Ballast Water Management Equivalent Reporting Program
Overview
The Coast Guard's Equivalent Reporting Program offers an alternative for an
Owner, Operator, Master, Agent, Person-in-Charge or Charterer to submit required
Ballast Water Management (BWM) Reports in a single batch report on a monthly basis,
instead of on a port-to-port, pre-arrival schedule as required under 33 CFR 151.2041(b).
Click here to download essential files associated with this program.
Eligibility Criteria to Participate in BMW Equivalent Reporting Program
To participate in the BWM Equivalent Reporting Program the following criteria must be met:
Application Process
To be accepted into this program the following steps must be completed:
Due Dates
Vessels accepted into the program based on their making 10 or more ballast water reports per month
An individual vessel accepted accepted under this criterion must file the monthly report electronically with NBIC by:
The monthly report must include all of the vessel's ballasting information for the previous month,
up to but not including the 1st day of the month during which the report is filed.
For example, an Equivalent Reporting Form containing all the ballast water management information from
January 1st through January 31st must be received by NBIC by 5 PM on February 7th.
Vessels accepted into the program based on their being a part of a fleet of vessels with the same owner,
and the combined fleet making 50 or more ballast water reports per month
Vessels accepted under this criterion must file individual monthly reports electronically with NBIC by:
Each monthly report must include the ballasting information for the previous month, up to but not including the 7th of the
month during which the report is filed.
For example, Equivalent Reporting Forms containing ballast water management information from January 7th through February 7th,
must be must be submitted for each vessel in the fleet, and received by NBIC by 5 PM on February 15th.
Reporting Compliance Elements
Participation in the Equivalent BWM Reporting Program begins the month after receiving a vessel-specific BWM Equivalent
Reporting Form from NBIC. Until then, all vessel ballast water reports must be submitted under the requirements of
33 CFR 151.2041(b).
Once entered into the BWM Equivalent Reporting Program:
Technical Requirements
BWM Equivalent Reporting Forms must be submitted via e-mail. NBIC will not accept BWM Equivalent Reporting
Forms submitted any other way. In order to participate in the Equivalent Reporting Program, the person filling out and submitting
the BWM Equivalent Reporting Form must have the following software and internet capabilities:
Questions and Comments
Technical questions about the BWM Equivalent Reporting Program Application or the BWM Equivalent Reporting Form
should be directed to:
Kelly Ryan
NBIC Data Manager - Electronic Submissions
e-mail: ryank@si.edu
ph: 443-482-2339
Regulatory questions about the BWM Equivalent Reporting Program should be directed to:
U.S. Coast Guard Environmental Standards Division
ph: 202-267-2716
Downloads
The following documents are available for download below:
Download the BWM Equivalent Reporting Program Application
To begin the acceptance process, download an application, fill it out and submit it to the
U.S. Coast Guard's Environmental Standards Division via the following e-mail address:
environmentalstandards@comdt.uscg.mil
How to Download the BWM Equivalent Reporting Program Application:
This application is in PDF format. You will need
Adobe Reader to view and complete it.
How to Fill Out and Submit the BWM Equivalent Reporting Program Application:
Download the BWM Equivalent Reporting Form User Manual
This document provides a complete guide to using the BWM Equivalent Reporting Form, from initial setup to submission. It contains essential information for any person who will be submitting BWM Reports using the BWM Equivalent Reporting Form.
How to Download the BWM Equivalent Reporting Form User Manual:
This maual is in PDF format. You will need
Adobe Reader to view it.