for vessel owners and their insurers, the International Group of P&I Clubs, the IFR more or less mirrored the USCG's proposed

COFR rule of September 1991. In short, it requires that the vessel's oil pollution liability insurer act as a

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Type of vessel _

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Circle 211 on Reader Service Card 26D / Marine Deck Hardware and Equipment • ANCHORS: • 50 to 60,000 Lbs. - New and Used

Stockless - Dan forth - L.W.T. - Halls - Snug Stowing • CHAIN • to 5'/a" - New and Used

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FAX: (310) 495-1045 guarantor under the certificate.

The International Group of Pd

Clubs, maintaining their origin position, have refused to act as su< guarantors. Accordingly, the ce tificates cannot be obtained by e\ dencing the P&I Clubs as the ii surer. However, the P&I Clubs ha^ indicated that they would contini to provide their Members with sue coverage, albeit without the require certification.

OPA 90 COFRs have raised th minimum limits of financial respor sibility a vessel owner is required t evidence. A tank vessel (regardles of whether it is carrying an oil carg or not) must have certification c $1,200 per grt or $10 million, which ever is greater, for pollution plu $300/grt or $5 million, whichever i greater, for CERCLA (Comprehen sive Environmental Response, Com pensation, and Liability Act). Non tank vessels must be certified fo: $600/grt or $500,000 whichever ii greater for oil pollution plus fo;

CERCLA, $300/grt or $5 million whichever is greater when carrying hazardous substances as cargo oi $300/grt or $500,000, whichever is greater when not carrying such haz- ardous cargoes.

In essence then, any tanker in excess of 6,500 grt must have finan- cial responsibility equal to $1,500/ grt. Any non-tank vessel over 5,500 grt engaged in carrying hazardous cargoes would have to evidence fi- nancial responsibility for $900/grt.

The amount of such certification need only be equal to the maximum

OPA 90 limit for the largest vessel in a fleet or group of vessels. For instance, if a vessel owner has six tankers and three non-tankers in his fleet with the largest tanker being 10,000 grt and the largest non-tanker being 100,000 grt, then the amount of the certificate that would cover all nine vessels would have to be $90 million (100,000 grt x

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The Oil Mop Inc. (OMI) system consists of the Rope Mop, which attracts oil and rejects water, and the mop engine, which propels/ pulls the Rope Mop across the water surface and squeezes the recovered oil from the mop.

The Rope Mop is manufactured in various sizes, ranging from four fo 36 in. in diameter.

The units is available in the Mark I, II, and IV series, which wring the Rope Mop one, two or four times per pass. The Rope Mop is also available in different power trains (electric, diesel, hydraulic, etc.).

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For more information on Oil Mop

Circle 54 on Reader Service Card

Circle 253 on Reader Service Card

Maritime Reporter/Engineering News