Washington Waves: Waterway News From D.C.

The National Maritime Center (NMC) announced that, effective May 18, all but two Regional Examination Centers (RECs) and Monitoring Units (MUs) were returning to routine operations, including availability to schedule examinations for mariners.

NMC said REC New Orleans will remain temporarily closed to walk-in and counter service, but its examination room will reopen for scheduling and conducting mariner examinations, and MU San Juan remains closed temporarily but will provide examination services on a limited basis.

“Mariners are strongly encouraged to monitor the NMC website for updates regarding processing times, REC operations and policy adjustments as operations stabilize,” the agency said.For questions or assistance scheduling mariner exams, contact the Customer Service Center via the NMC online chat system, email IASKNMC@uscg.mil or call 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).

Due to extended processing times, the National Maritime Center (NMC) is advising mariners on the use of issued customer-provided, prepaid U.S. Postal Service shipping labels for credential delivery.

“Applications may not be completed for several months after submission,” the NMC stated.

“In accordance with USPS shipping policy, prepaid shipping labels should be used within seven days of purchase and no more than 30 days after purchase.

In most cases, the NMC warned, mariner credentials mailed using prepaid USPS shipping labels older than 30 days will not be delivered. Therefore, the NMC said the following procedures will be followed when processing and shipping credentials:

• To ensure delivery, USPS shipping labels older than 30 days will not be used.

• Credentials associated with expired labels will be shipped via USPS First-Class Mail.

• The NMC will not request replacement labels or delay issuance pending receipt of a new label.

“Mariners are strongly encouraged not to submit USPS shipping labels with their applications and to consider current processing timelines when choosing an alternate shipping method,” the NMC said.

“Mariners are also encouraged to monitor the NMC website for updates regarding processing times, REC operations and policy adjustments as operations stabilize.

For questions, contact the NMC’s Customer Service Center via the online chat system, email IASKNMC@uscg.mil or call 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).

Jones Act Waiver Attacked

Leading Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee warned President Donald Trump that his waiver of the Jones Act represents a direct threat to the nation’s maritime industry.

“Our committee intends to provide rigorous oversight of the use of the waiver,” Reps. Rick Larsen of Washington, ranking member of the full committee, and Salud Carbajal of California, ranking member of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, stated in letter to the president.

“One issue of particular concern is whether vessels acting under the waiver have fully complied with U.S. laws. As you may know, 46 U.S. Code Section 501(a) limits the government’s waiver authority to ‘navigation and vessel-inspection laws.’ ”

They also said the waiver undermines the America’s Maritime Action Plan (MAP), which Trump released in February, calling for increased use of American vessels and American shipyards.

“The waiver does just the opposite,” they added.

Larsen and Carbajal also requested information on how each voyage that has been performed under the current waiver has “immediately” addressed military operations, the market survey or other mechanism to determine there were “insufficient qualified (U.S.-flag vessels to meet the needs of national defense without the waiver)” and a copy of the text of the waiver.

Coast Guard Guidance On Articulated Tug-Barge Vessel Manning

Authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023, H.R. 7776, SEC. 11508, the work instruction provides implementation guidance to Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) to issue amended certificates of inspection (COI) for certain articulated tug-barge (ATB) units inspected under 46 CFR Subchapter M–towing vessels that meet the criteria described within the policy document. Vessel owners and operators must submit a manning proposal to the cognizant OCMI per 46 CFR 15.501.

For questions regarding eligibility, contact the local OCMI who issued the vessel COI.

For information about this document, email the Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CG-CVC) via CGCVC@uscg.mil or FlagStateControl@uscg.mil.

National Shipper Advisory Committee Members Sought

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is requesting applications to serve on the National Shipper Advisory Committee (NSAC), which advises the agency on policies relating to the competitiveness, reliability, integrity and fairness of the international ocean freight delivery system.

NSAC consists of 24 members, with 12 representing entities who export cargo from the U.S. using ocean common carriers and 12 members representing those who import cargo to the U.S. using ocean common carriers.

Applications must be received by May 28 and should be submitted via nsac@fmc.gov to Mark Braganca. For additional information, contact Mark Braganca at 202-523-5861or nsac@fmc.gov.

By Jim Myers

WJ Washington Correspondent

The National Maritime Center (NMC) announced that, effective May 18, all but two Regional Examination Centers (RECs) and Monitoring Units (MUs) were returning to routine operations, including availability to schedule examinations for mariners.

NMC said REC New Orleans will remain temporarily closed to walk-in and counter service, but its examination room will reopen for scheduling and conducting mariner examinations, and MU San Juan remains closed temporarily but will provide examination services on a limited basis.

“Mariners are strongly encouraged to monitor the NMC website for updates regarding processing times, REC operations and policy adjustments as operations stabilize,” the agency said.For questions or assistance scheduling mariner exams, contact the Customer Service Center via the NMC online chat system, email IASKNMC@uscg.mil or call 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).

Due to extended processing times, the National Maritime Center (NMC) is advising mariners on the use of issued customer-provided, prepaid U.S. Postal Service shipping labels for credential delivery.

“Applications may not be completed for several months after submission,” the NMC stated.

“In accordance with USPS shipping policy, prepaid shipping labels should be used within seven days of purchase and no more than 30 days after purchase.

In most cases, the NMC warned, mariner credentials mailed using prepaid USPS shipping labels older than 30 days will not be delivered. Therefore, the NMC said the following procedures will be followed when processing and shipping credentials:

• To ensure delivery, USPS shipping labels older than 30 days will not be used.

• Credentials associated with expired labels will be shipped via USPS First-Class Mail.

• The NMC will not request replacement labels or delay issuance pending receipt of a new label.

“Mariners are strongly encouraged not to submit USPS shipping labels with their applications and to consider current processing timelines when choosing an alternate shipping method,” the NMC said.

“Mariners are also encouraged to monitor the NMC website for updates regarding processing times, REC operations and policy adjustments as operations stabilize.

For questions, contact the NMC’s Customer Service Center via the online chat system, email IASKNMC@uscg.mil or call 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).

Jones Act Waiver Attacked

Leading Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee warned President Donald Trump that his waiver of the Jones Act represents a direct threat to the nation’s maritime industry.

“Our committee intends to provide rigorous oversight of the use of the waiver,” Reps. Rick Larsen of Washington, ranking member of the full committee, and Salud Carbajal of California, ranking member of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, stated in letter to the president.

“One issue of particular concern is whether vessels acting under the waiver have fully complied with U.S. laws. As you may know, 46 U.S. Code Section 501(a) limits the government’s waiver authority to ‘navigation and vessel-inspection laws.’ ”

They also said the waiver undermines the America’s Maritime Action Plan (MAP), which Trump released in February, calling for increased use of American vessels and American shipyards.

“The waiver does just the opposite,” they added.

Larsen and Carbajal also requested information on how each voyage that has been performed under the current waiver has “immediately” addressed military operations, the market survey or other mechanism to determine there were “insufficient qualified (U.S.-flag vessels to meet the needs of national defense without the waiver)” and a copy of the text of the waiver.

Coast Guard Guidance On Articulated Tug-Barge Vessel Manning

Authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023, H.R. 7776, SEC. 11508, the work instruction provides implementation guidance to Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) to issue amended certificates of inspection (COI) for certain articulated tug-barge (ATB) units inspected under 46 CFR Subchapter M–towing vessels that meet the criteria described within the policy document. Vessel owners and operators must submit a manning proposal to the cognizant OCMI per 46 CFR 15.501.

For questions regarding eligibility, contact the local OCMI who issued the vessel COI.

For information about this document, email the Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CG-CVC) via CGCVC@uscg.mil or FlagStateControl@uscg.mil.

National Shipper Advisory Committee Members Sought

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is requesting applications to serve on the National Shipper Advisory Committee (NSAC), which advises the agency on policies relating to the competitiveness, reliability, integrity and fairness of the international ocean freight delivery system.

NSAC consists of 24 members, with 12 representing entities who export cargo from the U.S. using ocean common carriers and 12 members representing those who import cargo to the U.S. using ocean common carriers.

Applications must be received by May 28 and should be submitted via nsac@fmc.gov to Mark Braganca. For additional information, contact Mark Braganca at 202-523-5861or nsac@fmc.gov.