| Office of Public Affairs U.S. Coast Guard |
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| Press Release | Date: May 16, 2005 Contact: Jolie Shifflet |
Coast Guard details impact of changing single-hull phase-out date WASHINGTON - The Coast Guard has determined that changing the single-hull phase-out date for tank vessels from 2015 to 2010 would have the greatest impact on U.S. tank barges, causing 38 percent of total tank barge fleet to lose five years of service life. Overall, approximately 1,700 U.S. and 70 foreign single-hull tank vessels would be affected and lose some service life in U.S. waters. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requires the phase-out of all single hull tank vessels less than 5,000 gross tons by January 1, 2015. After a recent oil spill on the Delaware River involving a single-hulled vessel, Congress asked the Coast Guard for information on the impact of changing the final phase-out date to January 1, 2010. In addition to the 1648 single-hulled tank barges, 14 U.S. tank vessels and 72 foreign-flagged tank vessels with double bottoms or double sides would loose from one to five years of service life. This information was provided in a report to Congress on May 12 on the implementation of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. The full report can be viewed at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/npfc. ### The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
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