B. NO. 280

The U.S. Department of Energy on Thursday issued a rule to exclude environmental reviews for marine transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG), as the Trump administration unleashes last minute rules supporting the fossil fuel industry.The rule, which the Energy Department issued in a pre-publication notice in the Federal Register, frees LNG transport license applications from including environmental reviews that have been required under a bedrock environmental law, the National Environmental Policy Act.The requirement has only been on LNG shipments to countries with which the Washington does not have a free trade agreement, such as China.

U.S.-based Great Lakes Dredge & Dock is developing a first-of-its-kind vessel to support America's burgeoning offshore wind industry.The nation's largest dredging services provider announced Thursday it is working with Ulstein Design and Solutions B.V. to design and develop the first U.S.-flagged Jones Act compliant, inclined fallpipe vessel for subsea rock installation. The specialized vessel would be built at a U.S. Gulf Coast shipyard and could be operational as early as the first quarter of 2024, GLDD said. The company said it sees the vessel as a critical advancement in building the future of the new U.S. offshore wind industry, including establishing a U.S.

Since the days of wooden hulls and human power, lifeboat crews have put to sea through dangerous surf to save the lives of their fellow seamen. The first engine powered boats allowed decks and cabins that afforded a greater level of safety. When the U.S. Coast Guard developed its 47-foot surf boat in the late 1990s, a whole new standard for lifeboats was set.Designated 47-foot MLB, these all-aluminum craft demonstrated spectacular performance. Capable of handling 60-knots winds, 20-foot breaking surf, and impacts up to three Gs the boats carry four crew and up to 30 passengers.The ultimate expression of the 47 MLB’s indominable nature is its ability to self-right if overturned.

Denmark's Maersk Tankers said it reached a deal to operate four product tankers owned by Singaporean shipping group Xihe Holdings (Xihe).Part of the Lim family business empire, Xihe Holdings and its subsidiaries were placed under court-appointed supervisors earlier this year.Maersk Tanks said the agreement aligns with its strategy to build scale through partnerships driven by the use of digitalization to cut CO2 emissions and boost partner returns. Since the beginning of 2020, Maersk Tankers’ managed fleet has grown to more than 220 ships, a rise of above 20%.“We are pleased about the trust shown in us by Xihe and its lenders,” says Claus Gronborg, Chief Investment Officer at Maersk Tankers.

Pacific Carriers Limited (PCL), a Singapore-based company that owns subsidiaries engaged in international shipping, was sentenced today in federal court before U.S. District Court Judge Louise Flanagan in New Bern, N.C., after pleading guilty to violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, obstruction of justice, and for a failure to notify the U.S. Coast Guard of a hazardous condition on the cargo vessel Pac Antares.PCL pleaded guilty to a total of eight felony offenses across three judicial districts – the Eastern District of North Carolina, the Southern District of Texas, and the Eastern District of Louisiana.