Bryant's Maritime Blog: Bryant’s Maritime Blog

Headlines: Atlantic Ocean – Canadian frigate and USN oiler collide; National Commission – Meeting 6 announced; MARAD – maritime investment options in the Great Lakes region; St. Lawrence Seaway – grain exports increase; Michigan – man sentenced for sinking his vessel; House – bill introduced to aid recovery from oil spill; Washington State – ferry system reform; Indian Ocean – container ship evades pirates; EMSA – Paris MOU NIR fact sheet; and EMSA – oil spill recovery vessel for Eastern Mediterranean.

November 22, 2010

Bryant’s Maritime Blog
Bryant’s Maritime Consulting - 4845 SW 91^st Way - Gainesville, FL 32608-8135 - USA

Tel: 1-352-692-5493 – Email: dennis.l.bryant@gmail.com – Internet: http://brymar-consulting.com

Note: This blog is one section of the Bryant’s Maritime Consulting website. Visit the site for more extensive maritime regulatory information. Individual concerns may be addressed by retaining Dennis Bryant directly. Much of the highlighted text in this newsletter constitutes links to Internet sites providing more detailed information. Links on this page may be in PDF format, requiring use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Comments on these postings are encouraged and may be made by clicking the envelope that appears at the end of each posting. Be aware that the daily blog entry is a single posting, even though it contains a number of individual items. He who is lost, hesitates.

Atlantic Ocean – Canadian frigate and USN oiler collide

The US Navy issued a news release stating that Canadian patrol frigate HMCS Fredericton (FFH 337) and the US Navy fleet replenishment oiler USNS Kanawha (T-AO 196) had a minor collision off the east coast of Florida during a replenishment at sea (RAS) exercise. (11/19/10).

National Commission – Meeting 6 announced

The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling issued a news release announcing that Meeting 6 will be conducted on December 2 and 3 in Washington, DC. The Commissioners will hear reports from staff and discuss issues pertaining to the Gulf spill. (11/19/10).

MARAD – maritime investment options in the Great Lakes region

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) issued a news release stating that it awarded a contract to analyze maritime investment options in the Great Lakes region. More extensive and stringent environmental regulations slated for the region will likely require additional private and public investment to upgrade and/or refit vessels, ports, and other infrastructure to ensure new standards are met. (11/19/10).

St. Lawrence Seaway – grain exports increase

The Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a news release stating that grain exports via the St. Lawrence Seaway through October have increased nearly 23% over 2009 levels. Overall, traffic through the Seaway is 17% higher than it was in 2009. (11/19/10).

Michigan – man sentenced for sinking his vessel

The US Coast Guard issued a news release stating that a Michigan man was convicted of violating the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) by discharging pollutants into navigable waters of the United States, sinking his vessel in the navigable channels of Lake Huron, and failing to mark the wreck. He was sentenced to 50 months in custody and ordered to pay restitution to the Coast Guard of $57,308.05. (11/19/10). Crime: pollution by scuttling.

House – bill introduced to aid recovery from oil spill

Representative Castor (D-FL) introduced a bill (H.R. 6434) to establish programs to aid in the economic, environmental, and public health recovery of the Gulf States from the damage and harm caused by the blowout of the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon and the resulting degradation of the Gulf over time, and for other purposes. Official text of the bill is not yet available. (11/18/10).

Washington State – ferry system reform

The Washington State Department of Transportation issued a news release stating that the Washington State Ferries (WSF) will implement a majority of the 36 recommendations made by an independent panel to improve ferry operations. Among other things, it will make vessel captains the representatives of management on the ferries and improve accident and injury prevention measures. (11/17/10).

Indian Ocean – container ship evades pirates

The EU NAVFOR issued a press release stating that the container ship Northern Valour evaded an attack by pirates in the Indian Ocean approximately 400 nautical miles southeast of Mogadishu, Somalia. The pirates attacked in two skiffs, firing machine guns and a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). The master increased speed and activated self-protection measures called for in the Best Management Practices. (11/19/10).

EMSA – Paris MOU NIR fact sheet

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) issued a fact sheet explaining the Paris MOU New Inspection Regime (NIR), which comes into force on 1 January 2011. (11/17/10).

EMSA – oil spill recovery vessel for Eastern Mediterranean

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) issued a press release stating that it has signed a contract to provide pollution response capability using a tanker based in Limassol, Cyprus. This addition strengthens the oil spill response coverage in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. (11/19/10).