The Coast Guard published a marine safety information bulletin announcing that the nontank vessel response plan interim operating authorizations expire July 31, 2014.

The “Nontank Vessel Response Plans and Other Response Plan Requirements ” final rule, was published in the Federal Register on September 30, 2013, and required owners or operators of nontank vessels 400gross tons and above to prepare and submit oil spill response plans for vessels operating on the navigable waters of the United States by January 30, 2014.

The Coast Guard published MSIB 42-13 on December 19, 2013, and used an Interim Operating Authorization, or IOA, process to assist vessel owners and operators to meet the January 30, 2014 deadline and continue to operate.

To date, the Coast Guard estimates approximately 1,100 IOA’s are still outstanding, all of which expire on July 31, 2014. If you are an owner or operator, currently operating under an IOA, your goal is to pursue a full term 5 year authorization by July 31st.

Please work with your plan preparers and salvage and marine fire fighting organizations, to ensure any issued deficiencies and outstanding 33 CFR 155 – Subpart J requirements are adequately addressed. Also, please ensure you allow sufficient time for your plan to be reviewed and approved prior to July 31st, or prior to your vessels entry into U.S. waters after that date.

For further details, contact information and a list of most common areas where deficiencies have been found, please view the full marine safety information bulletin.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.