Washington Waves: Waterway News From D.C.

October 3, 2025

The Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a request for information (RFI) to the marine industry and others involved in the nation’s supply chain on the growing concern of cargo theft that costs the U.S. economy billions annually.

“These crimes involve opportunistic ‘straight thefts’ of trailers, containers and loads at truck stops or multimodal distribution hubs and highly coordinated operations conducted by organized criminal networks,” DOT stated in the Federal Register on September 19. “Both categories create significant economic losses, disrupt supply chains and in some cases fund broader illicit activities such as narcotics trafficking, counterfeiting and human smuggling.”

Cargo theft at marine terminals and during vessel-truck-rail transfers presents a particular challenge due to the high volumes and values of goods moving through U.S. ports, DOT said. In addition to the maritime supply chains, DOT also cited other modes of freight, including highways, rail and air.

Comments, which must be received by October 20, may be submitted under docket No. DOT-OST-2025-1326 via www.regulations.gov, by mailing Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Room PL-401, Washington, DC 20590-0001 or by hand delivery at Room PL-401, Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC.

For additional information, contact Paul Baumer at Paul.Baumer@dot.gov.

No Permit Required Module

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced the launch of its new “No Permit Required” module on its Regulatory Request System (RRS) to enhance transparency and improve public engagement with the agency’s regulatory program.

“This new module allows the public to answer a series of questions about their proposed activity to determine if authorization from USACE is required,” the Corps stated. “Questions are provided in stepwise sequential order, and if the information provided through the RRS results in a response that no permit is required for the proposed activity, users will immediately be provided correspondence. If the information provided results in a response that a permit is required, the user is provided the option to apply for a permit or pre-application meeting through the appropriate RRS application module.”

Questions on the new module or RRS in general should be directed to the appropriate USACE district office. RRS is accessible at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs.

Coast Guard Robotics

The Coast Guard announced an investment of nearly $350 million to expand its robotics and autonomous systems to strengthen mission execution and operational capabilities.

Provided by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), the funding includes $11 million in fiscal year 2025 for immediate upgrades to critical autonomous systems. Initial investments also include $4.8 million to procure 16 VideoRay Defender remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to replace Deployable Specialized Forces’ aging fleet, $2 million to procure six Qinetiq Squad Packable Utility Robots (SPUR) and 12 mini-SPUR robots to replace outdated unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), and $4.3 million to purchase 125 SkyDio X10D short-range unmanned aircraft systems (SR-UAS).

“These investments are the first in a series of robotics and autonomous systems projects the Coast Guard will pursue using OBBBA funding,” the Coast Guard said. “The technologies will meet immediate mission needs, improve personnel safety and strengthen the Coast Guard’s capabilities to control, secure and defend U.S. borders and maritime approaches.”

SARSAT Program

The Coast Guard has taken charge of the U.S. Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT) program, which is part of a global network that uses satellites to detect distress signals from Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) and Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs).

According to the service, the focus will continue on efficiency, faster decision-making and serving the public.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which previously managed the SARSAT program, will continue to manage the U.S. Mission Control Center for receiving and processing distress signals and maintain the National Beacon Registration Database for U.S. coded beacons and the Incident History Database.

WCC Program

The Coast Guard has announced it is moving forward with the acquisition of the new Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) class to replace the legacy fleet of inland tenders and facilitate commerce vital to the nation’s economic security and strategic mobility.

“Our nation’s marine transportation system facilitates over $5.4 trillion in economic activity every year and supports millions of jobs throughout the United States,” said Rear Adm. Mike Campbell, the Coast Guard’s director of systems integration and chief acquisition officer. “Putting new waterways commerce cutters on contract ensures we have the capabilities needed to support the safe and efficient flow of commerce in our inland waterways systems.”

The Coast Guard also announced it has ordered production of the first river buoy tender (WLR) and long lead time materials (LLTM) for the second inland construction tender (WLIC) with construction to take place at Birdon America Inc.’s shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Ala. The Coast Guard also has placed an order for three sets of LLTMs to support future production.

According to the service, the total value of the production and LLTM orders is approximately $110 million.

Advisory Board Meetings

The National Sea Grant Advisory Board is scheduled to hold virtual meetings October 21-23 to discuss and provide advice on the National Sea Grant College Program. Open to the public, the meetings on all three days are set to begin at 3 p.m. EST. For more information on the board, visit the Federal Advisory Committee database at www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/FACAPublicPage.

For additional information on the meetings, instructions on submitting written comments or inquiring about special accommodations, contact Susan Holmes at 301-734-1077 or oar.sg-feedback@noaa.gov by October 14.

FMC Payments

Effective October 1, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has announced that payments must be made electronically in accordance with Executive Order 14247, Modernizing Payments To and From America’s Bank Account.

“All payments to the commission must be submitted through the approved electronic methods: pay.gov or electronic funds transfer (EFT),” the FMC stated. “Questions may be sent to OBFMMaritime@fmc.gov.”