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bumps in the road which were overcome through open and proactive communica- tions between the regulated and the regu- lators. Now that we have obtained tank vessel regulations, we look toward non- tank vessel regulations. The second Wrecks of the World (WOW II) conference just wrapped up. ASA was a big part of that conference. Tell our readers about some of the advancements and developments thatoccurred since WOW I, almost two years ago. Is funding becoming more available to address these lurking, undersea oil-filled hulls? If so, from where will it come?The ASA is fully committed to marine environmental protection. We are firm believers that tackling potential polluting wrecks before they leak out to sea is a win-win strategy for all concerned. Our focus will continue to tar- get the increased awareness of all stakeholders around America's coasts so they fully grasp the true benefit of sub- sea remediation while understanding that "Out of Sight" cannot be "Out of Mind" when dealing with the fragile marine environment. Subsea technology continues to leap ahead every day and its integration into the traditional sal- vage toolbox has been very successful. Last year some con- gressional funding was appropriated for NOAA to con- duct some initial risk assessment. In addition, the USCG has just issued a public request for quotations to carry out the on site assessment of the S.S. MONTEBELLO which is sunk in about 900 feet of water outside the Californiacoast. Funding is becoming available for assessments and depending on the findings, funding could be made avail- able for actual oil removal operations. If you had to put your finger on one thing that trou- bles or concerns ASA members today, what would that be, why, and what could be done about it? The biggest challenge to our industry has always been the potential liability exposure when responding to casualties involving oil spills, coral reefs, or other third party impacts. Salvors are tasked with responding to save ship, cargo, and the environment under unique circumstances and abnormal conditions, ranging from a tanker on fire to a foundering bulk carrier in 40-foot seas. If salvors are deterred, for fear of a lawsuit, from responding as they have for thou- sands of years, the entire maritime system will suffer. Those of us in the industry have no choice but to take this on and work relentlessly to raise the awareness of lawmakers and the public so they under-stand what happens when a ship sinks andblocks the Mississippi River or the entrance to Long Beach. Salvage as a profession has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. As a part of that, salvors are finally achieving the type of respect that reflects that metric. How did this come about and what are you doing ? as ASA president ? to ensure that this progression continues. Professional salvage has been around for a long time. As an industry, however, we failed to let folks know what we were all about and how important salvage is. The ASA has done a great job at getting the word out through our out- reach programs to government. These include our USCG Training sessions and our USCG Quality Partnership par- ticipation. Our National Maritime Salvage and WOW conferences continue to successfully convey our keen desire to spread the salvage word and all the positives it brings to the table. As President I have encouraged our membership to now take a longer range look at the sus- tainability of our industry by focusing on Education of the younger generations to come. Our newly formed Education Committee is charged with bringing young Americans in touch with our industry. Mauricio Garrido is President of the American Salvage Association (ASA), a member of the SNAME Safety & Environmental Committee, as well as a member of the North American Marine Environmental Protection Association (NAMEPA) and the LloydÂs Open Form Subcommittee of the International Salvage Union (ISU). He also serves as President of T&T Bisso. INSIGHTS10MNAugust 2011Our focus will continue to target the increased awareness of all stakeholders around America's coasts so they fully grasp the true benefit of subsea remediation while understanding that "Out of Sight" cannot be "Out of Mind" when dealing with the fragile marine environment.
