Washington Waves: Waterway News From D. C.
The National Maritime Center (NMC) announced it has made “substantial progress” in reducing the backlog of applications triggered by the 2026 lapse in appropriations.
“Effective immediately, completed applications are expected to be processed within eight months from the date received, an improvement from the previously published estimate of 8-12 months,” the NMC said in an update issued June 16.
“This improvement reflects expanded production efforts, overtime, surge processing, workflow efficiencies and the reallocation of personnel and resources to reduce the backlog inventory accumulated during the lapse.”
Still, the NMC said application volumes remain elevated, adding that mariners and maritime employers should continue to plan accordingly and submit applications early to avoid potential disruptions to employment and vessel operations.
Other key takeaways:
• Applications will continue to be processed on a first-in, first-out basis. Only applications demonstrating a clear and documented nexus to national defense will be considered for expedited processing.
• Mariners are strongly encouraged to apply early, up to eight months before expiration, via the ASAP Tool to account for unforeseen delays.
• Mariner credential renewals may also be post-dated up to eight months, allowing mariners to renew early. Paper and incomplete submissions may delay issuance.
Mariners are encouraged to monitor the NMC website for updates regarding processing times, REC operations and policy adjustments as operations stabilize and sign up for the NMC list server.
For additional information, contact the NMC’s Customer Service Center via the NMC online chat system, by e-mailing IASKNMC@uscg.mil or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
Nominee Supports FEMA Reform
Cameron Hamilton, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told a key Senate panel he fully supports the president’s vision for reforming FEMA’s role in disaster response.
“FEMA is all too often used by states and public officials as a financial backstop for routine issues that should be handled locally,” Hamilton told the Senate Homeland and Government Affairs Committee during a confirmation hearing.
“We must return to our roots where disaster response is locally executed, state led and federally supported. Building state and local capacity is a critical step toward empowering jurisdictions to lead and manage.”
In addition to cutting red tape, the former Navy Seal said he would “revamp the agency’s partnership, improve our programs and modernize FEMA’s technology to deliver the resources communities and Americans need during their darkest days.”
In the early months of the current Trump administration, Hamilton served as acting FEMA director. He was dismissed after saying at a 2025 congressional hearing that the agency should be reformed, not eliminated, a stance that seemed to run contrary to the president’s goal at that time.
Tanker Security Program – Final Rule
The Maritime Administration (MarAd) issued a final rule implementing the Tanker Security Program (TSP) and making certain changes to the TSP interim final rule (IFR) published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022, in response to public comments received on the IFR, feedback from stakeholders and MarAd’s own experience during initial program administration.
Composed of a fleet of active, commercially viable, militarily useful, privately owned product tank vessels of the United States, the TSP Fleet is intended to meet national defense and other security requirements and maintain a U.S. presence in international commercial shipping.
MarAd added that TSP supports the U.S. maritime industries and workforce to promote national security and economic resilience.
The final rule takes effect July 23. Along with comments, the final rule may be viewed online at www.regulations.gov.
For additional information, contact David Hatcher at 202-366-0688, david.hatcher1@dot.gov or U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, Office of Sealift Support, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Room W25-310, Mail Stop 1, Washington, DC 20590.
Longview Anchorage – Final Rule
The Coast Guard issued a final rule on modifying the Longview anchorage by reducing its size to allow completion of the Longview Channel realignment project.
Effective July 17, the action is necessary to provide commercial vessels with the space needed to safely transit the navigational channel by maximizing the available height clearance of the Lewis and Clark Bridge in Longview, Wash.
Documents can be viewed at https:// www.regulations.gov under Docket No. USCG-2025-0806.
For additional information, contact Lt. Cmdr. Jesse Wallace at 503-572-3524 or SCRWWM@uscg.mil.
IMO Agenda
The Department of State is scheduled to conduct a public teleconference meeting at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 30 to prepare for the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 137th Session of the Council set for July 6-10 in London, UK.
Agenda Items include: teport of the secretary-general on credentials, rules of procedure, strategy and planning: internal oversight, ethics and joint inspection unit, resource management: human resources matters, financial reports, report on member state contributions, enhancement of multilingualism, enhancement of GISIS, IMO member state audit scheme and report of the Maritime Safety Committee.
Additional information may be found at https://www.dco.uscg.mil/ IMO.
Those who plan to participate may contact Lt. Cmdr. Amy Gayman at 571-608-8882, Amy.E.Gayman@uscg.mil or United States Coast Guard (CG-5PS), ATTN: LCDR Amy Gayman, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE Stop 7509, Washington DC 20593-7509, by June 26, the same date for members of the public to advise Gayman about any accommodations needed.
