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Op/Ed: Continuous Improvement for the US Salvage Indsutry
U.S. salvage industry update: Coast Guard recognition and continuous improvement for the domestic salvage industry and its working professionals.Professional salvors are called in when the ship’s crew is overwhelmed – the last resort to protect lives, minimize environmental impacts and save the ship and cargo. These salvage masters, divers, firefighters, naval architects, heavy lift operators and other salvage team members regularly go into harm’s way and consistently perform incredible feats.
Fire Aboard 1,000-foot Freighter in Lake Superior
The U.S. Coast Guard received a report of a generator fire aboard a 1,013 foot bulk carrier freighter in Lake Superior, at 4:20 a.m. Monday.The master of motor vessel Paul R.
A Post-casualty Rush to Judgment Can be Costly
It was a warm and sunny early summer morning in an increasingly popular and typically busy domestic harbor. And, not surprisingly, the water and waterfront were crowded with commercial and private vessels of every description. From a slowly moving tug/barge combination, a working dredge and a small tanker delivering fuel on the more industrial side of the harbor, to numerous water taxis, sightseeing boats and larger catamaran ferries…
ASA hosts Response Training for Houston Authorities
More than 40 U.S. Coast Guard, State of Texas, maritime industry and local emergency responders attended the American Salvage Association’s (ASA) Marine Salvage…
US Salvors Pass USCG Verifications
On April 18, Rear Admiral Anthony “Jack” Vogt, Assistant Commandant for Response Policy, released an update on the status of the most recent U.S. Salvage and Marine…
USCG Increases Marine Casualty Reporting Thresholds
Members should be aware that the USCG has increased the marine casualty property damage thresholds for reportable marine casualties that take place in US waters or involve US-flag ships.
Coast Guard Raises Marine Casualty Reporting Threshold
The U.S. Coast Guard has raised the decades-old monetary threshold for reporting marine casualties in order to keep pace with inflation and reduce reporting of minor incidents. The final rule changes, which were published March 19 and take effect April 18, 2018, lift the reportable marine casualty property damage threshold amount from $25,000 to $75,000 and raise the serious marine incident property damage threshold from $100,000 to $200,000.
What Happens when Commercial and Recreational Vessels Face Off?
A generally sound assumption to make is that many recreational boaters operating power boats and sailing vessels are not very familiar with the maritime Rules of the Road that their professional mariner counterparts understand and adhere to. The unfortunate consequence is a wide array of marine casualties and incidents from collisions, allisions, capsizings, groundings, wake damage, many unreported and countless near misses.
Cargo Vessel Refloated after Grounding off St. Thomas
A 223-foot cargo vessel that ran aground Tuesday morning near Charlotte Amalie Harbor in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands has been refloated, according to local responders. The Togo-flagged vessel Ocean Spirit I grounded just off of the entrance of the harbor’s East Gregory Channel while reportedly transporting more than $1 million of cargo from St. Thomas to Puerto Rico, including six huge propane trailer trucks, automobiles, lumber and food.
Cargo Vessel Runs Aground off St. Thomas
A 223-foot cargo vessel has run aground near Charlotte Amalie Harbor in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The U.S. Coast Guard said its watchstanders in San Juan where contacted at approximately 5 a.m. Tuesday by St. Thomas Harbor pilots who reported that the Togo-flagged cargo vessel Ocean Spirit I had run aground just off of the entrance of the harbor’s East Gregory Channel. There are no reported signs of distress or oil leaking from the vessel…
USCG Releases Final Statement on El Faro Sinking
The U.S. Coast Guard has released its final action memo on the loss of the S.S. El Faro and its 33 crew members during a 2015 hurricane near Crooked Island, Bahamas. In the final action memo, Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft approved the findings of fact, analysis and conclusions detailed in the Marine Board of Investigation’s Report of Investigation (ROI), essentially marking it as the official Coast Guard position on the cause of the marine casualty.
Rose Joins Global Diving & Salvage
Eric Rose has joined Global Diving & Salvage, Inc. as Director of Business Development, responsible for the company’s long-term revenue generation, and the support…
Marine Casualty Investigation
In the realm of marine casualty investigations the allocation of blame should be secondary to marine safety. There are three important criteria for marine casualty investigations to be of value to the maritime industry. First, the report must be completed promptly. It does little good to see for the first time the report on a casualty that occurred three or more years ago. Second, the report must be publicly disseminated.
USCG: Remain Upright by Fully Understanding Vessel Stability
This Safety Alert addresses concerns related to vessel stability and watertight integrity. Recently, a marine casualty involving a fishing vessel in the Bering Sea resulted in multiple fatalities and complete loss of the vessel. A Marine Board of Investigation is currently analyzing the various circumstances surrounding the casualty. Although the investigation is not complete, testimony and fact finding indicate that vessel owners…
Salvage and Marine Firefighting
Salvage and marine firefighting are complex response efforts often undertaken in adverse weather and sea conditions. While no two oil spill responses are the same, the diversity of variation between any two oil spill responses is not near as great as the diversity of any two salvage and marine firefighting responses. As a result, salvage and marine firefighting response providers must plan for and…
A Legal Approach to Marine Casualty Response
Maritime attorney David Russo provides a valuable primer for maritime stakeholders faced with a marine casualty. Because it isn’t a question of if, it is a question of when. Will you be ready? When there is a marine incident, the vessel owner/operator has two risks of exposure: to both civil and criminal liability. These risks can arise from a number of variables, including but not limited to (a.) a pollution event…
Op/Ed: The Spill Response Industry's Greatest Challenges
Devon Grennan, president and CEO of Global Diving & Salvage, and president of the Spill Control Association of America (SCAA) asks the tough questions. What are the biggest challenges the spill response industry faces in light of the current political and economic climate in the United States? And what is SCAA doing to meet these challenges? I see the primary challenge that the spill response industry…
Understanding Legal Liability in a Subchapter M Environment
There is more to SubM than just attention to safety. Protect yourself accordingly. In today’s environment, safety management systems for brown water marine operators are standard industry practice, whether they come in the form of the American Waterways Operators (AWO) Responsible Carrier Program (RCP) or the Tanker Safety Management Assessment (TSMA) framework developed by the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) for liquid carriers.
Lines in the Water
There are a variety of jurisdictional lines in the water. The first line to be considered is the national boundary between two adjacent or nearby countries. Adjacent countries tend to draw agreed boundaries extending their shoreside boundaries, with accommodations for headlands, capes, etc. Most national boundaries have been agreed upon long ago. A few, though, are not officially resolved. Somewhat surprisingly…
Interview: Rear Admiral Paul Thomas, USCG
Rear Admiral Paul Thomas develops and maintains policy, standards and program alignment for waterways management, navigation safety, boating, commercial vessels…