| Print | Close Window | AMO Currents - Posted: August 6, 2014 |
Online portal established for reporting non-availability of low-sulfur fuel; regulation takes effect Jan. 1, 2015
Familiarity with the online portal and timely filing of fuel non-availability disclosures for vessels unable to obtain fuel meeting the 0.1 percent requirement will help in avoiding fines and possible prosecution during the period before fuel meeting the requirement becomes widely available.
The EPA's instructions for use of the North American Emission Control Area Electronic Fuel Oil Non-Availability Disclosure Portal are available online.
An owner or operator of a vessel entering or operating in the North American ECA that cannot obtain compliant fuel oil can post a claim via the submission of a Fuel Oil Non-Availability Report (FONAR). To file this report, an electronic FONAR form must be requested through the online portal, completed and then submitted through the same online portal.
According to the EPA, once the FONAR has been submitted, the vessel should proceed in its normal course and does not need to wait for further confirmation from EPA prior to entering the North American ECA. In due course, the EPA will review the complete FONAR submitted by the user and will decide on the appropriate action to take, including taking no action. The EPA may contact the submitter (and/or ship owner or operator) in the event of an incomplete submission, a request for additional information, or to pursue an enforcement action such as a Notice of Violation. The ship owner or operator is required to maintain records of this submission for a period no less than five (5) years from the occurrence of the violation.
In addition to the North American ECA, the 0.1 percent fuel oil sulfur content regulation also takes effect Jan. 1, 2015 in the United States Caribbean ECA, Baltic Sea ECA and North Sea ECA.
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