AMO Currents - TWIC compliance dates announced for more Captain of the Port Zones

AMO Currents - Posted: September 2, 2008

TWIC compliance dates announced for more Captain of the Port Zones

The U.S. Coast Guard and Transportation Security Administration have announced that Dec. 30, 2008, is the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program compliance date for owners and operators of maritime and port facilities within the following Coast Guard Captain of the Port Zones: Baltimore, Delaware Bay, Mobile, Lower Mississippi River, Ohio Valley, Pittsburgh and San Diego.

Compliance will be phased in by Captain of the Port Zones between Oct. 15, 2008, and April 15, 2009, after which all ports must be in compliance and all credentialed mariners must be in possession of a TWIC.

A framework showing expected compliance dates by Captain of the Port Zone is available on the U.S. Coast Guard's Homeport Website at http://homeport.uscg.mil/twic.

In a notice previously published in the Federal Register, the Department of Homeland Security clarified that, until April 15, 2009, U.S. mariners holding a Coast Guard license, merchant mariner document, certificate of registry or STCW endorsement "may continue to use their mariner credentials, along with a photo ID, to gain unescorted access to facilities and vessels."