The UK P&I Club is currently addressing a situation on board one of our Members’ vessels concerning a coal cargo shipment from the East coast of the USA. The cargo is emitting dangerously high levels of methane.
Loading grains in the Pacific Northwest can be a real test of patience. For shipowners not familiar with the Pacific Northwest, where it rains approximately 150 to 180 days per year, with rainfall totals averaging 40 inches per year, it is important to maximise loading during periods of light rain and to prevent vessel delays while avoiding moisture damage to the cargo during periods of moderate to heavy rain.
Founded in 1543, Santos has been long known as a port city –first through the export of coffee and then other commodities. Santos was significantly modernised and expanded in the 1990s to incorporate new technologies, operating with specialised terminals for containers, general cargo, and dry and liquid bulk, and it is responsible for almost 27% of the country’s trade. Santos is considered the largest port in Latin America, with its docks being 25 km long and able to accommodate about 50 ships at a time.
An oil spill is an ‘all hands-on deck!’ moment, inviting everyone from insurers, charterers, owners, the U.S. Coast Guard, local and state authorities, property, and ecological interests, and more to get involved. Tying all these parties together is the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (‘OPA’).
Great Lakes vessels trading is typically performed by dry bulk vessels that carry a variety of cargoes including ores, limestone, salt, cement, sand, grain, coal and gypsum. This article provides some insight into commercial shipping on the Great Lakes and some of what one might expect when transiting the area.
On 6 October 2020, EPA issued a news release (click here) stating that it is proposing standards to reduce the environmental impact of discharges, such as ballast water, that are incidental to the normal operation of commercial vessels
This year's Bodily Injury Seminar covered a variety of important areas relevant to both US and foreign flag shipowners. Twenty-five Members representing all vessel types, attended the seminar in our Jersey City office to listen to experts talk on: Limitation of Liability, How to Evaluate Pain and Suffering Damages, Crew Mental Health, Medical Case Management, and Medical Repatriation. Find out more in the latest edition of Bodily Injury News.
The paper begins with a summary of federal efforts in three topic areas: (1) spill demarcation and mitigation, including containment and countermeasures; (2) oil spill response technologies for cleanup and recovery of oil, including affiliated data management tools; and (3) the fate of oil and its effects on the environment.
An updated version of the Donjon-Smit Funding Agreement which has the following new footer: Donjon-Smit (Tanker and Non-Tank) Version B February 11, 2014 together with Annexes 1-5 has been uploaded to the Club website.
Members are advised to take care to sign the updated WSMC enrolment agreement which is compliant with International Group guidelines ( Circular 22/13 ) and not earlier unapproved versions as described in Circular 17/13.
