The Club would like to remind Members that commercial vessels calling at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will, in addition to complying with the U.S. federal government’s enforcement of MARPOL Annex VI and the California Air Resources Board’s enforcement of its low-sulphur and shore power connection (At-Berth) regulations, also have to ensure compliance with the rules of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (“AQMD”).
The question of whether environmental claims in Brazil are subject to time bars, and if so, what the prescription periods would be, has finally been put to rest. Loggers had filed an appeal to the Supreme Court (STF), Brazil’s constitutional court, to challenge the judgments of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), Brazil’s highest court for non-constitutional issues. The latter had repeatedly ruled that environmental damage could not be barred by the passage of time.
Further to their recent Circular Ref No: PNI [2020] 05 bringing to our attention China MSA’s version 2.0 of their “Guidance on the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 on board”, the Club’s Correspondents, Messrs Huatai Marine, have now issued a new Circular Ref No: PNI [2020] 06 providing Members with the latest update on crew changes in Chinese ports.
On 29 March, China MSA issued their updated Guidance on the Prevention and Control of Covid-19 Onboard. This is an update on Version 1.0 issued on 17 March. The UK Club’s Correspondents, Messrs Huatai, have helpfully summarised the amendments in their Circular Ref No.: PNI [2020] 05. The main amendments are the introduction of guidance on crew change operations and precautionary measures to minimise an “overseas epidemic".
The USCG in its Marine Safety Information Bulletin (IMSB) dated 9 April 2020, notes that disruptions to supply chains and workforce availability in the current COVID-19 pandemic can lead to delays in the installation and the commissioning of ballast water treatment systems (BWTS). The Coast Guard is, therefore, adjusting its extension policy under the US Ballast Water Management Regulations for vessels which may be impacted by the pandemic, with BWTS compliance dates before 1 April 2021. In instances where the pandemic has made it impractical to perform necessary or scheduled work on a vessel;
The animated video depicts a mooring accident that occurred when a bulk carrier was discharging cargo alongside a mineral terminal. While repositioning the vessel astern the terminal, using only mooring lines and with the engine on stand-by, the master became concerned the vessel was developing excessive sternway.
We gladly invite you to join us for our second live webinar in our newly launched webinar series. In this webinar we will explore the technical aspects of fuel quality claims, leaving plenty of time for questions at the end.
