Window on Washington: Living CVIDA Loca

This article originally appeared in the First Quarter 2019 Benedict’s Maritime Bulletin. Reprinted with permission. Any opinions in this article are not those of Winston & Strawn or its clients. The opinions in this article are the author’s opinions only.

On December 4, 2018, the President signed into law the Commercial Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (CVIDA) establishing a new (mostly) unified Federal regime for the regulation of vessel discharges in United States waters. The measure marks a grand compromise capping off years of heated debate concerning the regulation of ballast water and other vessel discharges under the U.S. Clean Water Act. The legislation has been hailed as a victory by both environmental and shipping interests.

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