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Code Of Federal News

31 Jul 2023

Greening the U.S. Federal Fleet

(Credit: U.S. Navy)

The international shipping industry as a whole is responsible for 2% to 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and if nothing changes, those will increase by 250% by 2050, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Sobering numbers like these have made reducing emissions across the sector a focus for governments, shipbuilders, environmentalists, vessel owners and technology suppliers alike.The United States federal ship fleet, excluding combat ships, consists of various types of vessels utilized for civilian purposes. This fleet of vessels makes the U.S.

11 Apr 2023

US Coast Guard Warns on Vessels Wind Turbine Parts

© Phuc / Adobe Stock

The US Coast Guard Inspections and Compliance Directorate has released Marine Safety Information Bulletin 04-23 to advise mariners that an increasing number of break-bulk and retrofitted bulk carriers are arriving in the U.S. carrying wind turbine parts stowed in a manner that substantially limits visibility from the navigation bridge.In many cases, the vessels have been temporarily exempted from compliance with SOLAS 1974 Chapter V, Regulation 22, by their flag administration


30 Jan 2023

Fishing Vessel Facing $41,000 Fine for AIS Violation

© thepoeticimage / Adobe Stock

A commercial fishing vessel is facing a potential $41,093 fine after allegedly violating automated identification system (AIS) regulations near the mouth of the Columbia River Dec. 3, 202, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The U.S. Coast Guard said it is pursuing a civil penalty against a commercial fishing vessel after its Sector Columbia River detected the vessel deactivate its AIS while underway near the mouth of the Columbia River in violation of 33 Code of Federal Regulations 164.46(d)(2).The captain declined to accept the Notice of Violation, issued for $5,000.

17 Jan 2023

NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Offshore Platform Helicopter Crash

Image 2a (left) – Damaged chain link perimeter skirt on southwest corner of helipad
Image 2b (right) – Portion of a main rotor blade found on the deck below the helipad - Credit: NTSB

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report on the December 29, 2022, fatal helicopter crash near a Gulf of Mexico oil platform. One pilot and three passengers died in the incident."On December 29, 2022, about 0834 central standard time, a Bell 407 helicopter, N595RL, was substantially damaged during takeoff from an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The pilot and 3 passengers were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 flight


25 Oct 2022

USACE Analyzes Dredge Material Usage on the Lower Columbia River

(Photo: USACE)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (USACE) developed an environmental analysis in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended. The Final Environmental Assessment (EA) dated 30 September 2022, for Lower Columbia River Navigation Channel Dredged Material Transfer Site (W-60.9-IW-T) addresses the project purpose to provide an in-water holding area for temporary storage of dredged material from the lower Columbia River (LCR) federal navigation


17 Jun 2022

Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022: Long Term Fixes, But What’s in It for the Short Term?

© Sandra / Adobe Stock

The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (the Act) was signed by President Biden on Thursday, June 16, 2022. The long term fixes, which require Federal Maritime Commission rule-making, establishes additional requirements requiring the FMC to issue rules related to certain fee assessments, prohibited practices, and establishment of a shipping registry, and prohibited conduct for ocean carriers. It further authorizes the FMC under certain circumstances to issue an emergency order requiring common carriers to share information directly with shippers and rail and motor carriers.

14 Mar 2022

Interview: Jennifer Carpenter, President & CEO, AWO

Jennifer Carpenter, President & CEO, The American Waterways Operators (Photo: AWO)

Jennifer Carpenter joined The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association representing the inland and coastal tugboat, towboat and barge industry, in August 1990 and became its president and CEO in January 2020. She weighs in some of the most important developments in the industry today, from “hugely exciting” opportunities in offshore wind , tech innovation and decarbonization, to labor and recruitment challenges.The recent Infrastructure bill is a huge boost for many industries


15 Feb 2021

Government Update: Coast Guard Authorization Act

© Lars Johansson/AdobeStock

On January 1, 2021, in an unusual New Year’s Day session, the Senate (following similar action by the House) overrode President Trump’s veto and enacted into law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (H.R. 6395). In addition to the provisions relating to the Department of Defense, the bill contains numerous maritime sections, including Authorization Acts for the Coast Guard (USCG), the Maritime Administration (MARAD), and the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC).Coast GuardThe Coast Guard Authorization Act allows for acquisition of an additional National Security Cutter


16 Dec 2020

NETSCo, LR Designing Jones Act Wind Turbine Installation Vessel

(Image; NETSCo)

Northeast Technical Services Co., Inc. (NETSCo) and Lloyd’s Register North America, Inc. (LR) are working to design and develop a Jones Act compliant wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) capable of serving the burgeoning U.S. offshore wind sector.The current pipeline of state procurement targets along the U.S. East Coast calls for 12 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity installed by 2030 and 29.1 gigawatts total installed by 2035, but the Jones Act WTIVs needed to build these wind farms do not exist.The Jones Act


02 Dec 2020

Dive Boat Captain Charged in Fire that Killed 34

(Photo: VCFD via NTSB)

The captain of a dive boat that caught fire last year near Santa Cruz Island, resulting in 34 deaths, was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury on 34 counts of seaman’s manslaughter.Jerry Nehl Boylan, of Santa Barbara, was named in the indictment by a federal grand jury that alleges Boylan, as the captain and master of the Santa Barbara-based Conception, “was responsible for the safety and security of the vessel, its crew, and its passengers.”The indictment alleges that Boylan caused the deaths of 33 passengers and one crewmember “by his misconduct


15 May 2020

USCG Issues AIS Safety Warning Following Towboat Collision

© mavi / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a safety alert highlighting the importance of accurate Automatic Identification System (AIS) data entry and display to safe navigation following a recent towboat collision on the Mississippi River.Although the investigation into this casualty is not yet complete, the Coast Guard said the incident shows the hazards created by inaccurate AIS data and should prompt owners and operators to review and update their procedures to prevent similar casualties from occurring.Before sunrise, two towing vessels were approaching a bend on the Mississippi River.

21 Jan 2019

Safety Management Systems: A Good fit for Passenger Vessels?

The evidence and industry subject matter experts both say ‘yes.’In its recently released SAFER SEAS DIGEST, Lessons Learned from Marine Accident Investigations (2017), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports investigating numerous accidents across all modes of transportation where a properly implemented safety management system (SMS) could have prevented injuries, loss of life, or material damage. That document spans analysis of casualties across the full spectrum of all manners of marine craft, blue water and brown, foreign and domestic.Different authorities and subject matter experts (SME) differ on how they might explain a SMS, but it all adds up to one thing. But, what is a Safety Management System?

19 Dec 2018

USCG Type-Approval for De Nora BALPURE BWTS

De Nora has received Type-Approval from the United States Coastguard (USCG) for its BALPURE ballast water treatment system (BWTS).The BALPURE system has been approved for both safe area and hazardous zone installations for internationally trading vessels including U.S.-Flagged vessels. It is the 15th system to be certified by the USCG since inception.De Nora is the originator and patent holder of electrochlorination disinfection of ballast water through the slipstream method.According to De Nora’s proprietary system design


02 Nov 2018

U.S. Coast Guard Clarifies U.S. Citizenship Requirement for U.S. Flag Vessels

File Image: AdobeStock / © xmentoys

Rules regarding 'Employment of Non-U.S. Credentialed Personnel On board Certain U.S.-Documented Vessels' defined.An analysis of recent arrival notifications has revealed several cases of U.S.-documented vessels calling on U.S. ports with non-U.S. credentialed personnel in lieu of U.S. citizens. The intent of this MSIB is to provide information and guidance regarding the provisions for employment of non-U.S. credentialed personnel on board certain U.S. documented vessels. Please


25 Sep 2018

Maritime Response Services & Non-Tank Vessel Response Plans

The Author, Richard Paine Jr.

Avoiding Potential Pitfalls and HeadachesThe summer of Sub M may be over, but the heat remains for the tugboat and towing vessel industry operating under the July 20th regulations. Owner & Operators are faced with daily challenges to continually sustain and build their businesses. As with any new regulation, there is a period of learn-ing and, even more so, interpretation by industry and by those enforcing regulations. One of the more significant matters related to this situation revolves around vessels in response services and those required to hold Non-Tank Vessel Response Plans (NT-VRP).

03 Apr 2018

Lessons Learned from the El Faro Casualty

El Faro wreckage on the seafloor (Photo: NTSB)

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued an alert informing operators of the role that the main propulsion lube oil system was found to have played in the 2015 sinking of U.S. cargo ship El Faro. All 33 crew on board died when the 790-foot El Faro sank close to the eye of Hurricane Joaquin near the Bahamas on October 1, 2015, while en route from Jacksonville, Fla. to Puerto Rico. Loss of propulsion during extremely heavy weather was revealed as a major contributing factor to the vessel’s sinking, according to The Coast Guard Marine Board Report on the incident.

20 Dec 2017

Marine News' Top 10 Stories of 2017

Plucked from the headlines, the top stories of 2017 were compelling, and each provided impact to the domestic waterfront and in particular – the workboat sector. Follow along as Marine News recaps the highlights, drama and significant events that shaped the past 12 months. When Elaine Chao was sworn in to be the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, the Washington veteran brought a welcome burst of competence to the position. Her wide-ranging experience across the maritime sector and prior service at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, and the Federal Maritime Commission uniquely positions her to understand the critical role that the waterfront plays in the intermodal equation. Soon after taking her chair, she was joined by another familiar face at Marad. Rear Adm.

10 Oct 2017

Top Regulatory Concerns on the US Commercial Waterfront

© John Merlin / Adobe Stock

A top 10 list of regulatory concerns is by no means all-inclusive, but it does bring to light the full weight of the regulatory hammer on the collective domestic commercial waterfront. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us...” – Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, 1859.

21 Jul 2017

A Significant Date for Subchapter M

© hildeanna / Adobe Stock

July 20 marks a milestone in Subchapter M implementation. Towing vessels with keels laid or major conversions on or after July 20, 2017 are required to meet 46 CFR Subchapter M and obtain a Certificate of Inspection (COI) prior to operating. Additionally, starting July 20, 2018, a portion of existing towing vessels will have one year to meet all of Subchapter M and obtain COIs. By July 19, 2022, 100 percent of the towing vessels must have valid COIs on board. Owners or managing


12 Jul 2017

New Passenger Ferry for Governors Island

(Image: Blount Boats)

U.S. shipbuilder Blount Boats together with naval architecture firm Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) has been awarded the contract to design and construct a new passenger-only ferry for Governors Island, New York by The Trust For Governors Island. The vessel will provide passenger ferry service between Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan and Soissons Landing on Governors Island, New York. “Blount Boats is honored to have been chosen by the Trust to build another iconic vessel for New York Harbor,” said Marcia Blount, President of Blount Boats.

28 Jun 2017

Meet OSCAR, the Water Rescue Training Dummy

Photo: Emerald Marine

Recovering someone who has fallen into the water is no easy task, especially if the victim is unconscious or lethargic due to cold temperatures. Training is essential to prepare potential rescuers for how difficult it can actually be. The OSCAR Water-Rescue Training Dummy from Emerald Marine Products is used by safety instructors across North America for teaching people what it's like to retrieve a lifeless, 180 lb. adult. "It's definitely eye-opening," says Alaska Marine Safety


27 Jun 2017

Coast Guard Recognizes PVA's Flagship Safety Management System

On June 12, 2017, the Coast Guard's national Director of Inspections and Compliance formally recognized PVA's Flagship Safety Management System (SMS) as an acceptable method for developing and implementing a company specific voluntary SMS. In a letter to PVA's Executive Director, Capt. Jennifer Williams stated, "The U.S. Williams' letter also acknowledged that vessel companies that effectively implement PVA Flagship SMS will be recognized and considered by local Coast Guard inspection offices for reduced scope of inspections under the Coast Guard Risk Based Decision Making policy for small passenger vessels. In response to the letter, PVA's Executive Director John Groundwater stated, "We are pleased with the Coast Guard's formal recognition of the PVA Flagship SMS program.

01 Jun 2017

Lax SMFF Enforcement a ‘Disaster Waiting to Happen’ -ROR

(Photo: Rapid Ocean Response Corp.)

A top U.S. Coast Guard official said at a recent congressional oversight hearing that the Coast Guard “has not been aggressively enforcing the compliance” of vessel response plans filed under federal Salvage and Marine Firefighting (SMFF) regulations. The rules, derived from the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, are meant to prevent a worst-case discharge resulting from fire or explosion aboard a vessel. “The shocking admission by the Coast Guard that it cannot, and is not, enforcing its own marine firefighting rules should be a warning to all ship owners


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