Ship recycling, air pollution and ballast water management on agenda at IMO environment meeting
Preview: Marine
Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) - 55th session: 9 - 13 October 2006
The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) will consider the draft of a proposed ship recycling convention
when it meets for its 55th session from 9-13 October, at Central Hall, Westminster,
London. Other major issues on the agenda include ballast water management and
air pollution from ships.
The Committee
is also expected to adopt a number of amendments to the MARPOL Convention, including
the designation of the Southern South African sea area as a Special Area under
Annex I of the Convention and the revised MARPOL Annex III Regulations for
the prevention of pollution by harmful substances carried by sea in packaged
form.
Recycling of
ships
The MEPC is expected to consider further the draft text of a mandatory instrument
providing globally applicable ship recycling regulations for international shipping
and for recycling activities. The aim is to complete the instrument in time
for its final consideration and adoption in the 2008-2009 biennium.
The Committee
will consider the report of an intersessional Correspondence Group on Ship Recycling.
The Group has further developed the draft instrument, which is intended to provide
regulations for:
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the
design, construction, operation and preparation of ships so as to facilitate
safe and environmentally sound recycling, without compromising the safety
and operational efficiency of ships; |
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the
operation of ship recycling facilities in a safe and environmentally sound
manner; and |
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the
establishment of an appropriate enforcement mechanism for ship recycling,
incorporating certification and reporting requirements. |
Adoption of
amendments to MARPOL
The MEPC will be invited to consider, for adoption, the following amendments
to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships,
1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto (MARPOL 73/78):
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amendments to the revised MARPOL Annex I to designate the Southern South
African sea area as a Special Area; and |
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adoption
of the revised MARPOL Annex III Regulations for the prevention of pollution
by harmful substances carried by sea in packaged form. The Annex has
been revised to harmonize the regulations with the criteria for defining
marine pollutants which have been adopted by the UN Transport of Dangerous
Goods (TDG) Sub-Committee, based on the Globally Harmonized System of
Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The criteria are deemed
to be appropriate for the transport of packaged dangerous goods. |
Amendments to
the Condition Assessment Scheme
The MEPC is expected to adopt amendments to the Condition Assessment Scheme
(CAS) clarifying the validity of the Statement of Compliance where there is
a change of ownership of the ship, change of recognized organization or change
of flag and giving the procedures to follow in these cases.
Amendments to
the Guidelines for the transport and handling of limited amounts of hazardous
and noxious liquid substances in bulk on offshore supply vessels
The MEPC will be invited to consider, for adoption, the amendments to the Guidelines
for the transport and handling of limited amounts of hazardous and noxious liquid
substances in bulk on offshore supply vessels (LHNS guidelines) consequent
upon the entry into force of the revised MARPOL Annex II and the amended IBC
Code on 1 January 2007.
Revised sewage
standards
Draft revised Guidelines on implementation of effluent standards and performance
tests for sewage treatment plants will be put forward for adoption by the
MEPC. The revised guidelines are intended to replace the Recommendation on
international effluent standards and guidelines for performance tests for sewage
treatment plants adopted by resolution MEPC.2(VI) in 1976.
Harmful aquatic
organisms in ballast water
The MEPC is expected to consider, for adoption, the following guidelines which
are part of a series of guidelines developed to assist in the implementation
of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast
Water and Sediments (BWM Convention) adopted in February 2004:
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ballast water exchange design and control standards (G11); |
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design and construction to facilitate sediment control on ships (G12); |
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additional
measures including emergency situations (G13); |
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designation
of areas for ballast water exchange (G14); |
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sediment
reception facilities (G1); |
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ballast
water reception facilities (G5). |
Six other guidelines
in the series have already been adopted during the last two sessions of the
MEPC.
The MEPC
is expected to take a decision related to the Basic Approval of three ballast
water management systems that make use of Active Substances, after consideration
of the report of the second meeting of the GESAMP Ballast Water Working Group
which met in May 2006.
The Ballast
Water Review Group is expected to reconvene at this session to evaluate the
latest information on ballast water treatment technologies and to determine
whether appropriate technologies are available to achieve the ballast water
performance standard required under regulation D-2 of the BWM Convention. The
first Review during MEPC 53 concluded that a variety of systems being tested
on board have the potential to meet the criteria required by the Convention.
Prevention of
air pollution from ships
The MEPC is expected to establish a working group to consider issues relating
to the prevention of air pollution and emission of greenhouse gases from ships,
including:
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ship
carbon dioxide (CO2) emission indexing and the development of a draft work
plan to identify and develop the mechanisms needed to achieve the limitation
or reduction of (CO2) emission from ships; |
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standardization
of on-shore power supply connections with ships; |
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recommendations and criteria relevant to Exhaust Gas (SOx) Cleaning Systems
wash-water discharges; |
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Unified
Interpretations relating to the implementation and enforcement of MARPOL
Annex VI, the NOx Technical Code and related guidelines; and |
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development
of a standard form for the SECA Compliance Certificate to facilitate uniform
enforcement and, in particular, port State control. |
An update will
be given on the review of MARPOL Annex VI and the NOx Technical Code, which
is being undertaken by the Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids and Gases (BLG). An
intersessional meeting of the BLG Air Pollution Working Group is scheduled to
take place in November 2006 in Norway, to progress the work further.
Inadequacy of
reception facilities
The MEPC is expected to approve a proposed draft Action Plan to tackle the alleged
inadequacy of port reception facilities - seen as a major hurdle to overcome
in order to achieve full compliance with MARPOL. The draft plan was agreed by
the Sub-Committee on Flag State Implementation (FSI) when it met for its 14th
session in June.
The draft plan
contains a list of proposed work items to be undertaken by IMO with the aim
of improving the provision and use of adequate port reception facilities, including
items relating to reporting requirements; provision of information on port reception
facilities; identification of any technical problems encountered between ship
and shore-based transfer of waste and standardization of garbage segregation
requirements and containment identification; review of type and amount of wastes
generated on board and the type and capacity of port reception facilities; and
regulatory matters including development of guidelines for establishing regional
arrangements for reception facilities, revision of the IMO Comprehensive
Manual on Port Reception Facilities and development of a Guide of Good
Practice on Port Reception Facilities.
OPRC-HNS implementation
The MEPC will be invited to consider the report of the fifth meeting of the
OPRC HNS Technical Group, which is being held in the week prior to the Committee's
session and is expected to consider, for approval, the Guidance document
on planning and response to chemical releases in the marine environment
that was prepared by the fourth session of the OPRC-HNS Technical Group.
The Technical
Group has on its agenda a number of items including the review and/or finalization
of the draft Manual on oil spill risk evaluation and assessment of response
preparedness; the draft IMO/UNEP Manual on the assessment and restoration
of environmental damage following marine oil spills; the draft revised Manual
on oil pollution - Section V: Administrative aspects of oil pollution response;
the draft revised Manual on oil pollution Section I - Prevention; and
it will also consider the possible development of a new Manual on chemical
pollution to address legal and administrative aspects of HNS incidents.
The Group will also
review progress on the development of two IMO training courses on the introduction
to preparedness and response for HNS incidents and consider possible topics for
the fourth R&D Forum.
Briefing
34, 5 October 2006
_____________
1International
Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC Convention)
and the OPRC-HNS (Harzardous and Noxious Substances) Protocol.
For further
information please contact:
Lee Adamson, Head, Public Information Services on 020 7587 3153 (media@imo.org)
or
Natasha Brown, External Relations Officer on 020 7587 3274 (media@imo.org).
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