The Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise (TVNCOE) posted on its website Nov. 7, 2018, that the Coast Guard has approved Engineering Design & Testing (EDT) as a third-party organization (TPO) to carry out certain functions in accordance with Subchapter M. A complete list of all ten Coast Guard approved TPOs can be found on the TPO webpage.
In accordance with 46 CFR 139.110, classification societies that are recognized and/or authorized meet the requirements of a TPO. These classification societies are approved by regulation to perform certain work as a TPO without further Coast Guard approval.
Organizations other than recognized and/or authorized classification societies that conduct TPO functions for towing vessels must be Coast Guard approved.
An organization seeking approval as a TPO under Subchapter M must, at a minimum, submit an application package containing all the information listed in 46 CFR 139.120. The application package must be submitted to the Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise, which will review the information and determine if the organization meets the minimum standards for approval as a TPO. TPO approvals are granted for a period of five years.
Submit TPO application packages to:
Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise
504 Broadway St. Suite 101
Paducah, Kentucky 42001
More information, guidance, and checklists are available on TVNCOE’s website. Submit questions to tvncoe@uscg.mil.
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.