The National Maritime Security Advisory Committee will meet in Oakland, California, March 20-21, 2018, to review and discuss various issues relating to national maritime security. All meetings will be open to the public.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 2/27/2018: National Maritime Security Advisory Committee meeting scheduled

The Coast Guard is soliciting public comment on the potential deregulatory savings that may result from the revisions proposed in the 2016.1 PREP Guidelines. The Coast Guard also continues to seek public comment on the revisions proposed in the 2016.1 PREP Guidelines.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 2/26/2018: Notice of availability, request for comments on proposed changes to 2016 National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program Guidelines

This interim final rule applies changes made by the 2016 final rule to inspected towing vessels. Applying these updated fire protection requirements to inspected towing vessels will align regulations for inspected towing vessels with other commercial vessel regulations.
Source: Domestic Vessels
Link: 2/26/2018: Interim rule – Harmonization of Standards for Fire Protection, Detection, and Extinguishing Equipment

The Coast Guard, in partnership with the American Waterways Operators, released the National Quality Steering Committee’s annual safety report. The report contains freight carrying towing industry data and measures for calendar years 1994 to 2016.
Source: Investigations & Casualty Analysis
Link: 2/21/2018: Towing industry safety statistics for 2016

Marine Safety Alert 2-18 is issued to remind commercial towing and salvage operators to assess operational risks at all times and continually reassess risks based on weather, equipment, experience, and evolving conditions on-scene.
Source: Domestic Vessels
Link: 2/20/2018: Marine Safety Alert 2-18 Operational risk management, planning is essential to safe towing and salvage operations

The Towing Safety Advisory Committee and its subcommittees will meet March 20-21, 2018 in Charleston, South Carolina.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 2/16/2018: Towing Safety Advisory Committee meeting scheduled

The Committee and its working groups will meet March 6-7, 2018 in Nashville to discuss matters relating to medical certification determinations for issuance of licenses, certificates of registry, and merchant mariners’ documents, medical standards and guidelines for the physical qualifications of operators of commercial vessels, medical examiner education, and medical research. The meetings are open to the public.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 2/14/2018: Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee meeting scheduled

The Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee and its working groups will meet March 20-22 in New Orleans to discuss various issues related to the training and fitness of merchant marine personnel. The meetings will be open to the public.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 2/13/2018: Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee meeting scheduled

The Coast Guard is seeking applications for five positions on the Towing Safety Advisory Committee. This Committee advises the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security on matters relating to the shallow-draft inland and coastal waterway navigation and towing safety.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 2/12/2018: Towing Safety Advisory Committee vacancies

The Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register the availability of a list of vessels that are generally prohibited from entering the navigable waters of the United States or transferring cargo in the United States, under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 2/8/2018: Availability of list of vessels prohibited from entering or operating within navigable waters of the U.S.