The Coast Guard is seeking comment to proposed changes to the 2016 PREP Guidelines by Jan. 22, 2018.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 12/22/2017: Submit comments on proposed changes to 2016 National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program Guidelines

The Committee will meet Tuesday, January 9, 2018, in New Orleans. The meeting will be open to the public.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 12/22/2017: Lower Mississippi River Waterway Safety Advisory Committee meeting scheduled

In the Final Action Memo, Adm. Zukunft approves the findings of fact, analysis, and conclusions detailed in the Marine Board of Investigation’s Report of Investigation, essentially marking it as the official Coast Guard position on the cause of the marine casualty.
Source: Investigations & Casualty Analysis
Link: 12/21/2017: Coast Guard releases Final Action Memo regarding S.S. El Faro sinking and loss of 33 crewmembers

The public meeting is scheduled Jan. 10, 2018. The primary purpose of the meeting is to prepare for the Fifth session of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction to be held at the IMO headquarters, London, United Kingdom, Jan. 22-26, 2018.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 12/20/2017: Dept. of State to host public meeting at Coast Guard Headquarters

Recently, Coast Guard marine inspectors discovered critical deficiencies onboard a containership with its fixed CO2 fire extinguishing system. The conditions associated with the CO2 system may have prevented the system from operating correctly or, if not discovered, the system may not have operated at all in an emergency situation.
Source: Investigations & Casualty Analysis
Link: 12/20/2017: Safety Alert 13-17 – Fixed CO2 fire extinguishing systems

The Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register that it is modifying the conditions of entry for vessels arriving to the United States from Côte d’Ivoire by adding an exception to the conditions of entry for two facilities in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 12/20/2017: Removal of conditions of entry for certain vessels arriving from two facilities in Côte d’Ivoire

Started in 1995, the award recognizes corporations and businesses involved in marine facility or vessel operations which have demonstrated sustained excellence and outstanding achievement in protecting the marine environment. It also encourages innovations in operations, maintenance, cargo handling, refueling and training while providing a means to share best practices with others in the maritime community.
Source: Investigations & Casualty Analysis
Link: 12/19/2017: Don’t miss the January 12 deadline to submit nominations for the Rear Adm. Benkert award for excellence in environmental protection

The Office of Investigations and Analysis published Dec. 1, 2017, Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular 05-17, “Reporting and Investigation of Marine Casualties Where the United States is a Substantially Interested State.” The circular publishes policy and guidance for the coordination […] Source: Investigations & Casualty Analysis
Link: 12/4/2017: Availability of NVIC 05-17 “Reporting and investigation of marine casualties where the United States is a Substantially Interested State”

As a courtesy to our audience, Maritime Commons will provide a daily compilation of nationally-relevant Federal Register Notices. To provide comments for the public record, follow the Federal Register link for each individual notice. Please note, the Coast Guard cannot […] Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 12/1/2017: Cooperative Research and Development Agreement – Cellular phone geolocation development

Illegal operations and the potential dangers they present have existed since the inception of passenger vessel regulations. In recent years, however, the introduction of certain smart phone apps to the hospitality and transportation industries has exacerbated the issue by making it easier for property owners to enter into agreements to temporarily lease, charter, or rent their homes or vehicles to interested parties for compensation. As expected, emerging business ventures are now dedicated to boat rentals and water taxis using similar business plans and smart phone apps. In this post, the Coast Guard discusses some of the risks associated with illegal passenger operations and what the boating public and legitimate operators can do to protect themselves.
Source: Domestic Vessels
Link: 11/27/2017: Illegal passenger vessel operations – A risk to safety, credentialed mariners, and legitimate operators