USCG updates marine casualty reporting property damage thresholds

On 18 April 2018 the United States Coast Guard (USCG) amended the monetary property damage threshold amounts for reporting a marine casualty and for reporting a type of marine casualty called a “serious marine incident.”  The original regulations that set these dollar threshold amounts were written in the 1980s and had not been updated since that time.

Because the monetary thresholds for reporting have not kept pace with inflation, vessel owners and operators had been required to report relatively minor casualties.  Additionally, the original regulations required mandatory drug and alcohol testing following a serious marine incident.  As a result, vessel owners and operators were conducting testing for casualties that were less significant than those intended to be captured by the original regulations.  Updating the original regulations reduces the burden on vessel owners and operators, and also reduces the amount of Coast Guard resources expended to investigate these incidents.

What are the new amendments?

As a result:

The property damage threshold for a marine casualty that requires immediate notice under 46 CFR 4.05-1 and the written report under 46 CFR 4.05-10 is now $75,000.

The property damage threshold for an incident to be classified as a serious marine incident (SMI) as defined in 46 CFR 4.03-2 is now $200,000.

In addition, technical amendments were made to update various references to the CG-2692 form and its appendixes throughout 46 CFR Part 4.

The revised forms can be found on the Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis’s website.  Alternatively, the relevant forms can be accessed through the links below:

• CG-2692
• CG-2692A
• CG-2692B
• CG-2692C
• CG-2692D

When the amendments entered into force?

The amendments to the regulations in 46 CFR Part 4 for Marine Casualty Reporting Property Damage Thresholds published in the Final Rule March 19, 2018 became effective on 18 April 2018.