The 2013 Vessel General Permit will not be reissued prior to its December 18, 2018 expiration date but will be administratively continued and remain in effect until a new permit is issued (tentatively scheduled for Spring 2019).
For vessels currently without permit coverage the EPA strongly encourages owners/operators of eligible vessels to seek permit coverage prior to December 18, 2018, as coverage under the 2013 VGP cannot be obtained after that date.
The 2013 VGP provides two options for vessel owners/operators to obtain permit coverage:
- Notice of Intent (NOI) – Vessels of 300 gross tons or more or that have the ability to hold or discharge more than eight cubic meters of ballast water must submit an NOI to obtain permit coverage. The NOI must be submitted electronically using EPA’s 2013 VGP eNOI system.
- Final 2013 VGP Permit Authorization and Record of Inspection (PARI) Form– Vessels less than 300 gross tons and that do not have the capacity to hold or discharge more than eight cubic meters of ballast water are not required to submit an NOI. Instead, operators of these vessels must complete a PARI Form (Fill and Print), as provided in Appendix K of the 2013 VGP, and keep a copy of that form onboard the vessel at all times. Doing so provides coverage under the 2013 VGP for these vessels.
Electronic Reporting
The 2013 VGP requires electronic submission of NOIs, Notice of Terminations (NOTs), and annual reports.
- EPA’s Central Data Exchange (CDX)– Register in EPA’s free, online system to submit electronic reports. If you registered for the 2008 VGP you must update your registration to submit 2013 VGP reports.
- EPA’s 2013 VGP eNOI System– Once registered, submit NOIs, NOTs, and annual reports using a CDX username and password to login. You may submit multiple reports at a time using a batch upload function.
- Waivers from the eNOI system are available in very limited instances, as detailed in Part 1.14 of the 2013 VGP, only after EPA written approval.
For vessels currently covered by the permit no additional NOI or PARI form is required to continue coverage beyond December 18, 2018.
If you have any questions, contact Debra DiCianna, Senior Compliance Engineer at Choice Ballast Solutions at DDiCianna@choiceballast.com
This information and more about the 2013 VGP is posted on the Environmental Protection Agency’s, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, Vessels -VGP website page at https://www.epa.gov/npdes/vessels-vgp
