Action Item: Violators of Emission Control Area
requirements face hefty penalties under the Environmental
Protection Agency's new penalty policy. Owners and operators of
vessels operating in the North American and U.S. Caribbean Sea
Emission Control Areas are encouraged to review their procedures
and operations to ensure compliance with MARPOL Annex VI and the
Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships.
New Development
The Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") published
a policy for assessing civil penalties for violations of the North
American and U.S. Caribbean Sea Emission Control Area
("ECA") fuel sulfur standards on January 15, 2015. The
policy is effective immediately and will be used by the EPA in
calculating penalties in enforcement actions for violations of ECA
fuel sulfur standards under the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships
("APPS"), which implements Annex VI of the International
Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships
("MARPOL"). The policy
