EPA’s Vessel General Permit (VGP) & You
Nothing stirs the maritime pot like new regulation, and coming soon to you (in less than a month) is the new iteration of the Vessel General Permit (VGP). The VGP applies to vessels operating in a capacity as a means of transportation, that have discharges incidental to their normal operations into waters subject to this permit, except recreational vessels. Unless otherwise excluded from coverage, the waters subject to this permit means “territorial seas” of the U.S. The Clean Water Act (CWA) does not require NPDES permits for vessels or other floating craft operating as a means of transportation beyond the territorial seas, such as in the contiguous zone or ocean. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a replacement VGP permit under its authority from the CWA.
RSC Bio Solutions Certifies More HF Products for VGP 2013
Products Join 100, 3000 Series Hydraulic Fluids and Safecare Cleaners as VGP Environmentally Acceptable Products that Deliver Technical Feasibility to Marine Industry. RSC Bio Solutions has announced that its EnviroLogic 200 and 200 EP series of Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs) and its EnviroLogic 802 grease, as well as the products’ constituent components, have been evaluated by independent laboratories to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) definitions of biodegradable, minimally toxic and not bioaccumulative.
Proposed 2013 VGP Links Enviro Stewardship to Long-Term Growth
The EPA’s Proposed 2013 Vessel General Permit (VGP) will require vessel owners and operators to adopt environmentally-acceptable lubricants (EALs) into their operations to further reduce their environmental impact starting in December 2013. This regulation brings a two-fold benefit to the industry by boosting the bottom line of both small and large vessel operations, while engendering positive change that ensures the preservation of ecosystems in which these vessels operate. The…
