Ryan Olson
May 6, 2019
On
Thursday, May 2 NAEGA and the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) hosted
an annual workshop of Alternative Security Program (ASP) organizations with the
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). The ASP is an alternative way to comply with Maritime Transportation
Safety Act (MTSA) regulations that allows participating organizations to develop
alternative security plans approved by USCG. All NAEGA members and their
facilities are invited to participate in the NAEGA/NGFA ASP. If you are
interested in joining the ASP, please contact Ryan.
This
year’s workshop covered ongoing issues of interest to NAEGA/NGFA ASP members,
including cybersecurity, drone regulation, seafarers access, chemical
regulation and security, TWIC card changes and reader rule implementation, and cruise
ship security.
Of
particular importance to NAEGA/NGFA ASP members and facilities is the newly
finalized seafarers access regulation. Finalized on April 1, the seafarer’s
access rule requires owners or operators of a maritime facility regulated by
MTSA to implement a system providing seafarers, pilots and representatives of
seafarers’ welfare and labor organizations with access between vessels moored
at the facility and the facility gate in a timely manner and at no cost to the
seafarer or other individuals. Currently, USCG will begin implementing the rule
on the following schedule:
May
1, 2019
|
Regulation
comes into effect
|
February
3, 2020
|
Seafarers
access system must be documented in a facility’s Facility Security Plan (FSP)
|
June
1, 2020
|
Facility
owner or operator must begin implementing their seafarer access system.
|
NAEGA/NGFA ASP Renewal
Over
the next few months NAEGA and NGFA will be conducting outreach to ASP users as
we begin to consider updates and changes to the ASP ahead of its necessary
renewal date in August 2020. The NAEGA/NGFA ASP is renewed every five years,
and this process allows us to amend and modernize provisions within the ASP as the
security environment evolves. All ASP’s are ultimately approved by the USCG.
This cycle, we anticipate that the NAEGA/NGFA ASP will need to incorporate new
provisions regarding cybersecurity and seafarer access.
ASP
users should keep an eye out for an email from NAEGA regarding participation in
upcoming outreach sessions.