U.S. Coast Guard releases substandard ship policy

U.S. Coast Guard releases substandard ship policy    The U.S. Coast Guard has released a policy letter outlining procedures for denying entry of certain foreign flagged commercial vessels into any port or place in the United States as a result of the vessel’s history of operating in a continuous substandard condition in waters subject to United States jurisdiction.
   The policy became effective Sept. 1, according to a Federal Register notice.
   The agency said it occasionally intercepts vessels arriving into United States waters that consistently demonstrate a substandard condition, and thus fail to comply with the requirements found in international conventions and domestic regulations.
   Previously there was no mechanism in place to effectively and consistently respond to repeat offenders, the Coast Guard said. The new “Banning of Foreign Vessels” policy should provide a systematic approach to addressing these vessels, said the Coast Guard, adding it aligns the Coast Guard with other countries that have signed the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.
   The Coast Guard will continue to screen, prioritize and coordinate all foreign vessel exams in accordance with existing policies. When a vessel has been detained three or more times within 12 months, and it is determined by the Coast Guard’s Foreign and Offshore Vessels Division (CG-5432) that failure to effectively implement a safety management system was a contributing factor for the substandard condition or conditions that led to the detentions, the vessel will be denied entry into any U.S. port or place until specified actions are completed to the agency's satisfaction.