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Fall 2015 Proceedings
www.uscg.mil/proceedings
The Coast Guard verifes compliance using a combination
of plan review and physical examination. A successful plan
review leads to the Coast Guard developing a "Subchapter O
endorsement" (SOE) for carriage of specifc cargoes, which is
issued after the vessel successfully undergoes a certifcate of
compliance (COC) exam.
The International Gas Code (IGC) provides the international
standard for safe liquefed gases carriage in bulk. The corre-
sponding U.S. regulations are found in Title 46 Code of Fed-
eral Regulations, Subchapter O, Part 154. As U.S. standards
are more stringent than some parts of the international stan-
dard, it is important that those who operate foreign liquefed
gas carriers in U.S. waters understand the differences in the
standards and the process used to enforce those differences.
The Subchapter O
Endorsement
For foreign liquefed gas carriers.
by lt rAchEl bEckMAnn
Vessel and Cargo Branch Chief
U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Center
Liquefed Gas Production, Transportation, and Use
Liquefed natural gas tanker. Image courtesy of Oleksandr Kalinichenko / iStock / Thinkstock.