By the Journal of Commerce

The federal Coast Guard Authorization bill, H.R. 3619, has passed out of the U.S. House of Representatives. Several provisions championed by Rep. Don Young, including the Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment Implementation bill, have been included in the authorization measure.

The authorization bill contains several key provisions that affect Alaska, including language that extends the Vessel Discharge Evaluation and Review Act through December 2013, exempting commercial fishing vessels from having to apply for permits from Environmental Protection Agency for incidental discharges such as graywater, bilge water and deck runoff, Young said. The current exemption expires July 2010.

The authorization includes language that would require dual tug escorts for double-hulled oil tankers in Prince William Sound.

Additional provisions in H.R. 3619 that affect Alaska include:

Jones Act Waiver for the Ketchikan Alaska Ship and Dry Dock

Absorption of Rep. Young's Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment Implementation bill, which authorizes funding and authority to provide aids to navigation, arctic oil spill prevention and response, icebreaking escort tug and salvage, long range vessel tracking, search and rescue, promotes international agreements among Arctic nations, and authorizes an icebreaker study and cost assessment to determine if new vessels should be constructed or rebuild current ones

Deadline to report on assessment of needs for additional Coast Guard presence in high latitude regions, including need for forward operating bases

Ship emission reduction demonstration project

Cold weather survival training

Decommissioning of STORIS cutter to be turned into maritime museum in Juneau

Increase size limits for offshore supply vessels from 500 to 6,000 gross tons

Alaska anchor handlers provision, which allows foreign anchor handlers to be used in oil and gas development off Alaska's Outer Continental Shelf until Jones Act vessels are constructed and exploration is allowed to proceed

Vessel Traffic Risk Assessment for Cook Inlet

Department of Homeland Security is required to ensure the new LORAN (long range navigation system) is operational before the old LORAN system is decommissioned