WorkBoat: What is the overall goal of instituting a program for towboat inspection?
Peter Squicciarini: The overall goal is to reduce accidents that result in personal injury, death, and damage to equipment or the environment. This has been an evolution. Incidents over the years, like when a towing vessel hit a bridge involving an Amtrak train, and most recently, the Mel Oliver oil spill in the Mississippi River, have led the industry and the Coast Guard to seek an improvement in owner and operator performance in marine safety.
WB: How is the towing industry participating in the development of this new program?
Squicciarini: From the beginning, the Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) has been engaged in the development of a towing vessel inspection regime. Over the course of several years, TSAC provided the Coast Guard with comprehensive recommendations concerning a subchapter devoted to the inspection for certification of towing vessels. In addition, the industry remains heavily involved and actively participating in the Towing Vessel Bridging Program leading to Subchapter M vessel inspections. Their efforts, through various working groups, have helped to shape the training, orientation, outreach and other efforts. Industry is at the table and will continue to be right through the rulemaking process and implementation of the inspection regime.
WB: Given that the regulations were written largely with the cooperation of industry and that many companies already participate in the American Waterways Operators Responsible Carrier Program, what will really change when this program is finally in place?
Squicciarini: The actual writing of the rules and regulations is accomplished at Coast Guard headquarters, and I am not involved in that, so I can't give details on what might be required. But voluntary membership in AWO's Responsible Carrier Program will be extended fleetwide to all U.S.-flagged domestic vessels. It will no longer be voluntary, but all boats must follow marine safety standards - that will be the change. The good news is that AWO members who follow the RCP are already in a good position once the final rules are out. The other overarching change will be creating a safety management system. The RCP is tantamount to this, as it brings boats up to a higher level of marine safety. It has standards for management and safe boat operations. The emphasis will be on an overall marine safety management system, not on an individual boat operator as in the past.
WB: Does this mean the Coast Guard will weed out operators that don't have safety as a top priority?
Squicciarini: It's not a question of weeding out, but it's the establishment of marine safety standards applicable to the towing industry. The Coast Guard isn't looking to impede business but to provide a standard that is consistent, reasonable and offers a level playing field with business. If a boat or operation can't meet the standards, then their ability not to operate would be considered weeding out. In this sense, weeding out would be a consequence of the requirement to meet the new standards.
WB: What can the industry do now to prepare for when the final regulations are issued?
Squicciarini: If they haven't already, towing companies can join our Towing Vessel Bridging Program. Under the program, which began in June, the Coast Guard conducts voluntary dockside exams of vessels, with the intent of helping them bridge to the regulations. Phase One will last about 18 months and is now in progress in all districts in the Atlantic area (which includes the Gulf of Mexico, Western Rivers and Great Lakes) and soon will be extended to the Pacific area. The Coast Guard has materials to perform on board, dockside inspections, and the goal is to do one on every towboat. We had the Big Tow program, which focused on mariner licensing and credentials. This program reaches far beyond that and is a smaller subset of the larger regulations we're now working on. The idea is to identify shortfalls and make improvements so that when the regulations are final, these boats are in better shape to comply. We encourage industry to sign up by calling their Coast Guard district or call or e-mail me. (757-398-7720; peter.d.squicciarini@uscg.mil )
WB: What do recent Coast Guard statistics show about towing vessel accidents and deaths, and has there been an improvement since the industry launched its voluntary Responsible Carrier Program?
Squicciarini: The industry is getting safer. Collisions, allisions, groundings and fires are down, and the general trend is a decrease in the number of oil spills and the quantity of oil spilled. Things are getting better thanks to the RCP plans, investments in training, and development of a culture of compliance with safety rules at the corporate level. But there are inherent dangers in this industry, and the risks are higher than other professions due to the nature of the work.
WB: Will the new program help prevent a scenario that led to last year's Mississippi River spill, when an unlicensed pilot was at the helm?
Squicciarini: We have confidence that the marine safety mechanism we are creating will result in fewer accidents and injuries and less infrastructure and environmental damage - all of which have a negative impact on the trade. I don't know whether we could have prevented the Mel Oliver accident, but the (new) safety mechanism is well thought out, and we're confident it will reduce risks and improve marine safety.
WB: What are the industry's biggest concerns over the new program?
Squicciarini: A major concern is that the regulations should be consistent, reasonable and won't hurt the industry's ability to do business. They don't want the standards to be set so high that it is too costly or impossible to meet the bar. We are seeking achievable standards and that is why we're developing these rules with the industry. Another legitimate concern is over the proper training of Coast Guard personnel who will do towboat inspections. They want them to be qualified with significant experience to do a good job.
WB: Given all of its other responsibilities, how is the Coast Guard going to handle this new program within its current budget and staffing limitations?
Squicciarini: The Coast Guard has received good congressional support to build the resources needed for this program. The number of Coast Guard and civilian billets has dramatically increased - doubled to over 100 positions Coast Guard-wide - so we'll have many more inspectors. The establishment of the Towing Vessel Center of Expertise and Training Program, as well as logistics for things like vehicles and personal protection equipment, has been funded. There's been a significant budget investment, and there's a commitment to execute the program. I come from the towing industry, having worked for Norfolk Tug Co., and as a master mariner, I'd like to encourage mariners to consider applying for these new inspector positions. The Coast Guard wants greater participation of people with industry experience. We're looking for some good tug mariners for our scheme. This isn't poaching or raiding the industry for employees, rather it's something that will help everyone to have people who know tugboats in these positions.