Jeffrey Lantz News

On 28 October, the maritime leaders of tomorrow - World Maritime University (WMU) class of 2023 - graduated. The WMU 2023 graduating class includes 283 graduates from 71 countries, including a record of 99 women graduates.WMU President, Professor Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr., delivered welcome remarks. As a WMU graduate himself, President Mejia reflected on the power of the WMU experience and how it affects the way one thinks, works, plans, and interacts. “You have acquired information that you did not possess before you enrolled here," he said.

The U.S. Coast Guard herald the publication of an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to publicize regulations requiring vessels engaged in outer continental shelf activities  to develop, implement and maintain a vessel-specific safety and environmental management system. The safety and environmental management system incorporates the management program and principles of American Petroleum Institute’s Recommended Practice for Development of a Safety and Environmental Management Program for Offshore Operations and Facilities, Third Edition, May 2004 (API RP 75).

Coast Guard issues standard for living organisms in ships' discharged ballast water. The U.S. Coast Guard announced Friday the final rule for standards for living organisms in ships' ballast water discharged into waters of the United States is scheduled for publication March 23 in the Federal Register. A public inspection copy of the final rule is available online. The Coast Guard is amending its regulations on ballast water management by establishing a standard for the allowable concentration of living organisms in ballast water discharged from ships in waters of the United States. The Coast Guard is also amending its regulations for engineering equipment by establishing an approval process for ballast water management systems.

North American World Maritime Day Observance and US Coast Guard Missions Conference to feature Piracy, Stewardship, Safety and Security. Two day event draws maritime industry, regulators and regional representatives. Piracy will be the focus of this year’s North American World Maritime Day Observance being held in Tampa, FL on October 27th followed by a US Coast Guard Missions conference on October 28th which will feature panel discussions on the stewardship, safety and security missions of the Coast Guard. Both events will be held at the Marriott Waterside in Tampa and are free and open to the public. North American regional representatives from industry, government and NGO’s will dialog on these critically important regional issues.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard today announced the publication in the Federal Register of a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking on implementation of the 1995 Amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers, 1978, and changes to domestic endorsements. This proposed rule enhances maritime safety by ensuring U.S. mariners meet the standards laid out in the STCW Convention, including amendments adopted in June 2010. It also increases transparency by reorganizing, clarifying, and updating regulations regarding domestic endorsements. “This proposed rule is a key step in our efforts to update and clarify the requirements of both the U.S.

At its Annual General Meeting in Washington, DC in early April, more than 70 WISTA USA members and guests gathered to discuss issues of concern to the maritime community. Leading authorities from the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Department of Justice, regulatory and trade associations, and the U.S. Congress met with shipping professionals to discuss and debate the current status of environmental and enforcement issues and the impact of the 112th Congress on the industry, and to examine strategies for moving forward.

By the deadline of March 31, 2011, six candidates had been nominated by their Governments for the position of Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The election for the post will be held at the 106th session of the 40-Member strong IMO Council, which meets from June 27 to July 1, 2011. The decision of the Council will be submitted to the IMO Assembly, which meets for its 27th session from 21 to 30 November 2011, for its approval. The nominations received are listed below in alphabetical order by candidates’ name. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. The present incumbent, Mr. Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, ends his second four-year term as Secretary-General on December 31, 2011.

The U.S. Coast Guard announced that a civilian employee of the service is the U.S. candidate for Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization. Jeffrey Lantz, the Coast Guard’s Director for Commercial Regulations and Standards, will be a candidate in the International Maritime Organization’s elections scheduled for the 106thInternational Maritime Organization Council in London, June 27 to July 1, 2011. Lantz is responsible for developing U.S. national maritime safety and environmental protection regulations and policies. He also oversees U.S.

Examining key industry drivers is the focus of the 17th annual Hellenic-American and Norwegian-American Chambers of Commerce annual conference, often called the New York Shipping Conference. Entitled “Challenges & Opportunities for the Shipping Industry: Is There a New Normal?” the conference will present the macro shipping and economic overview, the impact of increasing environmental regulation on the shipping market, the availability of capital and its many forms, the growing influence of China and India on Shipping, and shipowners’ points of view. The event will be held on Tuesday, February 8th at the Waldorf-Astoria (a new venue for this event) starting at 0815 with conference registration and coffee.

Adm. Thad W. Allen, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, announced the appointment of Jeffrey G. Lantz as the Coast Guard's director of national and international standards. Lantz will begin his senior executive service position at the Coast Guard's Washington headquarters on June 25. "The Coast Guard's role within the International Maritime Organization is vital to the safety and security of America as well as ships and professional mariners around the globe," Allen said. Lantz, a native of Montana, currently serves as chief of the Coast Guard's lifesaving and fire safety standards division, where his responsibilities have included the safety standards for vessel designs in the areas of structure…