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NMA newsletter

New Research Reports:

R-429-O R-450 R-449 rev.1

R-429-L R-429-N

UNITED MARINER

Helping mariners

in the northeast U.S.

The Times Picayune
Sunday, August 10, 2008

By Jen DeGregorio

SPECIAL REPORT

Tugs operate under radar on river..

full story

Lack of checks allows problems

This is the source for the latest news, information, newsletters and research reports concerning the Coast Guard and many Industry issues, and how they affect your career. View our library of newsletters and research reports. We're always glad to hear from you, so email us with your ideas, or give us a call.

THE MASTER of TOWING VESSELS ASSOCIATION represents USCG licensed masters and mates with the towing endorsement on their license. Obtaining this endorsement has become increasingly difficult in recent years. The pool of new recruits into the industry has become almost non-existent. Also many of the existing masters will retire from towing in the next few years. In doing so they will take with them a valuable history of towing knowledge that cannot be learned in the classroom or through the USCG T.O.A.R program.

N
The Brownlist
- companies to avoid -

Marine Jobs Available Towboat Tripwork.com

Capt. David Whitehurst

Licensed Inland & Western Rivers,

Over Forty Years Experience,

Expert Witness, Maritime Consultant & USCG Certified Designated Examiner

Ph;(985)518-3874

E-Mail capt.whitehurst@yahoo.com

NMA is a Cosponsor for

"National Sleep-Awareness Week"

VADM CARD’S MARINE SAFETY ANALYSIS:

AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT AND SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Late in the summer of 2007, Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, asked Vice Admiral James Card, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired) – a Marine Safety expert with 40-plus years of service, well-known and highly-respected throughout industry - to candidly and independently assess and report on the Coast Guard's performance of the Maritime Safety Program. [1]

To assess all issues facing the Marine Safety Program, especially the concerns of the marine industry and from inside the Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Card conducted interviews with more than 170 people from the industry and the Coast Guard.

As noted in Vice Admiral Card’s report, those interviewed were promised that the information they provided was anonymous and not for attribution. All the people interviewed were eager to discuss Coast Guard Marine Safety issues and many candid comments and suggestions were gathered.

Vice Admiral Card presented his findings to Coast Guard leadership on October 30, 2007 at the Coast Guard’s Annual Flag Officers Conference in New Orleans and subsequently delivered his final report to Admiral Allen on 20 November, 2007. In addition, preliminary findings from Vice Admiral’s Card report were reviewed and addressed in the Coast Guard’s plan to enhance Marine Safety, which was published in September of 2007.

Admiral Allen is now posting Vice Admiral Card’s report on the internet to ensure an informed and transparent process as the Coast Guard continues to consider and respond to concerns regarding its execution of the Maritime Safety Mission.

To view Vice Admiral Card’s report or the Coast Guard’s plan to enhance Marine Safety, please go to: www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5

/cg54/marinesafety.asp

[1] The term Marine Safety Program used in the report means all programs related to inspections, investigations, and merchant mariner documentation (the old Commercial Vessel Safety Program.) While the report does not address the environmental response program, Vice Admiral Card stated many expressed similar concerns regarding loss of experience, resources, knowledge, and focus.

License or MMD not insured?

Protect your livelihood & profession from unforeseen events

Spokesman for Limited Tonnage Mariners: Captain Bill Beacom

2008 Dike Sheet - Cairo Ill. to Victoria Bend Miss.

Get active in your profession... protect your future

ACBL owned M/V Mel Oliver pushing a barge load

(419,000 gal.) of #6 fuel oil spilled after collision with tankership on LMR

The river inundated with No. 6 Heavy Oil

Clean up estimates cost could be in the billions

The Old Dravo Mechling barge was finally pinned to one of the piers of the bridge. At this time the USCG has estimated over 419,000 gallons. There are still certain pockets of trapped gas that have yet to be released.

Coast Guard Abuses

its Authority to Silence a Whistleblower pdf*

"In the Zone"

on the multimedia page

YouTube Interview

Lt. Eric Shine Lt. Eric Shine

The "ARTCO" Six
Masters Prevail Case Before U.S. Court of Appeals

The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upheld an award of compensatory and punitive damages to a towboat master who was discharged after refusing to pilot a towboat with a larger than usual number of barges.

The company paid higher wages to masters who agree to handle larger tows. After the plaintiff refused to take larger tows, his evaluation was lowered and he was discharged. He brought suit against the company (ARTCO) alleging violation of the Seaman's Protection Act (Title 46 U.S. Code 2114), which protects a seaman from discharge for refusing to perform duties ordered by the employer because the seaman has a reasonable apprehension that performing the duties would result in serious injury to the seaman, other seamen, or the public.

The court upheld that the jury could reasonably interpret the employer's actions as constituting a violation of the stature. {Gwin v. American River Transportation Company. #06-2900, 7th Circuit, April 10, 2007}

Our Association wishes to call the attention of our mariners as well as the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard and his subordinates in the Eight Coast Guard District to our report: #R-340, Revision 8, Oversized & Overloaded Tows Cause Safety Problems.

The remarks by Captain Larry P. Gwin on pages 2 through 4 of this document as delivered before the Towing Safety Advisory Committee in March 2004 are particularly noteworthy at this time.

Our mariners are tired of being intimidated by large companies that have more money than brains. ARTCO is a division of Archers-Daniels-Midland (ADM).

To read more about ADM, we recommend "The Informant" by Kurt Eichenwald, ISBN-07679-0327-7, a true story of corporate corruption and a "good read".

Marine Employers Drug Testing Guide pdf*

GAO

Subject: Transportation Safety: Medical Certification and Background Check Requirements for Pilots, Vessel Masters, and Commercial Drivers Vary.

Wouldn't You Know It...

New Chemical Element Found! -
Governmentium (Gv)

Science lesson for today

Study of recent hurricane and gasoline issues have proved the existence of a new chemical element.

A major research institution has recently announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science.

The new element has been named "Governmentium (Gv)."

Governmentium (Gv) has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Governmentium is inert. However, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second to take over four days to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of four years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.

This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as Critical Morass.

When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium (Am) -- an element which radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.