Senior compliance engineer Debra DiCianna discusses the EPA’s proposed performance standards for vessel incidental discharges in an OpEd posted on the Riviera Maritime Media website.
“On 26 October 2020, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published proposed performance standards for vessel incidental discharges. The proposed rulemaking was the first step in moving from the Vessel General Permit (VGP) and US Coast Guard (USCG) ballast water management regulations to the requirements of the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act. EPA estimates that approximately 66,000 ships will be impacted.
The proposed regulations include general standards of performance and discharge-specific standards. The proposed rulemaking changes the known structure of the discharge requirements and aligns them with ship systems – not exactly the ship discharges listed in the VGP. For example, ballast water requirements are listed as discharge-specific requirements for ballast tanks.” Read more at https://www.rivieramm.com/opinion/proposed-standards-for-vessel-incidental-discharges-62707
Choice Ballast Solutions helps clients understand the developing regulatory standards and will continue to interact with the EPA and USCG to communicate possible impacts. Contact Debra DiCianna at ddcianna@choiceballast.com