b'LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENTAT THE HELM A Partnership Created for Safety, Collaborating for the FutureSTEPHEN JONES // PRESIDENTT heQualityPartnership(QP)meetingsbetweentheexecutivebranchtomakepolicychangesthatwill thePassengerVesselAssociation(PVA)andtheeliminate unnecessary regulatory burdens on the domestic U.S. Coast Guard were formed in the late 1990spassengervesselindustry.Itkeptthepresidential10:1 because of industry and government efforts to improve theregulatory policy in mind which requires federal agencies safety of small passenger vessels.to identify and repeal ten existing rules for every one new rule they create. The QP meets twice a year, usually in the fall and again in the spring, to examine and collaborate on pressing issuesSome of the regulatory repeals PVA is looking for include:facing the passenger vessel industry. This year was an ex-ception because the spring meeting did not take place dueRelief from the burdensome annual reporting require-to various scheduling conflicts. That meant that the fallmentundertheVesselGeneralPermit(VGP/VIDA) agenda at this years meetingforincidentaldischargesof was extra robust.wastewaterproducedinthe PVA sent a letter tonormaloperationofavessel. I will not go through the entire agenda but want to share someOMB looking at severalOperatorsofvesselssubjectto of the discussion highlights. opportunities for thetheVGP/VIDA(VesselInci-executive branch to makedentalDischargeAct)arere-Oneofthefirstitemsdis- quired to keep detailed records cussedwasForceDesignpolicy changes that willofadherencetothebestprac-2028(FD2028).FD2028eliminate unnecessarytices prescribed in the VGP. As istheU.S.CoastGuardsoutlined in a memorandum of blueprintforatransforma- regulatory burdens onunderstanding between the En-tiveoverhauloftheservice,the domestic passengervironmental Protection Agency addressing decades of under- (EPA)andtheCoastGuard, fundingandmissioncreep,vessel industry the Coast Guard reviews these tobuildamoreagileandrecords, checking for VGP com-effective fighting force. Thepliance as part of regular annual plan focuses on four main campaigns: people, organiza- vessel inspections. The required submission of an annual tion, technology, and acquisitions and contracts. report is redundant.With this initiative in mind, PVA took the opportunity to PVAalsorequestedtheexemptionofcredentialed advocate for the Coast Guard small boat station restorationandnon-credentialedmarinersfromrequirements on the inland waters, as well as tending to the buoy place- toobtainaTransportationWorkerIdentifica-ment (or lack thereof) on the inland river system, particu- tionCredential(TWIC).Formorethan23years, larly the upper Mississippi River. These are two areas thatsincetheinceptionofTWIC,PVAhasaffirmed the Coast Guard can have a direct impact. thattheTWICprogramisineffective,burden-some,addsunnecessaryexpensetobusinessown-Recently, PVA sent a letter to the Office of Managementers,andpresentsasignificantbarriertoemploying and Budget (OMB) looking at several opportunities forpotentialworkers,especiallyseasonalemployees. Continued on page 58FOGHORN 4'