Topic Links Maritime trade is essential to America's economic viability and national security interests. The U.S. Marine Transportation System (MTS) – comprising an intricate system of ports, terminals, vessels, waterways and...more
The maritime industry is undergoing a significant transformation that involves increased use of cyber-connected systems, coinciding with increased nation-state and cybercriminal targeting of cyber systems in ports and...more
The U.S. maritime industry is steeped in tradition and sometimes takes a conservative approach to change. Even when the industry has protocols in place to ensure safety of mariners, in some cases it takes an act of...more
Background - In December 2018, the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (“VIDA”) was signed into law and intended to replace the Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) 2013 Vessel General Permit (which has been in place for...more
Under 2023 amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), owners, masters, and managing operators of U.S. documented commercial vessels, are now required to immediately report incidents of harassment, sexual...more
Many legal questions have been raised during the last 120 hours; initially when communications had been lost with Titan, a submersible operated by OceanGate Inc., a corporation based in Everett, Washington, and then on the...more
Buying, maintaining and using a recreational boat is always a pricey diversion. As inflation rises and costs mount for boat operation, owners will look for ways to reduce the overall expenses associated with this activity....more
As sanctions continue to ratchet up in response to Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, global responses in the maritime sector are moving at breakneck speed. Indeed, several governments are taking steps to block vessels...more
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) recently announced that it plans to develop and propose regulations to implement the provisions of MARPOL Annex VI, Chapter 4, including various shipboard energy efficiency measures aimed at...more
On September 22, 2021, the U.S. Coast Guard published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which would implement various changes relating to the certification of states’ titling systems for undocumented vessels. The NPRM...more
Mitigating the negative effects of climate change has been a signature issue of the Biden Administration, and if Thursday morning’s hearing on the decarbonization of the maritime industry is any indication, it will also be a...more
1. What is the first thing you must do after a boating accident? If you have had a boating accident, you must first take care of the health and safety of the people involved. Ensure everyone is safely on the boat if it is...more
Nearly a year after issuing its most direct broad-scale guidance on maritime cybersecurity in the context of certain shoreside facilities, the U.S. Coast Guard has followed up with guidance and compliance parameters for...more
In an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus (“COVID-19”), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) issued a sweeping order on January 29, 2021, which took effect at 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, February...more
The end of 2020 has seen significant developments in legislation with implications for the maritime industry as we move from the Trump administration to the new Biden administration. This article provides an update on the...more
More than 6000 U.S. flag commercial vessels carry more than 200 million passengers annually on domestic voyages in the United States. These include ferries, dinner-cruise vessels, sightseeing and excursion vessels, dive...more
NEW DEVELOPMENT - Long-awaited amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (“MARPOL”) entered into force on October 1, 2020, which expressly permit the use of electronic record...more
As the 116th Congress begins to slowly come to an end, and Congress leaves town without passing a relief bill during the summer recess, the maritime industry can benefit from several bills that have been added to this year’s...more
Much of the world’s focus is on the COVID-19 pandemic, and rightfully so, but sanctions regulators also have their gazes fixed on another issue: the maritime industry. On May 14 2020, we saw the U.S. Departments of State and...more
In response to an increase in deceptive shipping practices, on May 14, 2020, the State Department, Treasury Department and the Coast Guard issued a warning to the maritime industry, and those involved in the energy and metals...more
MARPOL enforcement cases in the US historically have involved violations of Annex I, such as oily water separator bypasses and falsified oil record books (ORBs), coupled with post-incident misconduct by crew members, such as...more
On May 14, 2020, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Coast Guard jointly released a long-awaited “Sanctions Advisory for the Maritime Industry, Energy and Metals Sectors, and Related...more
In the midst of the chaos generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 20, 2020, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) released an important Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC 20-01) concerning “Guidelines for...more
Top 10 Considerations for Foreign Flag Vessels Calling on U.S. Ports and U.S. Flag Vessels Operating Worldwide (Detailed Discussion) - For almost a decade we have been discussing MARPOL Annex VI and the new global cap on...more
Blank Rome’s maritime attorneys have represented clients in some of the largest maritime casualties in the last 20 years, including the Staten Island Ferry allision with a maintenance pier in New York, the blow out and...more