A Regulation’s Impact: Oil record book maintenance requirements

This article discusses the oil book regulation and its usefulness in prosecuting criminal violations of pollution standards. Although Congress did not pass a federal law with an oil book stipulation, 33 C.F.R. 151.25 requires certain ships to fill out, and record transactions in an oil record book; and maintain the book on board the vessel for three years. The U.S. Coast Guard used the notice-and-comment rule-making process to pass this maintenance requirement. It implements national and international law that governs source pollution from ships. The article proceeds to describe the oil record book regulation, and discusses other parts of the broader framework to mitigate and combat vessel-source pollution. MARPOL 73/78 addresses the pollution of the seas, including oil and exhaust pollution and dumping. Its mission is to preserve the marine environment through the total eradication of pollution by oil and other hazardous materials and to reduce accidental venting and discharge of those hazards. The Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), passed by Congress in 1980, is also discussed. The act puts into use oil pollution regulations for registered or native U.S. ships, vessels navigating in U.S. waterways, or vessels operating under U.S. authority. APPS inspections and options for enforcement are also discussed.

• Record URL:
  http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/archive/2012/Vol69_No4_Wint2012.pdf
• 
• Authors:
  • McNamara, Brian
• Publication Date: 2013

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: pp 21-24
• Serial:
  • Coast Guard Journal of Safety & Security at Sea, Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council
  • Volume: 69/70
  • Issue Number: 4/1
  • Publisher: U.S. Coast Guard
  • Serial URL: http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Environmental protection; Laws; Oil spills; Prosecution; Recordkeeping; Regulations
• Identifier Terms: Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships; MARPOL; United States Coast Guard
• Subject Areas: Environment; Law; Marine Transportation; Security and Emergencies; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01493463
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 20 2013 4:14PM