Although the United States is not signatory to BWM Convention, vessels discharging ballast water into the waters of the U.S. are to comply with the requirements of 33 CFR 151 Subparts C & D.

Recently, the National Ballast Information Clearinghouse has received a number of reports indicating that untreated ballast water exchanges had been undertaken by vessels beyond their compliance date and without a valid Coast Guard extension.
Masters, owners/operators, agents and persons-in-charge are reminded vessels beyond their compliance date are to employ one of the following Ballast Water Management methods when operating in the waters of the United States:
- Use a U.S. type-approved BWMS to meet the discharge standard;
- Use and discharge ballast water obtained exclusively from a U.S. Public Water System (PWS);
- Temporarily use a foreign type-approved BWMS that has been accepted by the U.S. Coast Guard as an Alternate Management System (AMS);
- Do not discharge ballast water inside 12 nautical miles
- Discharge ballast water to a reception facility;

For compliance date (original compliance date), please refer our Technical information TEC No.1056.
For AMS, please refer our Technical information TEC No.0951.

For further details, please refer to the attached Marine Safety Information Bulletin (MSIB Number: 007-17).

Furthermore, it is necessary to be complied with not only USCG requirements but also local regulations determined by each state. Therefore, please confirm local regulations before vessels engaged in U.S. waters.

(To be continued)