31288 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 124 / Tuesday, June 30, 2009 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Coast Guard 

[Docket No. USCG–2008–0986] 

Voluntary Compliance With 

International Sewage Regulations in 

Annex IV to MARPOL 73/78 

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard 

announces the availability of Navigation 

and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 

No. 1–09, which provides guidance on 

voluntary compliance with MARPOL 

Annex IV. On January 1, 2010, the 

revised effluent standards and 

performance test criteria for sewage 

treatment plants under MARPOL Annex 

IV will enter into force internationally. 

The United States is not party to 

MARPOL Annex IV; however, vessels 

registered in the United States visiting 

nations that are party may need to 

demonstrate compliance with MARPOL 

Annex IV regulations on the prevention 

of pollution by sewage from ships. The 

U.S. Coast Guard is assisting vessels 

registered in the United States as well 

as the manufacturers of sewage 

treatment plants, and the independent 

laboratories that test such equipment, in 

demonstrating compliance with 

MARPOL Annex IV by providing the 

guidance in NVIC No. 1–09. Failure of 

a vessel registered in the United States 

to have the appropriate certificate 

demonstrating voluntary compliance 

with MARPOL Annex IV could result in 

a port State detention abroad. 

DATES: The revised effluent standards 

and performance tests for sewage 

treatment plants enter into force on 

January 1, 2010, for ships with a keel 

laid date on or after January 1, 2010, and 

for ships having a sewage treatment 

plant installed or delivered on or after 

January 1, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: 

Testing Facility 

Requests for a U.S. Coast Guard letter 

of acceptance as a qualified facility may 

be sent to the Office of Design and 

Engineering Standards (CG–521), U.S. 

Coast Guard, 2100 Second St., SW., 

Washington, DC 20593–7126. 

Equipment Manufacturer 

Requests for a U.S. Coast Guard 

Certificate of Approval may be sent to 

the Marine Safety Center, U.S. Coast 

Guard, 2100 Second St., SW., 

Washington, DC 20593–7102. 

Vessel 

Requests for a Statement of Voluntary 

Compliance with MARPOL Annex IV 

and request for onboard survey may be 

sent to the local Officer in Charge, 

Marine Inspection (OCMI). For a listing 

of OCMIs, visit our Internet portal 

Homeport at http://homeport.uscg.mil 

and then select Port Directory. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

additional information about this notice, 

please contact one of the following: 

Testing Facility 

Lieutenant Rob Griffiths, Office of 

Design and Engineering Standards (CG– 

521), telephone +1 (202) 372–1367, email Robert.P.Griffiths@uscg.mil. 

Equipment Manufacture 

Chief Warrant Officer Timothy R. 

Willis, Marine Safety Center, telephone 

+1 (202) 475–3402, e-mail 

Timothy.R.Willis@uscg.mil. 

U.S. Flagged Vessels 

Local OCMI. See Port Directory at 

http://homeport.uscg.mil. For vessels 

enrolled in the Alternate Compliance 

Program, contact the Authorized 

Classification Society. Alternatively, 

contact Lieutenant Commander Scott 

Muller, Office of Vessel Activities (CG– 

543), telephone (202) 372–1220, e-mail 

Scott.W.Muller@uscg.mil. 

Non-U.S. Flagged Vessel 

Local port State control office. See 

Port Directory at http:// 

homeport.uscg.mil. Alternatively, 

contact Mr. John Sedlak, Office of 

Vessel Activities (CG–543), telephone 

+1 (202) 372–1240, e-mail 

John.S.Sedlak@uscg.mil. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Navigation and Vessel Inspection 

Circular (NVIC) No. 1–09 establishes the 

policies, procedures, and standards for 

requesting U.S. Coast Guard statement 

of voluntary compliance with MARPOL 

Annex IV. These procedures are divided 

into four distinct sections covering: (1) 

General applicability, (2) testing 

facilities, (3) equipment manufacturers, 

and (4) the issuance of vessel 

certificates. You may download this 

NVIC from the Internet at http:// 

www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvic/ or obtain a 

copy by contacting one of the 

individuals listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. 

The Marine Environment Protection 

Committee (MEPC) of the International 

Maritime Organization (IMO) recently 

revised MARPOL Annex IV resulting in 

several changes to the regulations 

governing discharge of sewage from 

ships on international voyages. First, 

inspection criteria were enhanced to 

include initial surveys of installed 

sewage systems prior to being placed 

into service and periodic surveys 

throughout the life of the ship. Next, 

standards for discharging treated sewage 

(i.e., effluent) into the water were made 

more stringent and equipment testing 

procedures were standardized. Finally, 

discharge rates for untreated sewage 

were established. 

These revisions to MARPOL Annex 

IV, especially the effluent standards 

contained in resolution MEPC.159(55), 

which are effective on January 1, 2010, 

eliminates the prior equivalency that 

had existed between Type I and Type II 

marine sanitation device requirements 

approved by the United States and 

sewage treatment plant requirements of 

MARPOL Annex IV. This creates a 

potential for adverse port State control 

action (e.g., detention) to be taken 

against U.S. registered vessels engaged 

in international voyages with a keel laid 

date on or after January 1, 2010, or 

having a sewage treatment plant 

installed or delivered on or after that 

date. 

Discussion 

MARPOL Annex IV requires certain 

ships that engage in international 

voyages to have a valid International 

Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate 

(ISPPC) issued by its flag 

Administration or by a recognized 

organization acting on behalf of the flag 

Administration. Under the provisions of 

Annex IV, an ISPPC cannot be issued to 

a ship unless its flag State is party to 

that Annex. 

The United States is not party to 

MARPOL Annex IV. Vessels registered 

in the United States that engage in 

international voyages with sewage 

systems in compliance with Annex IV 

may be eligible instead to receive a 

Statement of Voluntary Compliance 

(SOVC). This certificate takes the place 

of the ISPPC and is issued to a U.S. 

vessel by the U.S. Coast Guard or by an 

Authorized Classification Society (ACS), 

as appropriate, to demonstrate 

compliance with MARPOL Annex IV. 

Applicability 

MARPOL Annex IV, as adopted in 

resolution MEPC.115(51), is applicable 

to ships on international voyages that 

are: 

(1) 400GT and greater; or 

(2) Less than 400GT when certified to 

carry more than 15 persons, which 

includes both passengers and crew. 

The effluent standards and 

performance tests, as adopted in 

resolution MEPC.159(55), are applicable 

to sewage treatment plants for ships 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES6
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 124 / Tuesday, June 30, 2009 / Notices 31289 

with a keel laid date on or after January 

1, 2010, and for ships having a sewage 

treatment plant installed or delivered on 

or after January 1, 2010. Ships with a 

keel laid date prior to January 1, 2010, 

or ships having a sewage treatment 

plant installed or delivered prior to that 

date, may continue to use equipment 

certified to either the 1976 international 

effluent standards contained in 

resolution MEPC.2(VI) or an applicable 

national specification. In the United 

States, this applicable national 

specification is 33 CFR Part 159. 

MARPOL Annex IV may be applicable 

to other vessels including small tugs, 

recreational boats, yachts, etc., that 

engage in international voyages because 

Regulation 4 in MARPOL Annex IV 

requires a flag Administration to 

establish appropriate measures for 

vessels not subject to international 

sewage regulations. In this case, for U.S. 

vessels and other vessels subject to the 

jurisdiction of the United States, 

appropriate measures are provided for 

under 33 CFR Part 159. U.S. vessels 

intending to engage in international 

voyages may apply for a SOVC. 

Application Procedures 

Facilities that are in the business of 

independently evaluating, inspecting, 

and testing shipboard sewage systems 

and the effluent discharged from such 

systems for compliance with published 

standards may request a U.S. Coast 

Guard letter of acceptance as a qualified 

facility from the Office of Design and 

Engineering Standards (CG–521) listed 

under ADDRESSES and FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. 

Manufacturers of sewage treatment 

plants may apply to any facility 

accepted by the U.S. Coast Guard as a 

qualified facility to perform 

independent evaluation, inspection, and 

testing of sewage treatment plants for 

compliance with MARPOL Annex IV. 

For sewage comminuting and 

disinfection systems, or for sewage 

holding tanks, the application is sent 

instead to any facility accepted by the 

U.S. Coast Guard as a recognized 

facility. To obtain a U.S. Certificate of 

Approval, the manufacturer submits the 

results from the qualified facility or 

recognized facility, as appropriate, along 

with other supporting documentation, 

to the Marine Safety Center listed under 

ADDRESSES and FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. 

The owner or operator of a vessel 

registered in the United States with an 

installed and operational sewage system 

certified by the U.S. Coast Guard may 

apply for a SOVC for MARPOL Annex 

IV from the local OCMI or ACS, as 

appropriate. For assistance in finding 

the nearest OCMI or ACS, visit our 

Internet portal Homeport at http:// 

homeport.uscg.mil and then select Port 

Directory. Alternatively, you may 

contact the Office of Vessel Activities 

(CG–543) listed under ADDRESSES and 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

Surveys 

The vessel is subject to an initial 

examination before the ship is put into 

service or before the SOVC is issued for 

the first time. The purpose of this 

examination is to verify that the vessel’s 

structure, equipment, systems, fittings, 

arrangement, and material of the 

installed sewage system are fully 

compliant with MARPOL Annex IV. 

Before 5 years after the initial or last 

renewal survey, the vessel is subject to 

a renewal examination. The purpose of 

this examination is to verify that the 

vessel’s structure, equipment, systems, 

fittings, arrangement, and material of 

the installed sewage system are still 

compliant with MARPOL Annex IV. 

The vessel is subject to additional 

examinations, either general or partial, 

according to the circumstances, 

whenever any important repairs or 

renewals have been made to the 

installed sewage system. The purpose of 

this examination is to verify that the 

necessary repairs or renewals have been 

effectively made, that the materials and 

workmanship of such repairs or 

renewals are satisfactory, and that the 

ship is compliant with MARPOL Annex 

IV. 

Statement of Voluntary Compliance 

The cognizant OCMI or ACS may 

issue or renew, as appropriate, the 

SOVC for MARPOL Annex IV to a U.S. 

vessel that is equipped with an installed 

and operational sewage system certified 

by the U.S. Coast Guard after successful 

onboard survey. The SOVC for 

MARPOL Annex IV, issued on form CG– 

6047A, is valid for a period up to five 

years unless endorsed with an 

extension, provided the periodic 

examinations are conducted and there is 

no change in the vessel’s flag. Vessels 

flagged outside the United States are not 

issued a SOVC certificate by the U.S. 

Coast Guard. 

Reciprocity 

Any vessel flagged or registered 

outside the United States that holds a 

valid ISPPC issued by its flag 

Administration indicating the installed 

sewage system complies with MARPOL 

Annex IV, as amended by either 

resolution MEPC.159(55) or MEPC.2(VI), 

will be accepted by the U.S. Coast 

Guard as being in compliance with U.S. 

regulations on design, construction, 

testing, and certification contained in 33 

CFR part 159, while operating in waters 

subject to the jurisdiction of the United 

States. Acceptance of a valid ISPPC is 

conditional on the installed sewage 

system being substantially in an 

operable condition as required by 

MARPOL Annex IV, and may be subject 

to verification by the U.S. Coast Guard 

under port State control. 

Existing Certificates of Equivalency 

The cognizant OCMI or ACS, as 

appropriate, may continue to issue and 

renew existing Certificates of 

Equivalency issued to U.S. vessels 

under the provisions of ‘‘MOC Policy 

Letter No. 03–03’’ until January 1, 2010, 

at which time all such certificates will 

expire. A copy of ‘‘MOC Policy Letter 

No. 03–03’’ can be found on Homeport 

by clicking the ‘‘Library’’ tab and then 

the ‘‘Policy’’ tab, and finally the ‘‘Policy 

Letter’’ tab. SOVC certificates are 

required on or after January 1, 2010. 

Dated: June 23, 2009. 

Brian M. Salerno, 

Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, 

Security and Stewardship. 

[FR Doc. E9–15485 Filed 6–29–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 

URBAN DEVELOPMENT 

[Docket No. FR–5285–N–20] 

Notice of Proposed Information 

Collection: Comment Request; 

Manufactured Home Construction and 

Safety Standards Program 

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Housing, HUD. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The proposed information 

collection requirement described below 

will be submitted to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review, as required by the Paperwork 

Reduction Act. The Department is 

soliciting public comments on the 

subject proposal. 

DATES: Comments Due Date: August 31, 

2009. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit comments regarding 

this proposal. Comments should refer to 

the proposal by name and/or OMB 

Control Number and should be sent to: 

Lillian Deitzer, Departmental Reports 

Management Officer, QDAM, 

Department of Housing and Urban 

Development, 451 7th Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20410; e-mail 

Lillian_L._Deitzer@HUD.gov or 

telephone (202) 402–8048. 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES6