Bryant's Maritime Blog: Bryant’s Maritime Blog

Headlines: White House – Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review; MARAD – funding availability for credit assistance; USCG – applications for Food Handler rating; Indian Ocean – pirates hijack two ships, while releasing one; EC – status of Galileo and EGNOS; and UK & Ireland – reform for funding of Irish Lights.

January 19, 2011

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. Keep misbehaving.

White House – Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review

President Obama issued an Executive Order directing federal agencies to, among other things, consider how to best promote retrospective analysis of rules that may be outmoded, ineffective, insufficient, or excessively burdensome, and to modify, streamline, expand, or repeal them in accordance with what has been learned. (1/18/11). Note: This exercise has been undertaken previously, with some beneficial results. Agencies have yet to request comment from stakeholders, but I encourage thoughtful consideration of the current rules and the submittal of meaningful recommendations. While the Executive Order is limited to regulatory review, the same principle should apply to Congress and the many laws enacted by that branch of government. Most regulations have been adopted at the specific direction of statutes. Until the statute is amended or repealed, the agency lacks the authority to revoke the regulation.

MARAD – funding availability for credit assistance

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) and other federal transportation agencies issued a notice announcing funding availability for applications for credit assistance under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA). Under TIFIA, the agencies provide secured (direct) loans, lines of credit, and loan guarantees to public and private applicants for eligible surface transportation projects of regional or national significance. Letters of Interest must be submitted electronically via email by 4:30 pm EST on February 18. 76 Fed. Reg. 3190 (January 19, 2011).

USCG – applications for Food Handler rating

The US Coast Guard National Maritime Center (NMC) issued a bulletin clarifying the application process for steward’s department ratings on US ships. Persons applying for a Food Handler rating are required to have a statement from a licensed physician, physician assistant, or nurse practioner attesting that the applicant is free from communicable disease. (1/6/11).

Indian Ocean – pirates hijack two ships, while releasing one

The EU NAVFOR issued press releases regarding recent pirate activity in the vicinity of Somalia. The MV Samho Jewelry was hijacked in the Indian Ocean south of Muscat, Oman on January 15. The MV Motivator was released by pirates off the coast of Somalia on January 16. The product tanker was hijacked on July 4, 2010. Note: On various occasions, the pirates apparently used the Motivator as a mothership from which to launch additional assaults. The MV Eagle was hijacked in the Somali Basin south of Salalah, Oman on January 17. (1/17/11).

EC – status of Galileo and EGNOS

The European Commission (EC) issued a press release providing a review of the current status of the European satellite navigation programs Galileo and EGNOS. Galileo is expected to deliver initial services in 2014. EGNOS became operational on 1 October 2009 and provides increased accuracy of satellite navigation. (1/18/11).

UK & Ireland – reform for funding of Irish Lights

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) issued a news release stating that the UK Shipping Minister and the Irish Minister for Transport have reached an agreement to phase out the subsidy currently received by the Republic of Ireland for costs of maintenance of aids to maritime navigation. The costs will be wholly funded by Irish domestic sources by 2015-16. (1/18/11).