EPA's Vessel General Permit and Small Vessel General

� Use soaps and detergents that are minimally toxic; EPA expects that soaps that are
“minimally toxic” will contain little to no nonylphenols”
� EPA will develop a discharge requirement checklist or other implementation tool for
vessel owners/operators to use to assist in their quarterly self-inspections. This tool will
be developed within one year of the final sVGP permit issuance (December 2013).
VGP Compliance
To monitor and insure compliance with its VGP, EPA will develop and implement a monitoring
and compliance plan by December 2013 to assess the performance of the permit in protecting
listed resources. Currently, the U.S. Coast Guard conducts all inspections of vessels covered
under the VGP and uses an EPA/USCG jointly developed Job Aide, i.e., “Guidelines for Coast
Guard Evaluations of Compliance with the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Vessel
General Permit (VGP) for Discharges Incidental to the Normal Operation of Vessels.” To insure
that the inspections assess new requirements of the proposed VGP, EPA will:
� Work with the U.S. Coast Guard, with the early input of the Services, to update the Job
Aide to reflect requirements included in the new VGP.
� Create an online training and/or a webinar training regarding the VGP
requirements/prohibitions, within one year of final permit issuance.
� Create a comprehensive checklist of requirements for inspector training in conjunction
with the U.S. EPA National Enforcement Training Institute, within one year of final
permit issuance.
� Provide and continue to provide the U.S. Coast Guard with the title, office name, current
address and phone number for points of contact at headquarters offices and in each EPA
Region and USCG District.
In addition, EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance will meet with the
Services to discuss enforcement under the VGP. The EPA will gather, review and analyze
inspection data submitted by the Coast Guard; the results will be summarized (by type of vessel,
location when available, type of deficiencies, and number of deficiencies) and provided to the
Services annually.
sVGP Compliance
To monitor and insure compliance with its sVGP, EPA will:
� Develop and implement a monitoring and compliance plan within one year of permit
issuance to assess the performance of the permit in protecting listed resources.
� Organize a meeting with their Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance for the
Services to discuss and provide input to OECA’s inspection and enforcement plans for
the sVGP.
� Work with USCG, with the early input of the Services, to update the inspection and
enforcement document inspection checklist (i.e., Job Aide) to reflect sVGP requirements
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