Ballast Water Management-Annual Reporting Requirement

The Coast Guard proposes to amend its regulations on ballast water management by eliminating the requirement for vessels operating on voyages exclusively between ports or places within a single Captain of the Port Zone to submit an Annual Ballast Water Summary Report for calendar year 2018. The Coast Guard views this current reporting requirement as unnecessary to analyze and understand ballast water management practices. This proposal would also serve to reduce the administrative burden on the regulated population of vessels which are equipped with ballast tanks.