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The Coast Guard Review News

05 Oct 2023

Making Hydrogen Work: Demo Project in San Francisco Port

© muddymari / Adobe Stock

Hornblower Energy LLC, in partnership with the Port of San Franciso, the U.S. Department of Energy and six corporate partners, including Air Liquide and Glosten, is leading a project to demonstrate the feasibility and viability of using hydrogen (H2) as a maritime fuel.The project is located at Pier 68 in San Francisco. DOE selected the project for funding in 2020. It’s supposed to be completed in 2025 but there are important decision dates before then. So far, project activities have concentrated on planning and modeling.

13 Jun 2014

Loss of Tall Ship 'Bounty': Coast Guard Release Findings

The U.S. Coast Guard informs it has released its report of investigation of the October 2012 sinking of the tall ship 'Bounty', during which one crewmember died and another remains missing and is presumed dead, off the coast of Cape Hatteras, N.C. The findings in the report conclude that a combination of faulty management and crew risk assessment procedures contributed to the sinking. Specifically, choosing to navigate a vessel in insufficient material condition in close proximity to an approaching hurricane with an inexperienced crew was highlighted. As a result of the investigation, the report recommends that the Coast Guard review the existing policy for attraction vessels, including vessel manning and operating status.

22 Nov 2013

Washington State Ferries a Step Closer to LNG Propulsion

LNG Bunker tanks on upper deck: Rendering courtesy of WSF

Washington State Ferries say they are another step closer to significantly reducing fuel costs and transportation emissions by switching a class of vessels from diesel fuel to liquefied natural gas. After more than three years of study, WSF has a plan to safely convert six Issaquah Class vessels to run on cleaner-burning LNG. The proposal has been officially submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard in a formal letter of intent (LOI) and waterways suitability assessment (WSA). The submission of the LOI and WSA marks the official starting point of the Coast Guard’s review process.

28 Jan 2013

UPDATE: Coast Guard Responding Mississippi Allision / Spill

The unified command continues to respond to a crude oil spill in the lower Mississippi River near mile marker 434 in Vicksburg, Miss., Monday. Tank soundings indicated that the barge is still leaking product into the waterway. Containment boom has been deployed around the area at the leak and skimmers are being used to recover product. Personnel from Sector Lower Mississippi River, Marine Safety Detachment Vicksburg and the Coast Guard Gulf Strike Team from Mobile, Ala., are on scene and continue to assess the size of the spill and oversee cleanup operation. The tank levels are being constantly monitored for further leakage. The leaking tank contained approximately 80,000 gallons of light crude oil.

05 Oct 2010

Houston Ship Channel Closure

On October 4 a tow with three scrap barges hit the west tower of the Baytown high lines at approximately 0600 hrs. The tower was leaning over on the barge with the power cable dangling in the water. VTS Houston closed the channel from Beacon 105 to 124. This area is in the vicinity of ExxonMobil in Baytown. The crane barge Big John is currently hooking up to stabilize the tower following which wires will be disconnected and removed. The channel will be opened for traffic once the wires are removed which is expected to occur in the evening Tuesday October 5. ExxonMobil is open for traffic to/from sea but subject to Coast Guard review. Barbour’s Cut Container Terminal, Bayport, Ports of Texas City and Galveston are open for traffic to/from sea.

30 Jun 2004

USCG MSO Wilmington Implements Operation Port Shield

On July 1, 2004, the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code and the U.S. Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), a suite of international and U. S. maritime security requirements will take effect. These requirements are intended to raise the security of the Maritime Transportation System in an effort to prevent terrorist attacks. These security requirements mandate each commercial vessel and waterfront facility subject to ISPS and MTSA regulations implement certain measures such as conducting security assessments, developing and implementing security plans and designating a security officer. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Wilmington, as part of a nationwide effort, implemented Operation Port Shield, a focused effort to validate U.S.

08 Mar 2001

Coast Guard Investigates Sinking of Towboat

At press time, U.S. Coast Guard from Marine Safety Office (MSO) St. Louis investigators were trying to determine the cause of the sinking of the towing vessel Patty Ann, while the Missouri Highway Patrol searched the Mississippi River for Patty Ann's operator, John Distefano. The boat sank at about 11:50 p.m. on Feb. 27 at mile marker 127.2, at the Tower Rock Stone Fleet, on the Upper Mississippi River, approximately three miles north of Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Preliminary reports indicated that two deckhands, Nathan Bauman of Ste. Genevieve, and Eric Mathews of Praire du Rocher, Ill., were able to climb aboard a barge adjacent to the Patty Ann as the towboat began to sink.

14 Jun 2002

USCG Finalizes Changes to NOV Procedures

The Coast Guard has published a final rule changing the procedures for handling Notice of Violation (NOV) cases in which the recipient fails to respond to the notice within 45 days. The rule, which takes effect July 5, adopts the changes proposed in the Coast Guard's December 10, 2001 notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). Under the new procedures, the Coast Guard will treat a failure to respond to a Notice of Violation as a default and proceed to assess the civil penalty listed on the NOV. Prior to this change, when a recipient failed to respond to an NOV within 45 days, the case was automatically converted into a Marine Violation case, a lengthier and more complicated procedure in which a Coast Guard hearing officer processes the case and assesses a penalty.

15 Nov 2004

ASA Passes Key Initiatives

-- ASA will work to help the U.S. Coast Guard review its current list of Salvage, Firefighting and Lightering contractors that provide service in response to the requirements of OPA-90. In the ASA’s view, the current list is out of date and does not present a realistic picture of U.S. salvage capabilities. -- ASA’s Salvage Training Program will continue, with the next class scheduled for the U.S. Coast Guard Gulf Strike Team at its facility in Mobile, AL during December 2004. -- ASA Associate Members will have the opportunity to join ASA Committees and attend ad-hoc meetings. Mr. Ken Edgar (Marine Response Consultants) and Capt. Jack Ringleberg (JMS Naval Architects & Salvage Engineers) were approved to act as Chair and Vice Chair of the Associate Membership Committee, respectively.

03 Oct 2006

Coast Guard Establishes Mariner Physical Exam Requirements

The Coast Guard recently published two Federal Register notices relating to physical examination requirements for merchant mariners, based on National Transportation Safety Board recommendations issued following the catastrophic 2003 Staten Island ferry marine casualty in New York Harbor. The first notice announces and seeks public comment on a draft Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular on medical and physical evaluation guidelines for merchant mariner credentials. The public can submit comments on the draft through November 27, 2006. The second notice announces that the Coast Guard will require pilots of certain vessels to provide a copy of their annual physical examinations to the Coast Guard.

22 May 2006

USCG Announces Deepwater Decision

The U.S. Coast Guard announced a 43-month award term extension of the performance-based contract for its Integrated Deepwater System (Deepwater) fleet modernization and recapitalization program. Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS), a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, received notification of the award today. The performance period of the award term will begin at completion of the base period in June 2007 and end in January 2011. The initial contract specified a five-year base period of performance, with potential for five additional award terms of up to 60 months each, for a maximum of 30 years. The announcement by Rear Adm. Patrick M.

10 Mar 2003

Government Update: Open Letter to the U.S. Coast Guard Regarding Maritime Security

On December 30, 2002, the U.S. Coast Guard published a Notice of meetings and a request for comments relating to maritime security (67 Fed. Reg. 79742). Following are some thoughts on this important issue. I must commence by stating that I have the highest respect for the Coast Guard. The maritime and port security missions are vital to the U.S. and the world. There is no agency better qualified to lead this important program. Congress has assigned heavy responsibilities to the Coast Guard and, at the same time, required that the initial work be done in an impossibly short time. The Coast Guard is accustomed to working in real time and will accomplish the mission in the shortest possible period. While the U.S.

03 Apr 2003

Coast Guard Approves Barge Industry Security Plan

The American Waterways Operators' (AWO) Model Vessel Security Plan for the American tugboat, towboat and barge industry has been approved by the Coast Guard. AWO developed the security plan after 9/11 to protect people and property and prevent vessels from being used as weapons of mass destruction. The Model Plan was developed in close consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by a special AWO Security Working Group. The Plan serves as a template for company-specific procedures to prevent terrorism in the categories of Awareness, Training, Personnel Practices, Planning, and Emergency Response. The Plan lists both required and suggested actions to take, depending on the threat level, with regard to physical security, communications, and cargo.

24 Apr 2003

News: USCG Oks Barge Security Plan

The American Waterways Operators' (AWO) Model Vessel Security Plan for the American tugboat, towboat and barge industry has been approved by the United States Coast Guard. AWO developed the security plan after 9/11 to protect people and property and prevent vessels from being used as weapons of mass destruction. The Model Plan was developed in close consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by a special AWO Security Working Group. The Plan serves as a template for company-specific procedures to prevent terrorism in the categories of Awareness, Training, Personnel Practices, Planning, and Emergency Response. The plan lists both required and suggested actions to take, depending on the threat level, with regard to physical security, communications, and cargo.