JULY 2019 • FOGHORN 29 HOW PVA BENEFITS YOU By Jen Wilk, Director, Public Affairs and Development PVA Working for You PVA is Keeping You Up-To-Date on New Regulatory Developments – The Environmental Protection Agency’s Vessel Incidental Discharge Regulations P VA staff recently participated in a two-day information-gath- ering session held by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about reforming the Vessel General Permit (VGP).  Changes to the current VGP will be necessary as a result of the new law (the Vessel Incidental Discharges Act) passed by Congress in December 2018.  VIDA requires EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard to write regulations develop- ing standards and compliance rules for the 28 different discharges consid- ered incidental to the normal operation of a vessel, including gray water and deck run-off. Until the new law is fully implemented and new rules finalized, estimating at least four years out, the current Vessel General Permit remains in place. PVA is working for you, as we will continue to monitor rulemak- ing developments and to speak out for the passenger vessel industry. At the EPA listening session, PVA rep- resentatives spoke about several areas that its members have voiced concerns on regarding VGP compliance and it made recommendations for review, such as: • Streamlining recordkeeping require- ments and making it easier to submit reports online.