The Coast Guard is proposing to amend the requirements regulating personnel permitted to serve as a person in charge (PIC) of fuel oil transfers on an inspected vessel. The change involves adding the option of using a letter of designation (LOD) in lieu of a Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) with a Tankerman-PIC endorsement.
Thousands of towing vessels are currently transitioning from uninspected vessels to inspected vessels. This proposal would allow a PIC currently using the LOD option on one of those uninspected vessels to continue to use that option to perform the same fuel oil transfers once the vessel receives its initial Certificate of Inspection. Under this proposal, obtaining a MMC with a Tankerman-PIC endorsement would become optional for PICs of fuel oil transfers on inspected vessels.
Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard on or before Oct. 15, 2019. Submit comments identified by docket number USCG-2018-0493 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. See the “Public Participation and Request for Comments” portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further instructions on submitting comments.
For information about this document call or email Cathleen Mauro, Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing (CG-MMC-1), Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-1449, email [email protected].
