EPA's Electronic Vessels Notice of Intent (eNOI) Home Page

EPA has created the Electronic Notice of Intent (eNOI) (no paper!) for vessel operators to apply for coverage under the Vessel General Permit (VGP). The eNOI system is a free online service. Registration is quick and easy. Please click the eNOI logo to start to file an electronic Notice of Intent.

For more information on the 2008 VGP see the EPA Vessels General Permit page.

• EPA strongly encourages owners/operators to prepare and submit the NOI using EPA’s eNOI system. The processing of NOIs submitted electronically will be significantly faster than for those submitted via traditional paper forms.
• Information on NOI submission deadlines/discharge authorization dates are in Part 1.5.1.1 of the VGP (PDF) (165 pp, 1.2MB).

Who must submit an NOI?

If your vessel is greater than or equal to 300 gross tons or the vessel has the capacity to hold or discharge more than 8 cubic meters (2113 gallons) of ballast water, you must submit a complete and accurate NOI in accordance with the requirements of Part 10 of the VGP by September 19, 2009 if you seek coverage under the Vessel General permit.

However, if your vessel is less than 300 gross tons and your vessel does not have the capacity to hold or discharge more than 8 cubic meters (2113 gallons) of ballast water, you do not need to submit an NOI; you automatically receive coverage under this permit and are authorized to discharge in accordance with the conditions set forth within.

You should use the eNOI system because it's:

• Easier! – eNOI’s online instructions and help menus will guide you through the certification process.
• Faster! – Using eNOI will eliminate 2 weeks or more in processing time. Using eNOI is the fastest way to get your application process started.
• More Accurate! – eNOI tips will help you avoid common mistakes that could cause additional delays.

You can use the eNOI System to:

• Fill out your VGP NOI.
• Terminate coverage using eNOI even if you submitted a paper NOI.
• Fill out forms even if you don't meet the definition of certifying official. The system lets you complete the form and send it to the appropriate certifying official for signature.
• Modify forms that have already been certified and submitted to EPA.
• Save your forms as draft so that you can complete them at a later time.

An Enhanced Option for Owner/Operators with Numerous Vessels: How to Handle Multiple NOI Submissions

For those users who have numerous vessels and must submit a significant number of NOIs at the same time, EPA has created a batch upload spreadsheet to assist you. This batch upload feature is a template designed with Microsoft Excel 2003. This function may save time for those users who have numerous vessels and who already have much of the data needed gathered in existing databases. The batch upload tool, and instructions on how to use this tool, are included below. For those users who do not have significant numbers of vessels, or which do not already have much of the information needed gathered in an existing database, the standard e-NOI interface may be a more efficient approach to apply for coverage under the VGP.

• Batch Upload Spreadsheet (EXL) (90K)
• Instructions for Batch Upload Process (PDF) (31 pp, 1.59MB), including contact information if you have issues

Registration and Training

To apply for coverage under EPA's Vessel General Permit (VGP) as a first time user, you must first register to gain access to use eNOI. See Registering for eNOI (PDF) (3 pp, 225KB) to learn how to begin this process. Owners and operators of vessels can apply for coverage under the VGP via the eNOI system. Federal regulations require the certification of Notice of Intent forms by a responsible corporate officer or a principle executive or ranking elected official (for government organizations). If you are a Certifying Official and do not have an eNOI account, you must register through EPA's CDX interface. Go to eNOI Certifying Officials (PDF) (2 pp, 108KB) for directions.

To learn more about CDX registration within the eNOI system, view the CDX Registration Overview in PowerPoint format (PPT) (11 pp, 1.09MB) or CDX Registration Overview in PDF format (PDF) (11 pp, 1.02MB).

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Last updated on November 03, 2009 3:26 PM
URL:http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/vessels/enoi.cfm