NTSB Issues Findings, Adopts Recommendations on Key Bridge Collapse. On November 18, the National Transportation Safety Board held a public Board meeting to discuss the probable cause of the contact of containership Dali with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26, 2024, which resulted in the bridge's collapse.
NTSB investigators identified a single loose wire on the Dali which caused an electrical blackout that led to a loss of propulsion and steering. The Board approved safety recommendations to the vessel's operator, classification society, engine and electrical component manufacturers, and the U.S. Coast Guard related to its engineering findings.
In addition, the NTSB focused on the lack of countermeasures to reduce the bridge's vulnerability to large vessel strikes as a contributing factor to the accident. The Board emphasized that bridge owners and federal agencies must better assess and address risks to bridges over navigable waterways, especially as vessel traffic and size increases in U.S. ports. At times during the meeting, various risk mitigations were discussed, including the navigation channel design, physical pier protections like dolphins, and operational controls such as vessel speed limits and tug escorts. However, NTSB staff made clear that no mitigation measure is a universal solution and bridge protection measures should be developed on a case-by-case basis considering the unique characteristics of the waterway, the bridge, and vessel traffic. The Board reiterated its safety recommendations from March urging owners of bridges spanning navigable waterways used by large vessels to conduct a risk assessment and, if needed, develop a risk reduction plan.
AWO has been tracking how bridge owners and federal agencies are responding to the NTSB's March recommendations to keep members updated and involved in discussions that may impact their operations.
For more information, please contact Liam Morcroft. A recording of the hearing is available here and final report will be published in the coming weeks.
OMB Publishes Semiannual Regulatory Agenda. The White House Office of Management and Budget recently published its semiannual unified agenda of regulatory and deregulatory actions that are in process across federal agencies. Despite appearing in the Federal Register in the fall, this was labeled the Spring 2025 agenda, and the Fall agenda is expected to be published later this year. The agenda includes 11 Coast Guard rulemakings on which the agency expects to take action within 12 months, including two proposed rules that are being withdrawn.
As urged by AWO, the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board plan to publish a deregulatory proposed rule in December 2025 to raise the monetary property damage threshold for reporting a major marine casualty, acknowledging that the "current amount no longer accurately reflects the level of significance...that would justify an independent investigation by the NTSB." In addition, the Coast Guard anticipates publishing its proposed rule to establish electronic chart and navigation equipment carriage requirements -- which it has designated as deregulatory -- in May 2026. The Coast Guard also identified the establishment of Atlantic Coast shipping safety fairways as a long-term action, with a final rule expected in February 2027.
AWO continues to advocate for timely Administration and Coast Guard action on our regulatory and deregulatory priorities. Please contact Caitlyn Stewart for more information.
AWO Leads Industry Coalition Letter on U.S. Coast Guard VIDA Rulemaking. On November 12, AWO sent an industry coalition letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought urging them to prioritize publication of the statutorily required U.S. Coast Guard rulemaking to implement and enforce the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA), which was signed into law by President Trump in 2018.
AWO and the coalition, which includes American and international commercial and passenger vessel owners and operators, U.S. marine terminals and port authorities, and American cargo owners, strongly supported passage of VIDA because it is deregulatory: it will reduce regulatory burdens on the maritime industry by establishing a single, nationally consistent federal framework for regulating vessel discharges, and preempt states from adopting and enforcing their own standards. However, the benefits of the law will only be realized once the Coast Guard issues its implementing regulations. Although these are required by statute to be published in 2026, the rulemaking does not appear in the Administration's recently published agenda of regulatory and deregulatory actions.
AWO has also requested meetings with DHS and OMB to discuss the importance of prioritizing this issue in the interest of reducing regulatory burdens.
For more information, please contact Lillie Wightman.
Welcome, Andrew Eisenberger, AWO's New Director of Legislative Affairs! AWO is delighted to announce that Andrew Eisenberger has joined the AWO staff as Director - Legislative Affairs. Reporting to Craig Montesano, AWO Vice President - Legislative Affairs, Andrew is a native of Southern California and brings a decade of experience on Capitol Hill, where he served as a staffer for three members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Most recently, he was deputy chief staff and transportation aide for Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), who chairs the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. Andrew will work alongside Craig Montesano and Joe Manion, Senior Director - Political and Legislative Affairs, to advance AWO's advocacy agenda on Capitol Hill. He looks forward to meeting AWO members and can be reached at AEisenberger@americanwaterways.com or 703-373-2291.
Senators, Attorneys General Raise Concerns over Rail Merger. Shareholders of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern recently voted in support of merging the companies, leading Union Pacific's CEO to announce that he intends to file a formal merger application with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) in late November or early December. In a bipartisan letter to the STB, 18 U.S. senators urged the agency to consider the impacts to agricultural producers and uphold STB's "mandate to preserve long-term competition" when considering whether to approve the merger. Nine state attorneys general also wrote to express their concern that the merger would result in "undue market concentration that stifles competition," creating higher prices and lower reliability.
Sharing the Water: Safe Boating on Multi-Use Waterways. AWO and the National Safe Boating Council have partnered to create a short video educating recreational boaters on how to safely interact with commercial vessels. The three-minute video, Sharing the Water: Safe Boating on Multi-Use Waterways, was released November 13, followed by a series of short clips for social media. The video offers simple, practical guidance on radio use, Rules of the Road, vessel blind spots, maneuvering limits, wake hazards, and passing arrangements. Created for recreational boaters and safety partners across the industry, the video highlights the risks of navigating near large commercial vessels and reflects AWO's and NSBC's shared commitment to proactive public outreach to improve safety for all mariners. To join the video campaign, please contact Lillie Wightman. For more information on AWO's recreational boater safety work, please contact Liam Morcroft.
AWO PAC and Inside Elections. AWO PAC has partnered with Inside Elections for another special edition, featuring a deep dive into Washington's 3rd congressional district. The edition also includes initial takeaways from the 2025 elections and analysis of new congressional maps in California, Ohio and North Carolina.
AWO PAC is the connected political action committee for The American Waterways Operators and serves as the trade association's separate segregated fund. As a trade association, AWO is prohibited from using general treasury funds or membership dues to make federal contributions. AWO is one of the most effective advocacy associations in Washington, DC, and relies on voluntary personal contributions to fund AWO PAC.
AWO PAC supports federal candidates who are champions of the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry and who are leaders on issues important to our industry. AWO PAC is dedicated to protecting AWO members' investments in the safest, most environmentally responsible and most economical mode of freight transportation and safeguarding the integrity of the Jones Act to protect the bottom lines of our members.
AWO PAC may solicit contributions from individuals of a member company once the member representative gives AWO written prior approval.
Southern California Board Approves Cooperative Agreement with Ports of LA-Long Beach. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Board has approved a draft Cooperative Agreement with the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to reduce emissions from port activities. Under the agreement, the Ports will develop comprehensive zero-emission infrastructure plans in three phases, establishing planning targets and key milestones. SCAQMD will verify progress through annual reports and monitor implementation throughout the process.
SCAQMD had previously proposed an Indirect Source Rule (ISR) that would have imposed costly mandates, fees, and stringent emissions caps, potentially hindering port operations. AWO joined a coalition led by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association in advocating for a voluntary agreement instead of a formal rulemaking and AWO Pacific Region Vice President and Regional Team Lead Peter Schrappen provided public comments urging the Board to adopt the cooperative approach.
For more information, please contact Lillie Wightman.
Seattle Industrial Lands Protected after Invalidation of City Council Vote. A bill to build 900 homes in an industrial area of Seattle was invalidated this month after the Port of Seattle successfully appealed the decision to the Growth Management Hearings Board. AWO and other maritime interests had advocated to protect the land in question for industrial use.
AWO President & CEO Outlines Long-term Industry Priorities in New OpEd. Jennifer Carpenter recently wrote an opEd for Maritime Reporter & Engineering News highlighting the need to translate the current renewed focus on maritime in Washington, DC into actions to strengthen the industry for the long term. In the piece, Looking Beyond Maritime's "Moment," Jennifer calls for: strengthening support for the Jones Act; promoting policies and investments that enhance safety, efficiency and innovation; prioritizing state as well as federal advocacy; building on our record as the nation's safest mode of freight transportation; and continuously working to attract, retain and grow the industry's future workforce. The opEd is available here, at pages 24-25, and also at MarineLink.
#MissiontoMaritime: Honoring Veterans in the TTB Industry. Throughout November, AWO is featuring our #MissiontoMaritime social media campaign to spotlight military veterans who transitioned to a career in the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry, thanking them for their service and highlighting the maritime industry as a rewarding post-military career. Veterans bring leadership, teamwork, and dedication from sea to shore, and their mission continues -- powering our waterways, keeping commerce moving, and strengthening our maritime community.
If you or someone you know would like to participate, please send Lillie Wightman a short, well-lit, and audibly clear video that includes your name, current company and role, military branch and rank, and years of service in the military. In the video, please answer at least one of the following questions:
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What attracted you to a career in the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry after your military service?
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How did your experience in the military prepare you for your current career?
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What do you find most rewarding about your work and industry now?
Please submit any content by Monday, November 24. For more information, please contact Lillie Wightman.
Summary of Navigating to Zero -- November 2025: In the latest edition of AWO's Navigating to Zero Safety and Sustainability Newsletter, we highlighted: the NTSB's Safety Alert and NTSB Casualty Reports; lessons learned and incident investigations from ExxonMobil related to scupper plugs; member-submitted High-Value Near Misses concerning fires and line throwing appliances; a feature on Strategic Towing's Safety Director, Michael Draughon; two new HERO Award winners from Strategic Towing and Enterprise Marine Services; and much more. Please contact Liam Morcroft to set up email delivery of Navigating to Zero, and catch up on past editions available exclusively on the AWO app (iPhone | Android).
Save the Date for AWO's 2026 Events! Get ready for another exciting year of connection, collaboration, and industry leadership with AWO. Our 2026 events will bring members together across the country to share insights, strengthen partnerships, and advance safety and success in the industry.
Don't miss out -- plan ahead and make 2026 your most connected year yet. Visit our Event Calendar to learn more and register for these events today!
