Bryant’s Maritime Blog–21 January 2011

Headlines: Census Bureau – proposal re AES filing of SEDs; FMC – January meeting; NOSAC – meeting; DOJ – towing company and co-owner sentenced; DOJ – apprentice-mate pleads guilty; NOAA – COSPAS-SARSAT aided rescues; BOEMRE & North Carolina – Offshore Renewable Energy Task Force; Portland, Oregon – Operation Clean River; Indian Ocean – bulk carrier believed hijacked; Arabian Sea – bulk carrier hijacked; Paris MOU – issues re tanker stability; EP – higher priority sought for Arctic issues; Canada – ship returns to port after yellowcake spill; and UK – seafarer statistics.

January 21, 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.

Census Bureau – proposal re AES filing of SEDs

The Census Bureau proposes to amend its regulations to require mandatory filing of export information through the Automated Export System (AES) or through AESDirect for all shipments of used self-propelled vehicles, temporary exports, and household goods. It also proposes to modify the post-departure filing program by changing the filing time frame from ten calendar days to five calendar days and only allowing post-departure reporting for approved commodities. Comments on the proposal should be submitted by March 22. 76 Fed. Reg. 4002 (January 21, 2011).

FMC – January meeting

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) will meet in Washington, DC on January 26. In its open session, the Commission will consider a proposed notice of inquiry concerning the effects of slow steaming. In its closed session, the Commission will consider economic impacts on stakeholders; port restrictions and requirements in the US-Japan trade; and passenger vessel financial responsibility requirements. 76 Fed. Reg. 3906 (January 21, 2011).

NOSAC – meeting

The National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee (NOSAC), sponsored by the US Coast Guard, will conduct a teleconference meeting on February 9. Topics on the agenda include medical evacuation of injured divers and marine portable quarters. 76 Fed. Reg. 3919 (January 21, 2011).

DOJ – towing company and co-owner sentenced

The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a news release stating that a towing company located in Harvey, Louisiana was sentenced to two years of probation and a criminal fine of $200,000 for violation of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Earlier, the company had pleaded guilty to assigning employees without proper Coast Guard licenses to operate towboats, to paying employees to operate vessels for 24 hours a day, and to negligently discharging oil in US waters. A co-owner of the company was sentenced to 21 months of imprisonment, payment of a $50,000 criminal fine, and two years of supervised release. He had earlier pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice by destroying various company payroll records. (1/19/11).

DOJ – apprentice-mate pleads guilty

The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a news release stating that a former apprentice-mate on a towboat pled guilty to violation of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. He admitted operating a towboat on the Mississippi River without either supervision or a proper Coast Guard license and to negligently causing the discharge of oil into the river. Sentencing is scheduled for April 27. (1/19/11).

NOAA – COSPAS-SARSAT aided rescues

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a news release stating that the US-Russia COSPAS-SARSAT satellites aided in the rescue of 295 people in distress during 2010. Of those, 180 people were rescued from the water. (1/20/11).

BOEMRE & North Carolina – Offshore Renewable Energy Task Force

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE) issued a news release stating that it and the State of North Carolina have formed an offshore renewable energy task force to facilitate communication between stakeholders regarding commercial renewable energy leasing and development on the outer continental shelf off the coast of North Carolina. (1/19/11).

Portland, Oregon – Operation Clean River

The US Coast Guard issued a news release stating that it conducted a large-scale operation on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon to ensure environmental compliance onboard commercial deep-draft vessels. Operation Clean River examined 15 vessels, with only one vessel found to have minor environmental deficiencies. (1/20/11).

Indian Ocean – bulk carrier believed hijacked

The EU NAVFOR issued a press release stating that the bulk carrier Hoang Son Sun is believed to have been hijacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean approximately 520 nautical miles southeast of Muscat, Oman. The vessel has a crew of 24. It was not registered with MSC(HOA) and had not reported to UKMTO. There are now 30 vessels and 723 hostages being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia. (1/20/11).

Arabian Sea – bulk carrier hijacked

The EU NAVFOR issued a press release stating that the bulk carrier Khaled Muhieddine K was hijacked by pirates in the Arabian Sea approximately 330 nautical miles southeast of Salalah, Oman. The vessel has a crew of 25. It was registered with MSC(HOA). (1/20/11).

Paris MOU – issues re tanker stability

The Paris MOU issued a press release stating that during its Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on tanker damage stability, which ran from 1 September to 30 November 2010, 16% of tankers examined could not demonstrate that they were normally loaded in accordance with the vessel’s Stability Information Booklet (SIB). (1/19/11).

EP – higher priority sought for Arctic issues

The European Parliament (EP) issued a press release stating that the Arctic region should be accorded a high priority by the European Union (EU) and that the EU should be accorded “permanent observer” status at the Arctic Council. (1/20/11).

Canada – ship returns to port after yellowcake spill

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) issued a news release stating that a ship carrying uranium concentrate from Vancouver, BC to Zhanjiang, China encountered heavy seas in the mid-Pacific. Some of the containers were damaged. In order to allow for further inspection by the CNSC, the ship is being brought back to Canada. Given the material properties of uranium concentrate and the required transportation precautions, the risk to the ship’s crew, the response team, and the vessel is inherently low. There is no risk to the environment or the public at large. (1/14/11). Note: Unofficial reports indicate that the vessel docked at Ladysmith, BC on January 16. A detailed cleanup plan is being developed. The shipment consisted of 770,000 pounds of uranium concentrate (also known as yellowcake) packed into 840 drums, which were placed in 24 shipping containers. During the storm, some of the containers fell over and the doors on at least one container opened. There is some loose uranium concentrate in the hold of the vessel.

UK – seafarer statistics

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) posted the UK Seafarer Statistics 2010. It shows that approximately 27,800 UK nationals worked regularly at sea during the year. Of these, approximately 11,300 were certificated officers, a decline of 26% from 1997. (1/20/11).

If you have questions regarding the above items, please contact the editor:

Dennis L. Bryant

Bryant’s Maritime Consulting

4845 SW 91^st Way
Gainesville, FL 32608-8135

USA

1-352-692-5493
dennis.l.bryant@gmail.com

http://brymar-consulting.com

© Dennis L. Bryant – January 2011

Redistribution permitted with attribution