Operating & Environmental Standards

Final policy letter describing type-approval testing methods for ballast water management systems (BWMS) that render organisms nonviable in ballast water

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The Coast Guard’s Office of Operating and Environmental Standards (CG-OES) has released Policy Letter 02-22 which describes the process for submitting viability testing methods to the Coast Guard and explains the information needed to evaluate a testing method.  Stakeholders may submit viability testing methods to the Coast Guard as outlined in Policy Letter 02-22. 

The Coast Guard will make a decision on submitted testing methods using the established evaluation process found in the policy letter. Submitters are encouraged to submit in writing to Commandant (CG-OES), Office of Operating and Environmental Standards, U.S. Coast Guard STOP 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King. Ave SE, Washington DC 20593-7509, or electronic copies sent by email to CG-OES@uscg.mil. For files in excess of 35mb, please send an email to CG-OES@uscg.mil requesting an alternate submission option. You will receive a file request via DoD SAFE https://safe.apps.mil/, allowing transfer of larger files. Please include sufficient information in each submission to allow the Coast Guard to complete environmental documentation required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other applicable laws.

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