AWO Recommended Practice Guide: EPA Vessel General Permit for Discharges Incidental to the Normal Operations of Vessels

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 2013 Vessel General Permit (VGP) for discharges incidental to the normal operation of vessels is a set of requirements that apply to 27 types of vessel discharges for the purpose of minimizing their impact on surrounding waters. 1 The 2013 VGP will become effective on December 19, 2013, the date on which the 2008 VGP will expire. Therefore, as of December 19, 2013, all commercial vessels of 79 feet or more in length being operated as a means of transportation must comply with the requirements of the 2013 VGP when operating in U.S. inland and coastal waters (including the Great Lakes) inside the three-mile limit of the U.S. territorial sea.