Page 10: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 2005)

10 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News

Just when ship owners and operators thought that the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) was (for the most part) a problem only for landlub- bers, a court decision has come along to shake one out of such complacency.

The story opens in 1972, when

Congress adopted significant amend- ments to the Federal Water Pollution

Control Act (FWPCA), commonly referred to as the Clean Water Act (CWA). Among the various provisions in this lengthy statute was one prohibit- ing discharge of any pollutant from any point source into navigable waters of the

United States. The term "point source" includes vessel or other floating craft.

The major exception to this broad prohi- bition was for discharges for which the

EPA had granted a permit under the

National Pollutant Discharge

Elimination System (NPDES).

The NPDES is a complex and detailed program for controlling discharges of pollutants into waters of the United

States. It allows factories and other point sources to continue to operate, but places limits on what can be discharged and in what quantities. The EPA permits frequently require monitoring of the dis- charges by the permittees, along with extensive recordkeeping. The EPA has authority to make unannounced inspec- tions and review the records. Not infre- quently, a permittee is cited or fined for recordkeeping violations.

Pollutant, as defined by the FWPCA, is very broad and includes solid waste, garbage, chemical wastes, biological materials, and heat, among other things.

The 1972 Act included a provision deal-

ADVERTORIAL

Trust Dual Shield ® for consistent performance.

Time after time, weld after weld, ESAB brings you products that meet your precise specifications. For shipbuilding applications, Dual Shield mild steel cored wires combine excellent all-position arc characteristics and high deposition rates with exceptionally low fume generation and very low spatter. Dual Shield wire combined with an ESAB Weatherguard 653E cvcc power source and a MobileMaster

TM wire feeder creates a hardworking, reliable package for consistently superior welds.

A trusted partner of industry for 100 years, ESAB backs its products with a 100%

Satisfaction Guarantee. Ask for ESAB by name.

Great things happen when you put us to work. 1.800.ESAB.123 www.esabna.com

Smooth, stable arc characteristics

Very high out-of-position deposition rates

Fume emission rate approaching that of solid wires

Dual Shield II low-hydrogen series meets the U.S. Navy’s HY classification

UIforward

UIforward

UIforward

UIforward

WELDING | CUTTING | FILLER METALS non-corrosive, non-flammable, high impact composite. All power components, connectors, terminals and support structures are covered with a durable clear protective coating. The control circuitry is enclosed and sealed against dirt, dust and moisture within an easy-access compartment.

Rated 650 amps at 44 Vdc, 100% duty cycle, the power source offers 230/460/575 Vac, 60 Hz operation with a 115 Vac auxiliary power outlet for water circulator or tools. It is com- patible with 115 Vac and 42 Vac wire feeders.

Weatherguard is available as a power source unit or a ready-to-weld package supplied with

ESAB’s Mig 4HD wire feeder. Like all ESAB products, Weatherguard is backed by ESAB’s exclusive 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.

For more information, contact us toll free at 1-800-ESAB-123 or online at www.esabna.com.

MobileMaster

TM

Wire Feeder

Provides Reliable Performance in Harsh Environments

The MobileMaster IV

Wire Feeder from

ESAB is built to handle harsh environ- ments such as con- struction sites, pipelines, shipyards, offshore applications, general fabrication and mobile welding rigs.

MobileMaster features a completely enclosed, impact-resistant case to protect the wire from dirt, metal grit, moisture and contaminants. The flame retardant, insulated molded composite plastic case is metal rein- forced to withstand extreme abuse from drops, bumps, hot slag, grinding sparks, corrosive chemicals and more.

For more information, contact us toll free at 1-800-ESAB-123 or online at www.esabna.com.

ESAB Launches 100%

Satisfaction Guarantee Program

In celebration of their 100th anniversary,

ESAB Welding and Cutting Products North

America is offering a revolutionary pledge to their customers: 100% Satisfaction

Guaranteed. With complete confidence in their products, ESAB is the only manufacturer in the industry to offer this unique purchase protection, allowing consumers to buy completely risk free. This guarantee is a way to show how committed ESAB is to customer satisfaction. The 100%

Satisfaction Guarantee applies to ESAB welding equipment, gas apparatus, hand-held plasma machines, and filler metals. The guarantee is valid for 100 days from the date of purchase.

For more information, contact us toll free at 1-800-ESAB-123, press 5, or online at www.esabna.com/100satisfactionguarantee.

ESAB 653E Weatherguard

Provides Outstanding

Multi-Process Performance in an

Environment-Resistant Package

ESAB’s versatile 653E cvcc Weatherguard power source is a multi-process, three-phase power source designed for heavy-duty indus- trial DC welding applications, including Mig, flux cored wire, submerged arc and stick electrode welding and air carbon arc gouging.

Specially designed for harsh working environ- ments such as shipbuild- ing, Weatherguard pro- vides protection from damage caused by water, salt spray, metal dusts, corrosive mists and more.

This environment-resistant power source features an all-stainless steel base, frame and fasteners with side and top panels made from a

Product of choice for shipbuilders.

Circle 229 on Reader Service Card

Government Update

Dennis L. Bryant, Senior Maritime

Counsel at the law firm of Holland & Knight, Washington, D.C., is a contributing editor of MR/EN.

Do You Have a Permit?

MR MAY 2005 #2 (9-16).qxd 5/2/2005 5:09 PM Page 2