The American Waterways Operators (AWO) recently applauded the Senate Committee of Commerce, Science and Transportation for including commercial vessels in its Coast Guard bill.
The inclusion of the Commercial Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (CVIDA) in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2017 means regulations governing commercial vessels would be revised and conflicting regulations removed. Discharges from commercial vehicles and regulations for ballast water would be consolidated under Coast Guard authority with consultation from the Environmental Protection Agency.
It also will require the Coast Guard to submit a plan to Congress for modernizing the aging tender fleet.
“The inclusion of CVIDA in today’s mark-up of the Coast Guard Authorization Act is a critical milestone in the bipartisan effort to enact sensible vessel discharge regulatory reform that ensures smooth functioning of interstate maritime commerce while maintaining high environmental standards, both of which are of great importance to the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry,” Tom Allegretti, AWO president and CEO, said.
The AWO thanked committee chairman John Thune (R-SD) and ranking member Bill Nelson (D-FL), along with the other members of the committee, for their leadership.
The AWO is committed to working with Thune and Nelson, Allegretti said, to broaden bipartisan support of the bill.