The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the federal government may prosecute a ship owner and chief engineer, under the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), for failure to properly maintain an oil record book (ORB) when the ship entered a US port with an ORB onboard that the
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued the report of its review of the Cargo Enforcement Reporting and Tracking System (CERTS) administered by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CERTS is intended to gather data on cargo examination findings and
The original contract signed on February 26, 2004 with Blackford Dolphin Pte Ltd (Owner), a subsidiary of Fred Olsen Energy ASA, for work to be carried on the Blackford Dolphin was $177m. The expected delivery date was in June 2007. On July 20, 2007, an addendum was agreed upon, which took into
The US Coast Guard said that the Captain of the Port for Long Island Sound signed the Letter of Recommendation (LOR) for Broadwater Energy, the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facility planned for construction and operation in New York State waters of Long Island Sound. The
Harbor residents of Los Angeles and Long Beach will see increased law enforcement activity this Wednesday and Thursday as area emergency responders participate in a 2-day U.S. Coast Guard lead counterterrorism exercise. The exercise is designed to test the Area Maritime Security Plan that was
A South Korean court fined Samsung Heavy Industries Co. $28,870 for its involvement in a major oil spill, reports said.The local court also sentenced two crew members to up to three years in prison for violating the ocean pollution law. The fine and prison sentences were the maximum allowed under the law.
The US Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said that a ship management company and a chief engineer pleaded guilty to a charge that they falsified the oil record book (ORB) on a commercial vessel. The company was sentenced to pay a $1m fine and a $200,000 community service payment.
Teekay Corporation announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, TPO Investments AS (TPO), has acquired an additional 30.1 percent interest (22.6 million common shares) in Teekay Petrojarl ASA (Teekay Petrojarl) from Prosafe Production (Prosafe) at a price of NOK 59 per share. Teekay Petrojarl is a leading
L-3 Klein Associates, Inc. received an order from the Los Angeles Harbor Department for multiple L-3 Klein System 5500 dynamically focused Multi-Beam Side Scan Sonar Systems. Harbor and Port Security professionals with the use of dual L-3 Klein Side Scan Sonar Systems are able to identify potential underwater threats,
On April 24, 2008, the US House of Representatives passed and sent to the Senate the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2008 (H.R. 2830). If history is any guide, a large percentage of its provisions will eventually be enacted into law. It therefore behooves the maritime industry to have some
The Nippon Foundation (NF) and the Round Table of international shipping associations (RTisa) (BIMCO, ICS, INTERCARGO & INTERTANKO) are pleased to announce a symposium in Kuala Lumpur on November 24, 2008 to discuss current positive developments in support of safety and protection of the marine
Admiral James G. Stavridis, USN, Commander, U.S. Southern Command, will deliver the keynote address at commencement exercises on June 16 for the 213 members of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s class of 2008.Admiral Stavridis assumed command of the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) in October 2006.
The House Committee on Homeland Security issued a letter signed by Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) inquiring of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about the status of production of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC). The letter states that eight of the twelve machines
The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure conducted a hearing on Rebuilding Vessels under the Jones Act. The law requires, for vessels eligible to engage in the US coastwise trade, that any rebuilding, including the construction
Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, issued the following statement after convening a hearing to consider the U.S. Coast Guard’s regulatory policies regarding the rebuilding of vessels under the Jones Act:“The
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a notice stating that it is evaluating the Offshore Berth Project planned by Weaver’s Cove Energy. The plan calls for construction of a berthing facility in Mount Hope Bay, approximately one-mile southwest of Brayton Point in Somerset, Massachusetts,
IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos has welcomed the adoption by the United Nations Security Council of a resolution authorizing a series of decisive measures to combat acts of piracy and armed robbery against vessels off the coast of Somalia. Under the terms of resolution 1816 (2008), which was adopted unanimously,
The Maritime Administration (MarAd) released its Marine Operator Survey Concerning Mariner Availability. The survey found, among other things, that 71% of respondents encountered problems in attempts to hire qualified mariners over the past year.Source: HK Law
The US Coast Guard released the Great Lakes ballast water management report. The report, compiled by the Great Lakes Ballast Water Working Group (BWWG), summarizes efforts to coordinate bi-national enforcement and compliance efforts to reduce the likelihood of introduction of aquatic invasive species via ballast water.
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) issued interim regulations to establish a procedure governing administrative determinations of availability of coastwise-qualified launch barges to be used in the transportation and, if needed, launch or installation of offshore oil drilling or production platform jackets in specified projects only.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report stating that US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has enhanced its partnership with import trade sectors, but that challenges remain in verifying security practices. It recommends that CBP improve its electronic validation instrument,
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released the latest edition of its status report on the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program – the TWIC Dashboard. As of May 23, a total of 309,472 maritime workers have enrolled in the program and 111,,019 cards have been activated.
The US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Norwegian Cruise Line Limited (NCLL) entered into a plea agreement regarding the boiler explosion on the cruise ship NORWAY on May 25, 2003. As a result of the explosion, eight crewmembers died and ten others were seriously injured.
Legislation has been proposed in the British Columbia Legislature that would, if adopted, imposes taxes on fuel based on its carbon content. Ships would be subject to the tax, but would be eligible for rebates if it is shown that the fuel was consumed outside of British Columbia. Carbon Tax Act, Bill 37 – 2008 (HK Law).
The Washington State Department of Ecology posted the revised Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that it entered into with the Northwest Cruise Ship Association and the Port of Seattle. Among other things, the revised MOU provides that cruise ships calling in the Port of Seattle will not, in Washington waters,
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that a state-law tort claim by a shipyard worker against a vessel owner is not necessarily preempted by the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). In the instant case, was injured while fabricating a pontoon extension for defendant’s vessel,
The US Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are proposing to define marine debris for purposes of the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act. As proposed, the definition would be any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly,
Vessel owners and operators are finding themselves besieged on many fronts by an onslaught of new laws and regulations governing ship operations at the state and federal levels. At the same time, companies and organizations have been somewhat successful in taking their case to the courts and Congress
The U.S. Coast Guard and Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD) signed a memorandum of agreement on Monday, May 12, 2008. The agreement delineates the specific responsibilities of each agency when responding to maritime incidents in Orange County, Calif. "The purpose of this mutual
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that a creditor with a perfected Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) security interest prevails over a creditor with a subrogated claim. In the instant case, the US Army Corps of Engineers hired a marine construction company to construct pile dikes on the Lower Mississippi River.
Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced the Maritime Administration Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (S. 2997) to reauthorize the Maritime Administration, and for other purposes. The bill, if enacted into law, would, among other things, address assistance to small shipyards and extend the marine war risk insurance program through 2015. (HK Law)
The Shipping Coordinating Committee, sponsored by the US Department of State, will conduct several meetings in Washington, DC. On May 22, the Subcommittee on Flag State Implementation will meet to prepare for the upcoming session of its counterpart group at the IMO. Topics on the agenda
Recently, the Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) took a major step toward bringing order out of the current chaos surrounding the regulation of air emissions from ships by provisionally adopting amendments to MARPOL Annex VI.
The US Coast Guard issued a Marine Safety Alert recommending that vessel owners and operators ensure all watertight doors and bulkheads are inspected periodically to verify their integrity and, while the vessel is underway, opened only briefly for passage of individuals. Bilge alarms and high water
The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued a notice stating that it is recirculating the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Berths 97-109 [China Shipping] Container Terminal Project in the Port of Los Angeles. Comments should be submitted by June 30.Source: HK Law
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) issued a notice stating that it will discontinue enforcement of the Ocean-Going Vessel Auxiliary Diesel Engine Regulation. This action has been taken (somewhat belatedly) after the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit declined to rehear its
This is an open letter to the offshore oil and gas industry operating on the U.S. outer continental shelf. Dear Customer: We need to talk about the Jones Act and the other cabotage laws that require you to use U.S.-flag vessels to transport cargo and people from one part of America to another.
Two significant new financial management tools were recently unveiled by the Federal government in one highly visible piece of legislation, and each can significantly change the way that you do business. Both have the promise to stimulate business growth while adding to a company’s bottom line.
By Ed Barker, Naval Education and Training Command Public AffairsAdm. Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO)visited the Starbase-Atlantis youth program while at Naval Air Station Pensacola on May 5.Starbase-Atlantis is a Navy community outreach program managed by the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).
Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, released the following statement in response to the announcement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that the deadline for implementation of the Transportation Worker’s Identification