EPA's Vessel General Permit and Small Vessel General

stability of the ship. Any discharge of bilgewater into these waters must be
documented and reported to EPA as part of the vessel’s annual report.
o For vessels that regularly sail outside the territorial sea (at least once per month), if
treated bilgewater is discharged into waters subject to this permit, it must be
discharged when the vessel is underway (sailing at speeds greater than 6 knots),
unless doing so threatens the safety and stability of the ship. EPA notes that vessel
operators may also choose to dispose of bilgewater on shore where adequate facilities
exist. Any discharge, which is made for safety reasons, must be documented and
reported to EPA as part of the vessel’s annual report.
For new builds (on or before December 19, 2013), EPA requires electronic submittal of annual
oil content monitoring.
Ballast Water. Ballast water is water taken on to vessels to aid in buoyancy and stability and in
increasing or decreasing the vessel’s draft. According to EPA, cruise ships have a typical ballast
capacity of 1,000 cubic meters and cargo ships may contain up to 93,000 cubic meters. Pollutant
discharges from ballast water may include contain rust inhibitors, flocculent compounds, epoxy
coating materials and metals. Ballast water may also serve as a vector for biological pollutants
including aquatic nuisance species (ANS) and pathogens.
For vessels covered under the VGP, EPA requires certain vessel owner/operators to ensure
adequate, prompt training for the master, operator, person-in-charge, and crew who manage, take
part in, or affect ballast water discharge. All vessel owners/operators are required to maintain a
written training plan, including a description of the training, the date of the training, and the
names of those that were trained. They are required to maintain a ballast water management plan
developed specifically for their vessel that will ensure that those responsible for the plan’s
implementation understand and follow the vessel’s ballast water management strategy (i.e., how
the vessel will meet the requirements of the VGP).
The EPA requires owner/operators of vessels with ballast water tanks to:
� Avoid the discharge or uptake of ballast water in Federally Protected Waters (listed in
Appendix G of the VGP).
� Minimize or avoid uptake of water in:
o Critical habitat of ESA-listed species.
o Areas known to have infestations or populations of harmful organisms and pathogens
(e.g., toxic algal blooms).
o Areas near sewage outfalls.
o Areas near dredging operations.
o Areas where tidal flushing is known to be poor or times when a tidal stream is known
to be turbid.
o In darkness, when bottom-dwelling organisms may rise up in the water column.
o Where propellers may stir up the sediment.
o Areas with pods of whales, convergence zones, and boundaries of major currents.
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