2013 Vessel General Permit and Interim Requirements
On October 9, 2024, the EPA published its final rule pursuant to the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act – the Vessel Incidental Discharge National Standards of Performance. Under VIDA, the U.S. Coast Guard is now required to develop corresponding compliance and enforcement regulations to implement the EPA’s performance standards that were finalized in the foregoing rule.
Until such time as both the EPA’s and the USCG’s regulations pursuant to VIDA are final, effective and enforceable, interim requirements continue to apply.
Interim Requirements
- For non-recreational, non-Armed Forces vessels 79 feet in length and above – except fishing vessels: The existing vessel discharge requirements as established through the EPA’s 2013 Vessel General Permit and the USCG ballast water regulations, as well as any applicable state and local government requirements.
- For non-recreational, non-Armed Forces vessels less than 79 feet in length, and fishing vessels of any size: The existing discharge requirements for ballast water only as established through the EPA’s 2013 Vessel General Permit and the USCG ballast water regulations, as well as any applicable state and local government requirements.
The 2013 Vessel General Permit
The EPA issued the 2013 VGP on April 12, 2013, with an effective period of five years (December 19, 2013, to December 18, 2018). The VGP provided National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, or NPDES, permit coverage nationwide for discharges incidental to the normal operation of non-recreational, non-Armed Forces (i.e., primarily commercial) vessels, typically those greater than 79 feet in length. As indicated above, the VIDA legislation extended the 2013 VGP’s provisions, leaving them in effect until both the EPA and USCG VIDA regulations are final, effective and enforceable. For more information on the program history, visit the EPA’s Commercial Vessel Discharge Standards: Program History webpage. Access the 2013 VGP and related supporting documentation through the links below.
- 2013 Vessel General Permit (pdf) . The permit can also be accessed through the docket associated with permit issuance.
- Federal Register Notice – Announces permit issuance (April 12, 2013).
- Fact Sheet– Provides the technical basis for the derivation of VGP requirements.
- Economic and Benefits Analysis – Presents the impact analyses of the VGP on all affected vessels.
- Brief Overview of the Final Permit
- Public Record– A compilation of documents, including draft permit documents, considered in the issuance of the current 2013 VGP and now expired 2008 VGP:
Discharge Authorization
The 2013 VGP provides two options for vessel owners/operators to obtain permit coverage:
- Notice of Intent (NOI) – Vessels of 300 gross tons or more or that have the ability to hold or discharge more than eight cubic meters of ballast water must submit an NOI to obtain permit coverage. The NOI must be submitted electronically using the EPA’s 2013 VGP eNOI system.
- Final 2013 VGP Permit Authorization and Record of Inspection (PARI) Form – Vessels less than 300 gross tons and that do not have the capacity to hold or discharge more than eight cubic meters of ballast water are not required to submit an NOI. Instead, operators of these vessels must complete a PARI Form (Fill and Print), as provided in Appendix K of the 2013 VGP, and keep a copy of that form onboard the vessel at all times. Doing so provides coverage under the 2013 VGP for these vessels.
Electronic Reporting
The 2013 VGP requires electronic submission of NOIs, Notice of Terminations (NOTs) and annual reports.
- Central Data Exchange (CDX) – Register in the EPA’s free, online system to submit electronic reports. If you registered for the 2008 VGP you must update your registration to submit 2013 VGP reports.
- 2013 VGP eNOI System- Once registered, submit NOIs, NOTs and Annual Reports using a CDX username and password to login. You may submit multiple reports at a time using a batch upload function. Waivers from the eNOI system are available in very limited instances, as detailed in Part 1.14 of the 2013 VGP, only after the EPA’s written approval.
Send questions about the EPA’s VGP eNOI system to: VGPeNOI@epa.gov.
Search, Sort and View VGP Reports
A search tool is available to the public to search for information for any vessel that submitted NOIs, NOTs and Annual Reports under the 2013 VGP. Access the search tool.
Supporting Documents: Implementation and Enforcement
The EPA prepared the following documents related to the implementation and enforcement of the 2013 VGP:
- Vessel Discharge Sample Collection and Analytical Monitoring: A How-To Reference for EPA’s 2013 Vessel General Permit (VGP), September 2014 (pdf) (September 2014) – Information on selecting a laboratory and sample collection, handling and shipping procedures.
- Enforcement Response Policy for EPA’s 2013 VGP: Ballast Water Discharges and U.S. Coast Guard Extensions under 33 CFR Part 151 (pdf) – The EPA, working with the USCG, issued a policy on ballast water discharge requirements whereby temporary extensions may be granted on a case-by-case basis.
- Lists of Nutrient and Copper Impaired Waters (January 17, 2014) – The list of state waters that are impaired for copper and nutrients is based on current information that the EPA has about each state's 303(d) list; however, this list may not necessarily reflect more recent state and/or EPA activity on those 303(d) lists.