US to enforce own ballast water rules, not those of the UN, says USCG
THE US Coast Guard (USCG) regards the ratification of the International Maritime Organisation's Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention effective September 2017, as a positive development, but it will not affect "US Coast Guard approach to or enforcement of the US ballast water regulations," said USCG Rear Adm Paul Thomas.
"We understand the announcement heightens concerns about the differences between the BWM Convention and the US ballast water regulations," he wrote on the official US Coast Guard blog.
"But ships operating in US waters must comply with US requirements, including using one of the ballast water management practices described in 33 CFR Part 151.2025 and 2050. Therefore, ships in US waters will not be subject to Port State Control verification of compliance with the BWM Convention," he said.
"Ships equipped with a coast guard-approved Alternative Management System (AMS) will remain in compliance with US regulation until five years after the compliance date (for an individual ship) is set. Compliance dates will be determined on a vessel-by-vessel basis after coast guard type approved ballast water treatment systems are commercially available.
"After five years, the AMS must either achieve coast guard type-approval, or be replaced with a type-approved system. Currently, there are 19 BWMS manufacturers with systems approved by other administrations (AMS) that are seeking type-approval from the coast guard. Three of these manufacturers report they have recently completed testing with the coast guard independent lab."
Adm Thomas said the USCG expects to receive applications for coast guard type-approval in the next few weeks based on the information they've received from manufacturers and independent labs.
"In the meantime, the coast guard continues to work with the IMO to harmonise the international testing procedures within the BWM Convention, known as the G8 Guidelines, with US type-approval processes," he said.
THE US Coast Guard (USCG) regards the ratification of the International Maritime Organisation's Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention effective September 2017, as a positive development, but it will not affect "US Coast Guard approach to or enforcement of the US ballast water regulations," said USCG Rear Adm Paul Thomas.
"We understand the announcement heightens concerns about the differences between the BWM Convention and the US ballast water regulations," he wrote on the official US Coast Guard blog.
"But ships operating in US waters must comply with US requirements, including using one of the ballast water management practices described in 33 CFR Part 151.2025 and 2050. Therefore, ships in US waters will not be subject to Port State Control verification of compliance with the BWM Convention," he said.
"Ships equipped with a coast guard-approved Alternative Management System (AMS) will remain in compliance with US regulation until five years after the compliance date (for an individual ship) is set. Compliance dates will be determined on a vessel-by-vessel basis after coast guard type approved ballast water treatment systems are commercially available.
"After five years, the AMS must either achieve coast guard type-approval, or be replaced with a type-approved system. Currently, there are 19 BWMS manufacturers with systems approved by other administrations (AMS) that are seeking type-approval from the coast guard. Three of these manufacturers report they have recently completed testing with the coast guard independent lab."
Adm Thomas said the USCG expects to receive applications for coast guard type-approval in the next few weeks based on the information they've received from manufacturers and independent labs.
"In the meantime, the coast guard continues to work with the IMO to harmonise the international testing procedures within the BWM Convention, known as the G8 Guidelines, with US type-approval processes," he said.