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Response Plans News

05 Mar 2024

Singapore Highlights its Maritime Achievements for 2023

© anekoho / Adobe Stock

The Singapore government has recounted the achievements of Maritime Singapore to date to highlight the nation’s successes as a maritime hub in 2023:Total business spending by key maritime companies overseen by MPA exceeded S$4.8 billion, up from S$4.3 billion in 2022. Twenty-five maritime companies established or expanded their operations in Singapore last year. These included maritime services companies and companies setting up sustainability desks in Singapore as part of their…

21 Nov 2023

Great Lakes Towing Buys Historic Fireboat

(Photo: The Great Lakes Towing Company)

The Great Lakes Towing Company (GLT) announced it has acquired a 62-year-old fireboat from the city of Cleveland, Ohio.The vessel, Anthony J. Celebrezze, was constructed in 1961 by Paach Marine in Erie, Pa. and was used by the Cleveland Fire Department until it was replaced with a new vessel, Garret A. Morgan, in June 2023 and put up for auction.Auction data shows the vessel was sold on November 14 for just over $41,000, including a 12.5% buyer's premium.GLT said its Great Lakes Shipyard division is very familiar with the Anthony J.

04 Nov 2021

Maritime Cybersecurity: Prepare, Detect and Respond

© pinkeyes / Adobe Stock

At a time when the world has become more aware than ever before about the vital importance of the world’s ocean shipping fleet, which carried supplies, merchandise and much needed personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, an increased risk from a different threat, cyberattacks, presents a set of new challenges. According to Israeli cybersecurity specialist Naval Dome, since February 2020, there has been a 400% increase in attempted hacks on the maritime realm…

18 Oct 2021

Despite Preparation, California Pipeline Operator May Have Taken Hours to Stop Offshore Leak

 Crude oil is shown in the Pacific Ocean offshore of Orange County, Oct. 3, 2021.  U.S. Coast Guard photo (Cropped)

The company that operates the pipeline that spilled an estimated 3,000 barrels of oil into the Pacific Ocean off California has an 800-page manual on handling an oil spill - but it is unclear whether its employees followed those procedures.Houston-based Amplify Energy Corp and several state and federal regulatory agencies have provided differing accounts of what happened on Oct. 2, when the pipeline spill that fouled beaches, killed wildlife, and closed down fishing along miles of coastline was officially reported.The U.S.

20 May 2021

ATSB Calls Out Inadequate Fire Safety Standards

(Photo: ATSB)

Australia's national transport safety investigator is calling out inadequate international vessel fire safety standards and regulations in the wake of a 2018 bulk carrier fire that took five days to contain and extinguish.The 202 meter, Australian flagged self-unloading bulk carrier Iron Chieftain was discharging its cargo of dolomite at Port Kembla, New South Wales in the early hours of June 18, 2018 when friction, probably from a failed bearing, generated enough heat to ignite a rubber conveyor belt in the C-Loop internal cargo handling space.

10 May 2021

New Legislation Seeks Timely Updates for Crew Families During Maritime Emergencies

A U.S. Coast Guard Response Boat-Medium boat crew heads toward the capsized lift boat Seacor Power about 8 miles off Port Fourchon, La. on April 13, 2021. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Coast Guard Cutter Glenn Harris)

New legislation introduced in the wake of the fatal Seacor Power tragedy would require commercial vessel owners to provide timely notifications to crew members’ families throughout search and rescue operations.The Vessel Response Plan Improvement Act was introduced by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) after the 234-foot lift boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico with 19 crewmembers on board last month. Six crew members were saved, and the bodies of six deceased personnel were recovered in the days following.

17 Jul 2020

Cruise Shipping's Return: Genting Cruise Lines Gears Up for July 26 Sailing

Photo courtesy Genting Cruise Lines.

Genting Cruise Lines said it will be the first international cruise company to restart operations with the deployment of Dream Cruises’ Explorer Dream to Taiwan, where it will begin “Taiwan Island-Hopping” itineraries on July 26 2020.Upon the ship’s arrival in Keelung on June 40, 2020, Explorer Dream underwent a thorough deep cleaning in accordance with EU standard, in addition to her crew immediately beginning amandatory 14-day quarantine on land.Read a recent interview with Captain Havard Ramsoy…

16 Jul 2020

Interview: Captain Havard Ramsoy, Genting Cruise Lines, Plotting the Return Course for Cruising

Captain Havard Ramsoy, Vice President, Marine Operations and Safety, Genting Cruise Lines

While COVID-19 has proven to be the biggest business disruption event in generations, for the once-booming cruise shipping industry it has meant a hard stop. Getting back to cruising will be neither fast nor easy. We reached out to Captain Havard Ramsoy, Vice President, Marine Operations and Safety, Genting Cruise Lines for insights on the path forward.Please give an overview of the Genting Cruise Ship fleet today, and COVID-19 and its impact on the Genting Cruise business.Throughout the unprecedented suspension of the global cruise passenger services due the COVID-19 situation…

15 Jun 2020

Great Lakes Shipping Companies Navigate Market Challenges Ahead

American Steamship Company’s M/V American Courage upbound on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio with a load of taconite from the iron ranges on Lake Superior for ArcelorMittal Cleveland, one of the most productive integrated steel mills in the world. (Photo Credit: Thomas Rayburn)

For U.S.-flag shipping on the Great Lakes, 2019 was a good year. Total cargos were 90 million net tons, up 7.5% over 2018 and 4.6% over the five-year average. 49.7 million net tons of iron ore were shipped, up 8.5% over 2018 and 11.7% over the five year. Limestone was up 9.7% over 2018 and 10.2% over the five-year average. In 2010 and 2011, coal and limestone were each about 20 million net tons. Since then, coal has shown a steady decline as coal-fired power generating plants…

02 Jun 2020

DNV GL Launches Infection Prevention Certification for Maritime

Explorer Dream under the Dream Cruises brand is the first cruise vessel undergoing DNV GL's new certification in prefection prevention. (Photo: Genting Cruise Lines)

Classification society DNV GL launched a custom infection prevention certification aiming to help the maritime industry resume operations better prepared for COVID-19 or other emerging pathogens. Genting Cruise Lines is the first customer working toward the CIP-M certification for its cruise ship Explorer Dream under the Dream Cruises brand.As the coronavirus crisis begins to recede and the world begins moving to return to business, the cruise industry is sharpening its already strong focus on passenger health and safety.

24 Mar 2020

31 Years Ago Today: The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

© MelissaMN/AdobeStock

On March 24. 1989, the single-hull tanker Exxon Valdez was departing the Port of Valdez, Alaska with a full load of North Slope crude oil (approximately 1.26 million barrels) destined for Long Beach when it grounded on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound. The resulting oil spill (approximately 258,000 barrels), while not the largest in US history, was clearly the most important. It engendered much litigation. Public concern over the spill led directly to enactment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90)…

23 Sep 2019

CG to Set Port Condition ZULU in the U.S. Virgin Islands

The Coast Guard Captain of the Port San Juan anticipates setting Port Condition Zulu at 8 p.m. Monday in the U.S. Virgins Islands due to the possibility of gale force winds from Tropical Storm Karen arriving to the area within 12 hours.Ports in Puerto Rico will remain in Port Condition X-Ray until further notice.During Port Condition ZULU the port is closed to all vessel traffic with the exception of vessel traffic specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port.Ports in Port Condition X-RAY will remain open to all commercial traffic and all cargo transfer operations at Coast Guard regulated facilities may continue while X-RAY remains…

29 Aug 2019

Caribbean Builds Oil Spill Response Capability

Developing and maintaining sound capability to respond effectively to marine pollution incidents involving oil, hazardous and noxious substances is a priority in the Caribbean, which is home to many vulnerable ecosystems.In response, the Curacao-based Regional Marine Pollution Emergency, Information and Training Center for the Caribbean (REMPEITC-Caribe) organized a trans-boundary oil spill response exercise in Suriname (27-28 August).The event brought together response managers from Suriname and their western neighbor Guyana to test their response plans and discuss international coordination in case of an oil spill.

27 Aug 2019

Coast Guard sets Port Condition X-RAY Ahead of Tropical Storm Dorian

AdobeStock / Photo credit:  mode_list

The Coast Guard Captain of the Port San Juan set Port Condition X-RAY at 2 a.m. Monday for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgins Islands due to the possibility of sustained gale force winds greater than 39 mph from Tropical Storm Dorian that may arrive to the area within 48 hours.The Coast Guard strongly cautions the maritime community to remain vigilant and take the necessary precautions as Tropical Storm Dorian makes way into Eastern Caribbean waters.During Port Condition X-RAY port…

24 Jun 2019

OP/ED: A Reassessment of the U.S. Marine Salvage Posture

Jim Elliott is President of the American Salvage Association and Chief Operating Officer of the Teichman Group of Companies.

It has been ten years since the U.S. Salvage and Marine Firefighting Regulations were published: Is it time for a reassessment of the U.S. marine salvage posture?In 1982, the National Research Council’s Committee on the National Salvage Posture prepared a study entitled, “Marine Salvage in the United States.” The goal of the report was “to assess the present national posture for coping with ship rescue salvage and towing situations for time-critical offshore salvage in general.”…

28 May 2019

DryLog Joins Rapid Ocean Response Emergency

North American marine emergency response service provider Rapid Ocean Response Corporation (RORC) said that the dry bulk shipping company DryLog has joined its network.DryLog,  a subsidiary of international Ceres Shipping Ltd,  will now have access to an always-available, contractually-obligated network of emergency response vessels that facilitates compliance with the U.S. Coast Guard's Salvage & Marine Fire Fighting (SMFF) regulations that address marine firefighting resources.“Safety is our most important priority, and, joining the RORC network bolsters our marine firefighting capabilities, enhancing safety and providing compliance with U.S. maritime laws,” said a spokesperson of DryLog. “Our ships transport millions of dollars of goods in and out of U.S.

12 Mar 2019

HazSub Spill Response Plans

© VanderWolf Images/AdobeStock

On August 18, 1990, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) was enacted into law. Section 4202 of that Act amended the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA or Clean Water Act) to require tank vessels and marine transportation-related facilities to prepare and submit to the US Coast Guard plans for responding, to the maximum extent practicable, to a worse case discharge, and to a substantial threat of such a discharge, of oil or a hazardous substance carried in bulk as cargo.

18 Jan 2019

U.S. Government Shutdown: Assessing the Impact on Maritime

Family and friends met aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf's flight deck to reunite with Bertholf crewmembers following the cutter's return home to Alameda, Calif., after a 90-day deployment, Sept. 4, 2018. Bertholf is one of four 418-foot National Security Cutters homeported in Alameda. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty  Family and friends met aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf's flight deck to reunite with Bertholf crewmembers following the cutter's return home to Alameda, Calif., after a

On December 22, 2018, a continuing resolution passed by Congress to fund a portion of the U.S. Government into the 2019 fiscal year expired and was not renewed resulting in a partial federal government shutdown. Among the affected Executive Departments are the Department of Homeland Security (which includes the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection), the Department of Transportation (which includes the Maritime Administration), the Department of Interior (which includes the Bureau of Environment and Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM))…

12 Dec 2018

2018 Green Apple Spill Exercise

Committed to providing tugboat and towing vessel operators with a platform to meet regularity requirements and collaborate with local resources, the annual event also reminds us that Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.On September 28 2018, American Marine Associates, LLC (AMA) coordinated and hosted the 3rd annual Green Apple Spill Response Exercise in Bayonne, NJ. The Green Apple Spill Response exercise was established specifically for the tugboat and towing vessel industry operating in New York Harbor.

30 Nov 2018

REMPEC Promotes Spill Prevention and Response in Western Mediterranean

Response plans are essential to ensure reliable national and sub-regional systems for preparedness and response, trained personnel, basic equipment and contingency plans for combating marine pollution incidents.The Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) , the International Maritime Organization (IMO) -administered pollution emergency response centre in the Mediterranean, facilitated the organization of a meeting of national authorities involved in the contingency plan for the Western Mediterraean.The Fifth Meeting of the competent national authorities in charge of the implementation of the Sub-Regional Contingency Plan between Algeria…

11 Oct 2018

Port Condition Zulu Set for North Carolina Ports

File Image: The Port of wilmington, NC (CREDIT: NC Ports)

The Captain of the Port for North Carolina set Port Condition Zulu for the Ports of Morehead City and Wilmington at 3 a.m., Thursday, due to winds from Hurricane Michael.Port Condition Zulu is a dangerous condition in which tropical storm force winds are possible within 12 hours. In Port Condition Zulu the port is closed, and all port operations are suspended. In the messy wake of Florence, North Carolina's two deep draft ports are bracing for their second major storm event in less than two months.The U.S.

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).

17 Sep 2018

Maritime Ports Pushed to Up Cyber Security

© Bits and Splits/AdobeStock

Resilience planning, Info Sharing Take Spotlight“Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” That old chestnut gets turned on its head when it comes to port cyber security. It’s more like “Oh what a tangled web we’ve woven, so much harder to stop data stolen.”Ports today have the physical aspect of security pretty well nailed shut - gates, locks, fencing, alarms, cameras, drones, etc. As Chris Mason, Rajant Corp.’s director of sales for EMEA, notes, “Every…

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