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Effective today, The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has been authorized to act on behalf of the US Coast Guard (USCG) to verify the compliance of US-flag vessels with MARPOL 73/78 Annex VI.

Acting as a Recognized Organization, the class society can now issue the International Air Pollution Prevention (IAPP) Certificate, required by MARPOL, on behalf of the USCG, to US-flag vessels that meet the criteria.

"This expansion of our authorization by the Coast Guard provides our clients with a more efficient means to gain and maintain the necessary certification," said Thomas Gilmour, Americas Division President and Chief Operating Officer at ABS.

MARPOL Annex VI addresses the amount of sulfur oxide (SOx) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions permitted from ships and has set an aggressive target to reduce these levels over the next decade.

Founded in 1862, ABS is a leading international classification society devoted to promoting the security of life, property and the marine environment through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities.