Marine Safety Information Bulletin

Commandant MSIB Number: 10-20

U.S. Coast Guard Date: March 27, 2020

Inspections and Compliance Directorate

2703 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, STOP 7501

Washington, DC 20593-7501 E-Mail: DAPI@uscg.mil

COVID-19 – Guidance for Maritime Operators on Compliance with Federal Drug Testing Requirements

To help protect our essential maritime workforce, while also ensuring drug testing continues to serve as a deterrent, the Coast Guard is providing the following guidance, which, along with any subsequent updates, will remain in effect during the COVID-19 national emergency.

Recommended actions for marine employers with mariners in safety sensitive positions who are subject to drug testing under 46 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 16:

 Random Testing: Operators shall continue to conduct random urinalysis tests reasonably spread throughout the current year as per 46 CFR 16.230. However, the Coast Guard understands that introducing third party collectors onto a vessel or sending mariners to a collection site, increases human contact during the pandemic. In order to minimize human contact and safeguard the uninterrupted flow of vital commerce, maritime operators are encouraged to adjust random selection dates and use their own office employees or mariners to administer the drug tests during the pandemic emergency. Many companies already have “in-house” qualified collectors who are also authorized to train and certify other collectors. Virtual training options are also available on-line to certify urine collectors. However, the Coast Guard realizes that the challenges related to the pandemic, including the time to get employees trained, could make it difficult to reach the required 50% random test rate for all covered employees in 2020. Thus, the Office of Investigations and Analysis (CG-INV) will give due consideration to those challenges when deciding whether or not to initiate an enforcement action against marine employers who fall short of the 50% requirement. If a marine employer does fall short of the 50% requirement they should provide an explanation along with their 2020 Management Information System (MIS) reports describing the testing complications and/or delays encountered during the pandemic, and describe the steps taken to maintain their random testing programs as described above.

 Pre-Employment Testing: Employers must continue to require pre-employment drug tests for newly hired crewmembers as per 46 CFR 16.210. However, 46 CFR 16.210 provides employers the ability to waive pre-employment testing for prospective employees who have been covered by another drug testing program for at least 60 days within the last 185 days. In consideration of the pandemic and the potential need for employers to backfill crewmember positions rapidly, the Coast Guard, pursuant to 46 CFR 16.107 will consider employer requests to waive pre-employment drug tests for employees that have been covered by a random drug test program for at least 60 days within the last year of the intended hiring date. Employers may email waiver requests to CG-INV at HQS-DG-lst-CG-INV-1@uscg.mil.

 Post-Casualty Testing for Serious Marine Incidents: All employers shall continue to ensure that all persons directly involved in a serious marine incident are tested for dangerous drugs and alcohol in accordance with the requirements of 46 CFR 4.06.

 Reasonable Cause Testing: All employers shall continue to require drug testing of crewmembers who are reasonably suspected of using dangerous drugs in accordance with the requirements of 46 CFR 16.250.

Marine employers with specific questions or concerns regarding drug or alcohol testing over the course of the pandemic may send inquiries to the CG-INV Drug and Alcohol Program Coordinator at DAPI@uscg.mil.

Richard V. Timme, RDML, U.S. Coast Guard, Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy sends.

VESSEL AGENTS:

Please note guidance (attached documents) from Rear Admiral Timme, USCG, should ship agents have issues performing their job in light of the shelter-at-home orders from many states. Maritime Transportation System Recovery Units around the country and at USCG headquarters have been implemented. These units are tracking any disruption to the MTS including non-availablilty of port workers, agents, etc. 

Agent deemed Essential Worker.pdf

Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce Latest.pdf

Industry Letter to VP Pence 20 March 2020.pdf

NAMO ltr re Critical Infrastructure Workers.pdf

By a vote of 9-4 at their regularly scheduled meeting on March 24, the City of Charleston adopted an emergency "Stay at Home" ordinance. This escalation in response to COVID-19 is the first such measure enacted by a South Carolina municipality. The ordinance orders individuals to stay in their homes and prohibits business operations except for "essential services."   In introducing the ordinance, Mayor Tecklenburg told City Council that the measure is not intended to be punitive or to limit movement to essential services. It is intended to strongly encourage citizens to stay home and to help flatten the curve.   The ordinance will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday March, 26 and is slated to last 14 days.   The list of "Essential Services" included in the ordinance is broad and includes: Healthcare Hotels Grocery stores Hardware stores Online retailers Child care Banks and professional services Construction Manufacturing See the ordinance for a comprehensive list of Essential Services.   Also, check guidance from Federal DHS about Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce.

6601 NW 25th Street

Miami, FL 3 3122

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

INFORMATION BULLETIN NUMBER: FY20-07                Port Code 5206

 

TO:     IMPORTERS, CUSTOMSHOUSE BROKERS, AIR CARRIERS, FREIGHT FORWARDERS, CONTAINER STATION OPERATORS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES

SUBJECT:     Cargo Clearance Center (CCC) Change in Hours of Operation

The purpose of this information bulletin is to notify you of the change in the service rendered by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Cargo Control Branch at the Cargo Clearance Center (CCC).

Wednesday, March 25, 2020                                          CLOSED

Thursday, March 26, 2020                                             CLOSED

 

Perishable entries that require cargo processing may be processed at Port Miami.

Location: 1500 Bahama Drive

                 Miami, FL 33132

Any issues or concerns regarding this information bulletin should be directed to Chief Diane Loredo at diane.loredo@cbp.dhs.gov.

DISCLAIMER:

This material is intended to provide guidance. Recognizing that many complicated factors are involved in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) matters, entities may want to obtain a binding ruling under 19 C.F.R. Part 177. Reliance solely on this information may not be considered reasonable care. For in-depth information on the concept of reasonable care, the Trade community is referred to Treasury Decision 97-96, published in the Federal Register on December 4, 1997, and Customs Bulletin dated December 17, 1997. Please visit CBP's website at: www cbp gov.

Kemisha D. Sherrell APD, Trade Operations

Miami International Airport

THANK YOU to our community working hard to keep freight moving to provide our much needed necessities throughout this time.

Please share this video as a THANK YOU to the hardworking, essential folks delivering necessities within logistics and our supply chain.

*Video Courtesy of MOTION FILMWORKS*

BLOG Balancing Working from Home.pdf

BLOG Coronavirus Advisory - Communicating During Crisis (1).pdf

USACE NAV/OPS Report

24 March 2020

CHARLESTON HARBOR POST 45:

-Entrance Channel Contract 1:  GLDD hopper dredging to resume next hopper season.

-Entrance Channel Contract 2:  Hopper dredge ELLIS ISLAND has departed for the season.  Hopper dredge TERRAPIN ISLAND mobilized the week of 10 MAR 20 and is dredging new work material in AS 6 and 7.

-Lower Harbor Contract to Wando Welch Terminal (WWT):  Norfolk Dredging bucket dredges Atlantic and Virginian dredging new work material in Wando River reaches.

-Lower Harbor Contract to Hugh Leatherman Terminal (HLT):  Plans & Specs being finalized.  Anticipate solicitation by the mid May 2020.

-Upper Harbor Contract:  Plans & Specs expected to be finalized by mid April 2020.  Anticipate solicitation by the mid June 2020.

CHARLESTON HARBOR O&M:

-FY19 CHARLESTON HARBOR UPPEER REACHES O&M:  Southern Dredging has returned.  Shoal 4 Navy Yard Reach complete.  Shoal 3 Daniel Island Bend AD survey conducted.

AIWW:

-FY18 AIWW CRITICAL SHOAL DREDGING WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON:  Goodloe completed Shoal 6 Matthews Cut before being released to Wilmington.  Anticipate return of dredges in mid-April 2020 to complete the project.   

.

LeadLine: Intel for Savvy S.C. Port Clients         March 2020 Video: COVID-19 Update #2 From SC Ports (March 20,2020) TEUs, Vehicles, and Inland Ports All Increase HLT construction on-track for 2021 opening. S.C. Ports had a record February for both cargo volumes at oceanside terminals and rail moves at inland ports. S.C. Ports moved 197,214 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) across the Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals in February. SCPA has handled nearly 1.64 million TEUs thus far in fiscal year 2020, from July through February, a 4% increase from the same time a year ago. The country's newest container terminal, the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal, is on track to open in March 2021. Volume Increase/HLT On-Track Near-Port Spec Buildings Offer Ready Now Solutions More than 7 million square feet of Class A spec buildings near SC Ports. Spec building has dramatically accelerated near SC Port facilities in Charleston and Greer providing consumer goods importers with ready now solutions. Move-in-ready Class A buildings range from 100,000 sf single-loading facilities to 500,000 sf dual-load crossdocks with expansion capabilities up to 1 million sf. All of these buildings feature connections to high-performance port operations, available labor, a low-cost operating environment, and close proximity to the fast-growing Southeast U.S. More Information On Spec Building Opportunities

March 19, 2020 COMMERCE COMMUNICATIONS As the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues around the world, the health and wellness of all South Carolinians is our top priority. From an industry perspective, manufacturers are improvising to lessen disruptions to supply chains, staffing and demand. Businesses, big and small, are adjusting their daily operations to follow the most up-to-date recommendations from health officials.  While the full impact of COVID-19 is still unknown, we want to assure the business community that Team South Carolina is here to assist throughout this unprecedented event. In an effort to provide guidance and much-needed tools for our industry, S.C. Commerce has launched the online COVID-19 Business Resource Center.  Team South Carolina has repeatedly proven our ability to overcome adversity in times of crisis and emerge stronger and more united than before. In the weeks and months ahead, we will remain steadfast in our commitment to helping friends, family, neighbors and strangers as we prove once again our state's resiliency. Bobby Hitt, Secretary of Commerce S.C. Department of Commerce SCcommerce.com (803) 737-0400 marketing@sccommerce.com 1201 Main Street, Suite 1600 Columbia SC 29201