Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Bryant’s Maritime Blog–3 August 2011

Headlines:

DHS – Ammonium Nitrate Security Program;

Jamaica Bay, NY – No Discharge Zone proposed;

DOD – Arctic Operations and the Northwest Passage;

CGSIC – meeting;

St. Lawrence Seaway – freighter grounds temporarily;

Senate – bill introduced to authorize DOT maritime programs;

Senate – bill introduced to provide transportation infrastructure funding;

House – bill introduced re pollutant discharge permits;

Australia – fatal fall from hatch coaming;

Canada, Denmark & the US – Operation Nanook;

Hong Kong – Qualship 21 status; and

Singapore – tax exemption for financing of Singapore-flag ships.

August 3, 2011

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Bryant’s Maritime Consulting - 4845 SW 91st 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. Remembering the future.

DHS – Ammonium Nitrate Security Program

clip_image004 The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a proposed rule to regulate the sale and transfer of ammonium nitrate for the purpose of preventing its use in an act of terrorism. Comments on the proposal should be submitted by December 1. 76 Fed. Reg. 46907 (August 3, 2011). The initiative is also discussed in a DHS news release. Note: This is a lengthy and complex rulemaking. It is unclear what impact this will have on the maritime industry. The rulemaking focuses on sale and purchase of ammonium nitrate, but also covers transfers of possession. Those involved in the transport of ammonium nitrate in bulk (carriers and facilities) should monitor this rulemaking carefully and participate as appropriate so as to avoid inadvertent or unexpected regulation.

Jamaica Bay, NY – No Discharge Zone proposed

clip_image006 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice stating that it received a petition from the State of New York seeking determination that adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary removal and treatment of sewage from all vessels are reasonably available for waters of Jamaica Bay. Comments on the petition should be submitted by September 2. 76 Fed. Reg. 46804 (August 3, 2011).

DOD – Arctic Operations and the Northwest Passage

clip_image008 In May, the Department of Defense submitted to Congress a report entitled: Arctic Operations and the Northwest Passage. Among other things, the report discusses the importance of a visible US sovereign maritime presence throughout the Arctic region. This need could potentially be met by icebreakers or ice-strengthened surface vessels, none of which is in the US Navy current surface combatant inventory, but which do exist in the US Coast Guard’s inventory in limited numbers. (May 2011). Note: I stumbled across this interesting document while looking for something quite different – serendipity.

CGSIC – meeting

clip_image010 The USCG Navigation Center issued a notice stating that online registration is now open for the 51st meeting of the Civil GPS Service Interface Committee (USSLS/CGSIC) to be held on September 19-20 in Portland, Oregon. (8/2/11).

St. Lawrence Seaway – freighter grounds temporarily

clip_image012 The US Coast Guard issued a news release stating that it, the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, and other parties responded to the grounding of a freighter in the Saint Lawrence Seaway near Massena. There were no reports of injury or pollution. The freighter has since been refloated. The incident is under investigation. (8/2/11).

Senate – bill introduced to authorize DOT maritime programs

clip_image014 Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced the Maritime Administration Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (S. 1430) to authorize certain maritime programs of the Department of Transportation, and for other purposes. (7/27/11).

Senate – bill introduced to provide transportation infrastructure funding

clip_image014[1] Senator Wyden (D-OR) introduced the Transportation and Regional Infrastructure Project Bonds Act of 2010 or TRIP Bonds Act (S. 1436) to provide $50,000,000,000 in new transportation infrastructure funding through bonding to empower States and local governments to complete significant infrastructure projects across all modes of transportation, including roads, bridges, rail and transit systems, ports, and inland waterways, and for other purposes. (7/28/11).

House – bill introduced re pollutant discharge permits

clip_image016 Representative Gary G. Miller (R-CA) introduced a bill (H.R. 2765) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify the requirement that permit applications for the discharge of pollutants be approved by disinterested board members, and for other purposes. Official text of the bill has not yet been posted. (8/1/11).

Australia – fatal fall from hatch coaming

clip_image018 The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) issued the report of its investigation of a crew member fatality following a fall on board a bulk carrier at sea on 2 February 2011. Investigation revealed that the bosun fell into a cargo hold when he lost his balance while standing on the hatch coaming. He was attempting to free a cargo runner that had jammed in the head of a davit the crew was using to lift iron ore residue from the hold. The davit had been in use for several years and jammed not infrequently. Normally, the davit would be swung back over the deck before clearing the jam. It is not known why the bosun elected to climb onto the hatch coaming on this occasion. No formal safety assessment regarding use of the davit on this ship had been done. MO-2011-002 (8/2/11).

Canada, Denmark & the US – Operation Nanook

clip_image020 clip_image022 clip_image024 The US Coast Guard issued a news release stating that the sea-going buoy tender Willow is deploying to the Arctic for the period of August 4-15 to conduct maritime safety and security exchanges with the Canadian Navy, the Canadian Coast Guard, and the Royal Danish Navy. Operation Nanook will take place in the vicinity of Cornwallis Island, Baffin Island, Lancaster Sound, and Barrow Strait. (8/1/11).

Hong Kong – Qualship 21 status

clip_image026 The Hong Kong marine Department issued a press release stating that the US Coast Guard has awarded Qualship 21 status to the Hong Kong Ship Registry. (8/1/11).

Singapore – tax exemption for financing of Singapore-flag ships

clip_image028 The Singapore Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) issued a circular stating that, as part of the new Maritime Sector Incentive (MSI) scheme to further promote growth of the maritime sector, entities which obtain qualifying loans from foreign lenders for the purchase or construction of Singapore-flag ships are no longer required to apply on a case-by-case basis for exemptions from automatic withholding tax for interest payable on those loans. Shipping Circular 16-2011 (8/1/11).

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

Dennis L. Bryant

Bryant’s Maritime Consulting

4845 SW 91st Way
Gainesville, FL 32608-8135

USA

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

http://brymar-consulting.com

© Dennis L. Bryant – August 2011

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