Vessel General Permit (VGP)
The VGP is a National Pollutant Release System (NPDES) Permit that authorizes, on a national basis, incidental discharges to the normal operation of non-military and non-recreational vessels of 79 feet in length and over.
In 2008, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Vessel General Permit (VGP) legislation focusing mainly on discharges from vessels but also recommending the use of biodegradable lubricants.
In 2013 the EPA issued a second VGP that made the use of EALs mandatory.
In 2018, the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA) requires EPA to develop new national standards of performance for commercial vessel incidental discharges and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to develop corresponding implementing regulations.