The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has issued the rule with regard to obligation of installation of ballast water management system for the vessels engaged in U.S. waters. The rule is entitled as "Standards for Living Organisms in Ship's Ballast Water Discharged in U.S. Waters", Vol.77, Federal Register Reg.17254, on 23 March 2012 (Please refer to our Technical information TEC No.0903).
New vessels (those constructed on or after December 1, 2013) must install by the "first scheduled drydocking" after 1 January 2014 or 1 January 2016 as applicable.
In relation to the above, on 25 September 2013, USCG published the Policy letter regarding the provision to grant an extension to the implementation schedule for ballast water management discharge standards for vessels using USCG approved ballast water management systems as provided in 33CFR151.1513 and 151.2036.（Please refer to our Technical information TEC No.0971）.Later this was superseded by a new policy letter dated on 10 September 2015 (TEC-1049).
On 22 October 2015, USCG published the attached Marine Safety Information Bulletin regarding definition of "scheduled drydocking" and notable information are as follows:
1. In all cases, a vessel’s "first scheduled drydocking" date for the purposes of compliance with the BWM implementation schedule is the date the vessel enters a drydock. For example, if a vessel enters drydock on or before December 31, 2015 and does not leave drydock until after January 1, 2016, the drydock is not considered the "first scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2016" for purposes of compliance
2. A drydocking which is necessary for emergency repairs after the implementation date is not considered the first scheduled drydocking. However, if this drydocking satisfies the Administration for endorsing the Certificate of Inspection, passenger ship safety certificate, cargo ship safety certificate, or cargo ship safety construction certificate as the required survey of the bottom of the ship, this drydocking date is considered the first scheduled drydocking;
3. A scheduled drydocking to satisfy a statutory bottom survey requirement or to accomplish planned work (such as a drydocking to install exhaust gas cleaning equipment or to install a new bottom coating system) after the implementation date is considered the "first scheduled drydocking"