The U.S. Coast Guard issued the following bulletin on May 25. It includes the following excerpt:
“Mariners with existing endorsements as Tankerman PIC Restricted to Fuel Transfers on Towing Vessels will be notified at renewal that the endorsement is no longer an option for serving as PIC of fuel transfers and that the endorsement Tankerman PIC Restricted to Fuel Transfers on Towing Vessels will no longer be issued or renewed by the Coast Guard.”
The notice is available on the agency’s website HERE.
Cancellation of CG-MMC Policy Letter 01-17, Guidelines for Issuing Endorsements for Tankerman PIC Restricted to Fuel Transfers on Towing Vessels
The Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing (CG-MMC) announces the cancellation of Policy Letter 01-17, Guidelines for Issuing Endorsements for Tankerman PIC Restricted to Fuel Transfers on Towing Vessels. The policy was cancelled by the rulemaking on Person in Charge (PIC) of Fuel Transfers (USCG-2018-0493) effective May 27, 2020. The Coast Guard will no longer issue or renew Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) endorsements for Tankerman PIC Restricted to Fuel Transfers on Towing Vessels.
In March of 2017, CG-MMC Policy Letter 01-17 was published as an interim measure to provide personnel on newly inspected towing vessels, who had previously qualified to serve as PIC of a fuel transfer through the use of a company issued Letter of Designation (LOD), an alternative to meeting the full requirements for an MMC endorsement as Tankerman PIC. The policy was intended to provide flexibility to those who had previously served as PIC of a fuel transfer on uninspected vessels using an LOD while a regulatory initiative was completed to provide the LOD option on inspected vessels.
Consistent with the Final Rule published in May 2020, mariners have two options to qualify as the PIC of Fuel Transfers for the transfer of fuel oil on both inspected and uninspected vessels: (1) Hold a valid MMC with either an officer or Tankerman-PIC endorsement (not restricted to fuel transfers); or (2) use the option for inspected vessels of designating a PIC with an LOD as described in 33 CFR 155.715.
Mariners with existing endorsements as Tankerman PIC Restricted to Fuel Transfers on Towing Vessels will be notified at renewal that the endorsement is no longer an option for serving as PIC of fuel transfers and that the endorsement Tankerman PIC Restricted to Fuel Transfers on Towing Vessels will no longer be issued or renewed by the Coast Guard.
The Final Rule on Person in Charge of Fuel Transfers can be accessed at: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/5ps/MMC/CG-MMC- 2%20Policies/PIC-Final-RULE-5-27-2020.pdf.
Questions on this bulletin should be directed to [email protected]
Sincerely,
/M. Medina/ Mayte Medina
Chief, Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing
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