On 26 November 2004, M/T Athos I hit a submerged anchor enroute to a CITGO terminal in New Jersey. The allision occurred within the federally-maintained anchorage in the Delaware River leading up to that terminal, not alongside the terminal itself. The tanker ruptured, causing an oil spill that impacted 280 miles of shoreline along the Delaware River, prompting a massive and costly cleanup effort. Frescati shipping, the owner of the Athos I, paid for the cleanup, was partially reimbursed by the US Government, and then both Frescati the US Government sued CITGO for the cleanup costs. CITGO had executed a charterparty -a maritime contract between ship owners and charterers -with Frescati whic

From the Desk of CAPT Jeff Monroe, MM, AMPE NEW SEAFARER ACCESS RULES IMPACT PORTS AND TERMINALS Owners and operators of ports and maritime intermodal facilities (terminals) in the US are being reminded of the approaching deadlines for a new rule designed to improve seafarers' access to shore leave. The US Coast Guard has issued the Seafarers' Access to Maritime Facilities Final Rule which became effective on 1 May, is now in force as of 1 June 2020. Under the rule, each owner or operator of a maritime facility regulated by the Coast Guard under the Marine Transportation Security Act of 2002 must provide all seafarers, pilots, representatives of licensed and unlicensed seafarers’ unions and