§ 151.2026 Alternate management systems.

(a) A manufacturer whose ballast water management system (BWMS) has been approved by a foreign administration pursuant to the standards set forth in the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004, may request in writing, for the Coast Guard to make a determination that their BWMS is an alternate management system (AMS). Requests for determinations under this section must include:

(1) The type-approval certificate for the BWMS.

(2) Name, point of contact, address, and phone number of the authority overseeing the program;

(3) Final test results and findings, including the full analytical procedures and methods, results, interpretations of the results, and full description and documentation of the Quality Assurance procedures (i.e., sample chain of custody forms, calibration records, etc.);

(4) A description of any modifications made to the system after completion of the testing for which a determination is requested; and

(5) A type approval application as described under 46 CFR 162.060–12.

(i) Once ballast water management systems are type approved by the Coast Guard and available for a given class, type of vessels, or specific vessel, those vessels will no longer be able to install AMS in lieu of type approved systems.

(ii) [Reserved]

(b) Requests for determinations must be submitted in writing to the Commanding Officer (MSC), Attn: Marine Safety Center, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7430, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20593–7430, or by email to msc@uscg.mil”..

(c) If using an AMS that was installed on the vessel prior to the date that the vessel is required to comply with the ballast water discharge standard in accordance with § 151.2035(b), the master, owner, operator, agent, or person in charge of the vessel subject to this subpart may employ such AMS for no longer than 5 years from the date they would otherwise be required to comply with the ballast water discharge standard in accordance with the implementation schedule in § 151.2035 (b) of this subpart. To ensure the safe and effective management and operation of the AMS equipment, the master, owner, operator, agent or person in charge of the vessel must ensure the AMS is maintained and operated in conformity with the system specifications.

(d) An AMS determination issued under this section may be suspended, withdrawn, or terminated in accordance with the procedures contained in 46 CFR 162.060–18.

[USCG–2001–10486, 77 FR 17306, Mar. 23, 2012, as amended by USCG–2014–0410, 79 FR 38435, July 7, 2014; USCG–2016–0498, 82 FR 35082, July 28, 2017; USCG–2018–0874, 84 FR 30829, June 28, 2019]