Public subcommittee meetings were held March 6-7, culminating in the full committee meeting March 8. This post provides an overview of the activities of the security, liquefied gas, hazardous substance response plan, and regulatory reform subcommittees.
Source: USCG
Link: 3/16/2018: Summary of latest Chemical Transportation Advisory Committee meeting

The Office of Navigation Systems is seeking input from interested mariners and maritime stakeholders for a study of navigation requirements for the entire Western Rivers System. This post provides details on the study and a link to an online survey. The survey is available until July 1, 2018.
Source: USCG
Link: 3/16/2018: Coast Guard seeks mariner input for Western Rivers study

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: USCG
Link: 3/16/2018: Reminder – National Maritime Security Advisory Committee meeting scheduled

Jeff Lantz, director of commercial regulations and standards, briefed conference attendees on the leading environmental issues the International Maritime Organization is facing. Lantz’s presentation was part of a panel titled, “The Economic Calculus of 2020.” Other members of the panel included executives from Exxon, Marsoft, Inc., Alternative Marine Technologies, GTT North America, and Methanex Corp. Neville Smith with Mariner Communications moderated the session.
Source: USCG
Link: 3/15/2018: CMA Shipping 2018 – IMO and environmental standards

Editor’s note: The Coast Guard will begin enforcing Subchapter M towing vessel regulations July 20, 2018, and it is important for tank and non-tank vessel owners and operators as well as towing vessel owners and operators to understand how Subchapter […] Source: USCG
Link: 3/15/2018: Subchapter M regulations and marine firefighting requirements – A discussion from two perspectives

The following products are available from the Navigation Center website:

• The Eighth (Gulf) Coast Guard District Local Notice to Mariners (11-2018): https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lnms/lnm0811g2018.pdf
• The weekly update to the 2018 USCG Light List, Volume Four: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=lightListWeeklyUpdates
  
• The Summary of Corrections: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lightLists/corrections/V4D08GM.pdf

If the links above do not work, you should either copy and paste the links into your web browser or follow the LNM links from the Navigation Center LNM page.

The Local Notice to Mariners, Light List, and Summary of Corrections are in Portable Document Format (PDF) and viewing them requires a PDF reader.  PDF readers are readily available on the internet, generally free of charge.

To download the latest information:

• Place your mouse over the “PDF” symbol next to the corresponding week.
• Right click for PC / Control click for Mac.
• Choose “Save Target As”.
• Save the PDF to your computer and open using your PDF reader.

If you have questions regarding this message, please contact the Navigation Center (use “LNMs, Charts, Chart Corrections, or Light Lists” as the subject from the pull down menu).

Source: LNM District 8
Link: District 08 (GULF) Week 11 LNM Now Available on Navigation Center Website

The Coast Guard Marine Safety Center received its tenth application for Ballast Water Management System type approval for the BIO-SEA B Ballast Water Management System manufactured by BIO-UV Group.
Source: USCG
Link: 3/13/2018: Tenth application received for BWMS type approval

This biennial award serves to highlight and recognize outstanding achievements and contributions of the maritime community with regards to implementation of Maritime Transportation Security Act requirements and other maritime security best practices in safeguarding our nation’s Marine Transportation System.
Source: USCG
Link: 3/13/2018: Winners of Rear Adm. Bennis award for excellence in maritime security announced

The implications of VRP activation are significant and a clear understanding is essential. Failure to activate a plan quickly or failure to use pre-contracted resources can result in delayed response and exacerbate potential environmental damages. In this post, we will attempt to clarify when plan activation occurs and which situations require plan activation.
Source: USCG
Link: 3/13/2018: Activating a Vessel Response Plan

Rear Adm. Nadeau’s remarks focused on Port State Control for the past year and ballast water management compliance and extensions. Nadeau said his goal is to ensure a safe, secure, and efficient Marine Transportation System by focusing on oversight of recognized organizations, SMS effectiveness, cyber risk management, and future implications of autonomous vessels.
Source: USCG
Link: 3/12/2018: CMA Shipping 2018 – Summary of remarks by Asst Commandant for Prevention Policy Rear Adm. John Nadeau