What is the biggest issue on the
plate of the marine safety group at
this moment? What are you doing
to solve it?
The maritime industry faces the
triple challenge over the next several
decades of increasing the capacity of
the Marine Transportation system
(MTS), while reducing the environ-
mental footprint in the face of every
increasing complexity. This triple
challenge drives Coast Guard mari-
time prevention priorities as well.
We are focused on increasing capac-
ity of the MTS through our Future
of Navigation initiative even while
we increase our internal capacity
to provide governance through the
workforce and third party initiatives
I’ve already mentioned. Another fo-
cus area of the Coast Guard is pro-
viding effective and reasonable envi-
ronmental standards and compliance
strategies in order to reduce the en-
vironmental footprint of the MTS.
You see this today in air emissions,
ballast water and other waste streams.
We strive to put standards in pace
that drive the innovation required to
meet this environmental challenge,
and to develop compliance processes
that provide the level playing fi eld
the industry demands and deserves.
And fi nally, with regard to complex-
ity, the two biggest issues on our plate
our implementing effective safety
management systems and managing
operational risk associated with cy-
ber systems. We are working hard to
update SMS and ISM requirements
in both regulation and NVIC, and to
put in place basic cyber risk manage-
ment requirements for both vessels
and port facilities.
In terms of regulatory issues,
SubM, the Ballast Water issue and
VGP seem to be ‘answered policy.’
What’s looming large in the port-