Coast Guard enforces new towing vessel inspection regulations in Alaska

 

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 17th District Alaska Contact: 17th District Public Affairs Office: (907) 463-2468 17th District online newsroom

Coast Guard enforces new towing vessel inspection regulations in Alaska

JUNEAU, Alaska - The Coast Guard is enforcing new towing vessel inspection regulations, effective July 20, 2018.

The regulations history dates back to 2004, when Congress passed the Coast Guard and Marine Transportation Act of 2004, which added towing vessels to the list of inspected vessels. For more than ten years, the Coast Guard and the towing industry have worked collaboratively to develop the regulations and a plan to transition the vessels into an inspected fleet.

Referred to as Subchapter M based on their location within Title 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the new regulations bolster the existing requirements for fire-fighting and life-saving equipment, establish standards for construction and arrangement of newly constructed vessels, and phases-in machinery and electrical standards over the next decade.

As of July 20, 2018, all vessels engaged in towing must comply with the new towing vessel regulations. Certificates of Inspection will be issued to towing vessels in phases over the next four years. Coast Guard Sector Juneau and Sector Anchorage personnel have been working with towing vessel operators throughout Alaska to prepare them for the deadline and for COI issuance.

"The operators that we have communicated with have been very receptive and are working hard to ensure they are all in 100% compliance," said Lt. Cmdr. Mason Wilcox, the Coast Guard Sector Anchorage Chief of Inspections. "We would like to thank all of our towing vessel operators for working with us to help them ensure their full compliance with the new regulations. We appreciate them being proactive and their dedication to safety."

For further questions regarding towing vessel inspection regulations, refer to the contacts below:

Coast Guard Sector Juneau Inspections Division:
907-463-2477
E-mail: SectorJuneauInspections@USCG.mil

Coast Guard Sector Anchorage Inspections Division:
907-428-4200
E-mail: Anchorage.Inspections@USCG.mil

Coast Guard District Seventeen Towing Vessel Coordinator:
907-463-2823
E-mail: Samuel.E.Hatch2@USCG.mil

For additional information about the inspection of towing vessels see:

Coast Guard Towing Vessel Center of Expertise:
http://www.dco.uscg.mil/tvncoe/

 

-USCG-