Assisting the maritime industry in regulatory compliance

Bryant’s Maritime Consulting

Maritime Reporter & Engineering News

I have been privileged for some years now to be allowed to publish a column in the widely-circulated monthly magazine Maritime Reporter & Engineering News. Through the kind permission of the editors thereof, various of those columns, containing my ramblings on miscellaneous topics of a general maritime bent, are linked below.

July 2010 – Low bridge, everybody down.
June 2010 – Pirates burn Galveston.
May 2010 – Pirates, ransoms, and the US Government.
April 2010 – Incidental discharges from small commercial vessels.
March 2010 – Asian carp control.
February 2010 – The fallacy of technology-based security.
January 2010 – Demise of the single-hull tanker.

December 2009 – Alice in Wonderland and the weaponizing of ships.
November 2009 – North American Arctic – Shortcut or destination.
October 2009 – The dunnage crises.
September 2009 – The Pacific Adventurer disaster.
August 2009 – Counter-piracy efforts updated.
July 2009 – Milking the maritime cow.
June 2009 – Ratcheting down the risk of piracy.
May 2009 – ECA for all.
April 2009 – Holding your breath.
March 2009 – Noise pollution – an upcoming challenge.
February 2009 – Salvage and marine firefighting.
January 2009 – AIS expansion proposed.

December 2008 – Marine casualty investigation.
November 2008 – Regulation of incidental discharges.
October 2008 – USCG raises COFR amounts.
September 2008 – Regulation of ship design and construction.
August 2008 – Implications of the Jho doctrine.
July 2008 – Nontank vessel response plan requirements.
June 2008 – Coast Guard Authorization Act.
May 2008 – Air emissions update.
April 2008 – Biofouling.
March 2008 – The COFRs are coming.
February 2008 – CBP advance trade data proposal.
January 2008 – Augmented reality and e-navigation.

December 2007 – USCG environmental crime disclosure policy.
November 2007 – The TWIC program and a failure of imagination.
October 2007 – US policy regarding places of refuge.
September 2007 – Re-balancing the Coast Guard.
August 2007 – Ballast water management – a way forward.
July 2007 – Quarantine and isolation.
June 2007 – Pet food recall fallout.
May 2007 – Air emissions, bunkers & charters.
April 2007 – Gross negligence costs $150,000 and more.
March 2007 – Salvage and firefighting delayed again.
February 2007 – TWIC program – phase one.
January 2007 – Vessel security program upheld.

December 2006 – Oily water separators.
November 2006 – TWIC challenges – greater than we knew.
October 2006 – Whales – right, wrong, or indifferent.
September 2006 – TWIC – a bridge too far.
August 2006 – New OPA 90 limits on liability.
July 2006 – TWIC zeal untempered.
June 2006 – TWIC – this time for real.
May 2006 – C-TPAT and the GreenLane.
April 2006 – Exon-Florio, CFIUS, and foreigners.
March 2006 – Reporting significant harm to the environment.
February 2006 – Alcohol testing: the two-hour rule.
January 2006 – Preparing for the avian flu pandemic.

December 2005 – My time is NOT your time.
November 2005 – California – the incredible green hulk.
October 2005 – Wood packaging materials.
September 2005 – Harbor maintenance tax.
August 2005 – Potable water.
July 2005 – Sewage happens.
June 2005 – Crossing the boundary lines.
May 2005 – Do you have a permit?
April 2005 – Lemons, tiles, and false assumptions.
March 2005 – Nontank vessel response plans.
February 2005 – Tuns, tons, and tonnage.
January 2005 – Cargo security strategy.

    logo11 Interviews on Jones Act issues re oil spill response

    I was interviewed by a reporter for NPR (previously known as National Public Radio) for their "All Things Considered" program. The interview addressed a number of issues regarding the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The only portion of the interview that made it into print and on the air was my discussion of the impact (or non-impact) of the Jones Act on the response to the spill. My comments were taken slightly out of context, but are basically correct. I find it surprising how a few individuals throwing up an obscure statute as the reason that the oil has not been swept from the Gulf of Mexico has gotten so much coverage. (7/10/10).

    Prior to the NPR interview, I was interviewed by a reporter for Florida Public Radio regarding the impact of the Jones Act (and other cabotage laws) on the response to the ongoing Gulf of Mexico oil spill. A report of that interview, with a link to the actual broadcast thereof, is attached. The interview took over 20 minutes and the radio broadcast condensed that down to about two minutes, so numerous details relating to cabotage have been glossed over or omitted. (6/23/10).