b'NEWSWIREFile Your Vessel General PermitAnnual Report with EPA by Feb. 28I f your vessel or vessels are subjectcruise ships) may have to fill out theThe first step is to register in EPAs tocoverageundertheEnviron- additional graywater and bilgewaterfree,onlinesystemtosubmitelec-mental Protection Agencys (EPA)monitoring requirements. tronic reports at EPAs Central Data Vessel General Permit (VGP), PVA re- Exchange (CDX).minds you to file the required annualThis link gives a comprehensive over-report no later than Feb. 28, 2025, cov- view of EPAs Vessel General Permit I f you registered for the 2008 VGP ering activities conducted from Jan. 1and annual reporting requirement. you must update your registration to through Dec. 31 of the year 2024. submit 2013 VGP reports.A copy of the full 2013 VGP can be The VGP applies to any commercialfoundhere.Seepages181-189foraOnce registered, annual reports us-vessel of 79 feet or greater in length,sample of the annual report. The 2013ing a CDX username and password or a vessel of any size that dischargesVGPisthecurrentandmostrecentto login. You may submit multiple ballast water. It authorizes the vesselversion of the regulation for compli- reports at a time using a batch upload discharge of numerous types of waste- ance. Eventually, EPA will issue a newfunction. Submit annual reports at waters (other than sewage) and sets outversion, but for now, the 2013 version,EPAs 2013 VGP eNOI System.expected best management practices. including its required annual report, remains in force. Send questions to vgp@epa.gov.Small vessels of less than 79 feet that do not discharge ballast water are perma- HOW TO SUBMITnently exempt from the VGP require- ANNUAL REPORTSments. Responding to PVAs advocacyThe VGP requires electronic submis-efforts, Congress codified this perma- sion of the annual reports.nent exemption in December 2018.EPA requires that the report be filed electronically through its online sys-tem. The annual report covers oper-ations during the 2024 calendar year.Fileyourannualreportwellinad- STAY CONNECTED vanceofthedeadline,assometimes TO WHAT COUNTSfilerswaitinguntilthelastminute have encountered difficulties with theJohn Deere marine propulsion, generator, and auxiliary engines keep your vessels on schedule. online system. When you register your engine and activate John Deere Connected Support remote FormostPVAmembersthatoper- monitoring and diagnostic services, *you get even more reliabilityatecoveredvesselswithnoballastand confidence. waterdischarges,theannualreport itself will be relatively simple to com- JohnDeere.com/JDPowerplete. A few operators of newly-built vesselsof400grosstonsormore,*Available on engines equipped with JDLink modems.(mediumcruiseships,andlarge 43 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025'