Less than six months before the U.S. Vessel General Permit takes effect, Castrol Marine is working with owners to ensure they are truly compliant within definitions set out for âEnvironmentally Acceptable Lubricantâ in U.S. waters. From December 2013, new requirements come into effect covering the substances deemed acceptable for discharge by ships in US waters. Few operators, perhaps, will be fully aware of what the revised âVessel General Permitâ (VGP) means when it identifies âEnvironmentally Acceptable Lubricantsâ (EAL).