The recently passed Vessel Incidental Discharge Act requires EPA to promulgate federal standards of performance for marine pollution control devices and best management practices, and to control or abate any discharge incidental to the normal operation of a vessel, no later than two years after enactment. Then, VIDA requires the Coast Guard to publish implementing regulations no later than two years after the EPA publishes new or revised standards of performance.
The EPA and Coast Guard will host two upcoming webinars to provide a general overview of VIDA, discuss interim and future discharge requirements, describe future state and public engagement opportunities, and answer select clarifying questions raised by the audience.
Dates:
May 7, 2019 from 3:00-4:30 PM EST
Register: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6495610530192866316
May 15, 2019 from 9:30-11:00 AM EST
Register: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3129022474263622668
Participants may choose to register for either date provided. For technical support with registration or during the webinars, contact the EPA.
The EPA and the Coast Guard are committed to stakeholder outreach and engagement throughout the development and promulgation of the new national standards of performance under VIDA. Keep an eye out on Maritime Commons for the latest announcements regarding VIDA, or check the Coast Guard and/or EPA VIDA websites.
Contact the Coast Guard’s Office of Operating and Environmental Standards at environmental_standards@uscg.mil with any questions or comments.
Editor’s note: Read Rear Adm. John Nadeau’s Feb. 1, 2019 blog about VIDA.
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.
