mhanson's blog

4/25/2017 - From the U.S. Maritime Administration

A move that will protect domestic and international seafarers and improve their safety and wellbeing onboard foreign-flagged and New Zealand ships.

US DOJ Environment and Natural Resources Division continued its robust program of prosecuting shipping companies and crew for the intentional discharges of pollutants from ocean-going vessels in U.S. waters. At the end of fiscal year 2016, criminal penalties imposed in these cases totaled more than $363 million in fines and more than 32 years of confinement.

From our colleague Dennis Bryant's Maritime Blog - The Paris MOU posted a notice reminding owners and operators of vessels that have been detained by a Paris MOU member state and who decline to use the national appeal procedure, that they have the option of filing a complaint with the flag state or recogn

1/6/2017 - From our friends at Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP: In a recent decision, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia took the rare step of holding that the United States National Pollution Funds Center (“the Fund”) wrongfully denied an oil pollution insurer’s claim for reimbursement of oil spill cleanup costs.  The district cour

November 1, 2016 MARITIME AND PORT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE ISSUES SHIPPING CIRCULAR NO. 23 OF 2016

This circular informs on the implementation of revision of frequencies and channelling arrangement for the maritime High Frequency (HF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) made by the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 (WRC) to appendices 17 and 18 of the Radio Regulations.

The Liberian Maritime Administration is to introduce a proposal to the meeting of the IMO Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC70) in London on 24 October to allow certain ships additional time beyond 2020 to install adequate ballast water management systems as required under the Ballast Water Management Convention, which comes into force in September 2017.

9/8/2016 - IMO Briefing - Global treaty to halt invasive aquatic species to enter into force in 2017

Accession by Finland has triggered the entry into force of a key international measure for environmental protection that aims to stop the spread of potentially invasive aquatic species in ships’ ballast water.

September 7, 2016 - From my friends at Maritime Training Services - Understanding the different ballast water management regulations developed by the US Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a significant challenge for vessel operators.

September 1, 2016 - USCG Marine Safety Alert 12-16 "Good Data Input Equals Good Data Output" - This safety alert reminds vessel owners and operators to periodically validate the proper operation of their vessel’s Voyage Data Recorder (VDR).