26 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • FOGHORN REGULATORYREPORT By Peter Lauridsen, PV A Regulatory Affairs Consultant Coast Guard Inspection Services I n the title of this column, I referred to U.S. Coast Guard inspection reg- ulatory requirements as “services.” As we came to learn in 2007, and during challenging times or in other times of inspector shortages, main- taining compliance with required regulatory inspections becomes prob- lematic. Regulatory requirements are unbending but Coast Guard service availability is subject to Coast Guard command priorities. Sector Commanders with the command responsibilities in all Coast Guard missions can put marine inspection resource availability at risk. That said, what are the challeng- es within Coast Guard inspection resources themselves? Coast Guard inspector requirements vary according to segments of the maritime transpor- tation system. I see three main sectors served, although there are certainly others, such as offshore oil and mineral exploitation, and facility inspection programs. For the purposes of in- spection resource commitment in this article, passenger vessels and barges where the Coast Guard exercises primary regulatory authority for in- spection are the focus. There is the new arena of towing vessel inspections where the Coast Guard is banking on third party auditing resources to minimize Coast Guard inspector demands. Lastly, there is the segment (largely deep draft and SOLAS compliance dependant) where the Coast Guard has--through law and policy--relied very heavily on classi- fication societies to ensure regulatory compliance. 1.800.777.0714 toll free www.merequipment.com 8-500kW Marine Generators // Pull harder in the harshest marine environments // More copper & premium corrosion resistance // Superior motor starting & low operating temps // Better fuel economy & longer engine life // Easy to service & worldwide dealer support // Proudly made in America L E A R N MOR E AT SIMRAD-YACHTING.COM/HALO REVOLUTIONARY. See near and far, in an instant, with Halo Pulse Compression Radar.