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The National Pollution Funds Center has posted the following update regarding the government shutdown and the NPFC Vessel Certification Division closure. Due to the partial government shutdown, the Vessel Certification Division at NPFC is only minimally staffed and Certificate of Financial Responsibility (COFR) applications are not being processed. However, ... Read More
The Vessel Certification Division of the National Pollution Funds Center has made the following announcement: ************************************** Due to the Federal Government shutdown, the Vessel Certification Division will be closed. During the shutdown, the ECOFR site will remain operational. We will review all received applications in the order received once ... Read More
Leverage our nearly 50 years as the premier US vessel pollution insurer and guarantor. Competitive rates and no charge for vessel calls USD 700 for all non-tank vessels USD 825 for all tank vessels No fee CG-5585 application service Backed by the strength of our syndicate subscribers Access to ... Read More
On April 25, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a notable opinion in Starr Indemnity & Liability Co. a/s/o and as assignee of all rights of Genesis Marine, LLC v. Water Quality Insurance Syndicate, No. 15 Civ. 2365 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 25, 2018). In extensive ... Read More
BoatUS estimates more than 63,000 recreational boats were damaged or destroyed by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma at about $655 million in boat losses. That is just shy of losses caused by Hurricane Sandy. Substantial damage occurred even to boats whose owners took appropriate precautions, inspectors found. While some boats ... Read More
The National Transportation Safety Board has finished its review of the Oct. 1, 2015, sinking of the freighter El Faro between Jacksonville, Fla., and San Juan, Puerto Rico, during Hurricane Joaquin. The accident killed all 33 people on board and was the worst U.S. maritime disaster in modern history. ... Read More
A global cyber attack spread worldwide June 27, striking multiple shipping operations, including carrier lines and terminals. Internal systems as well as online booking applications were shuttered, causing port closures and potentially serious problems with terminal operating systems that control cargo logistics and ship berthing among many other terminal ... Read More
The Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, also dubbed VIDA, aims to set a single national standard for ballast water discharges and would limit what states can demand from maritime vessels in this regard. The bill passed its first approval stage, gaining bipartisan voice-vote passage in the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science ... Read More
A maritime pollution spill may truly be a disaster, and the first hours are the most critical: they can set the tone for the entire response—for good or ill. That’s why WQIS has engaged the best response and mitigation consultants in the business to assist our clients with an ... Read More
New updates have been posted for procedures to request extensions for Ballast Water Management compliance. The update, issued by the U.S. Coast Guard in March 2017, deals with 33CFR 151 in particular and responds to widespread confusion over previously issued guidance. The USCG received hundreds of requests for compliance ... Read More