Submitting a Ballast Water Management Report using the Web App
The Web App is interactive and steps the user through the process of reporting their ballast water activities. Because users of the Web App BWMR form will be connecting directly to the NBIC BW Information System via an Internet browser, they will have access to their previous reports and to the most up-to-date BWMR form versions and features, making reporting faster and easier than ever before. Furthermore, Web App users will receive immediate confirmation that their submitted report has been received by the NBIC.
Overview of the Web App BWMR Form
Once the user registers their account and logs in, the first page provides a list of vessels associated with this account. The user can enter additional vessels (i.e., Report for a New Vessel) or select from the list of existing vessels.
- Select '+ Report for a New Vessel' to go to the 'Vessel Information' page (see below).
- Select one of the existing vessels to go to the 'Vessel Reporting' page, which provides the complete reporting history for this vessel.
Below is an overview of each section the user will be required to complete when submitting a BWMR.
1. Vessel Reporting
Lists all BWMRs submitted for this vessel using this account. The user can:
- Submit a new report
- Click on a previous report to view, change, or cancel that report.
2. Vessel Information
The first time a user logs in to the Web App, complete the vessel specific information (i.e., Vessel Name, ID Number, Type of ID Number, Owner/Operator, Vessel Type, Gross Tonnage, and Country of Registry). This information will be retained for all subsequent reports. The user only needs to update this information if the information changes (e.g., change of name or ownership).
3. Voyage Information
Enter the Arrival Port and Date, the Last Port, and the Next Port. Recent ports reported for each of these fields will be provided for the user's convenience.
Each location can be a port, river miles on US inland waterways, or a latitude and longitude. Ports and Waterways can be dynamically searched from the NBIC's extensive table of locations and new locations can be added by the user (i.e., user enters port name, latitude and longitude, country, and state (if US). The user can enter latitude and longitude as either decimal degrees (e.g., 43.508 -123.25), as degrees, minutes, and seconds (e.g., 43 30 30 N 123 15 00 W), or as degrees and decimal minutes (e.g., 43 30.5 N 123 15 W).
4. Ballast Water Information
Provide the Number of Ballast Tanks on Board, Total Ballast Capacity, the units of all ballast water volumes reported on the BWMR form, and select the US Coast Guard designated system identification number of any onboard Ballast Water Management System (i.e., AMS ID or USCG Type Approval ID) or select "STEP Vessel" if enrolled in the Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program. These fields will be auto populated based on previous reports and will only need to be updated if any information changes. For each new BWMR the user will need to enter the Total Volume of Ballast on Board and the number of Ballast Tanks in Ballast.
5. Ballast Tank Information
Static information regarding each tank (i.e., Tank Type, Side of the vessel, Tank Number, Capacity) only needs to be entered the first time that a BW tank is reported, and will be auto populated in future BWMRs for the user's convenience.
- When a tank is to be discharged in US waters, enter all events (i.e., discharge, management, and source events) individually from the most recent to the oldest event, i.e., reverse chronological order, dating back to when the tank was last empty.
- When entering multiple BW tanks that have the same event history it is possible for the user to copy previously entered BW tanks on that BWMR form to make data entry much easier.
- If the vessel's crew was given specific instructions for alternative BW management by a USCG Captain of the Port, select 'Yes' at the bottom of the 'Ballast Tank Information' page when asked "Was alternative BW management conducted, per instructions from COTP."
6. Submit
When the user reaches the 'Submit' page any unresolved errors in the BWMR will be highlighted. They will need to navigate back to the appropriate section(s) to correct those errors before being allowed to submit the BWMR. Once all errors are corrected, enter the name and title of the responsible officer and certify that all information is accurate. After submitting the BWMR, the user can print or save the BWMR for their records as required by 33 CFR 151.2070, see also Table 1 in 33 CFR 151.2015.
Paperwork Reduction Act Notice
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number.
The Coast Guard estimates that the average burden per response is 40 minutes for a Ballast Water Management Report. You may submit any comments concerning the accuracy of this burden estimate or any suggestions for reducing the burden to: Commandant (CG-OES), U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Washington, DC 20593-7509 or Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (1625-0069), Washington, DC 20503.
Privacy Notice
Authority: 33 U.S.C. §1251.
Purpose: The Coast Guard will use the information provided on ballast water reporting form to evaluate vessel ballast water management practices.
Routine Uses: Authorized Coast Guard personnel will use this data in efforts to reduce discharge of aquatic nuisance species into U.S. waters from vessels and to prevent future damage caused by such discharges. For more information on how USCG uses this information, please see DHS/USCG/PIA-008 Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE), available at https://www.dhs.gov/privacy.
Disclosure: Furnishing this information is mandatory; failure to furnish the requested information is a violation and may incur civil penalties.
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