Revised ship sewage regulations set for adoption at IMO meeting
Preview: Marine
Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) - 51st session: 29 March - 2 April 2004
Revised ship
sewage regulations set for adoption at IMO meeting
Revised
regulations for the prevention of pollution of the oceans by sewage are expected
to be adopted by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) when it
meets for its 51st session from 29 March to 2 April 2004.
Other items
on the agenda include follow-up to the adoption of the new Ballast Water Convention,
air pollution and ship recycling.
Amendments to
MARPOL 73/78 - Annex IV
The revised MARPOL Annex IV containing regulations for the prevention of pollution
by sewage from ships was approved by the MEPC in 2000 and can now be formally
adopted following the entry into force of the optional Annex in September 2003,
with a proposed entry into force date of 1 August 2005.
Annex IV
contains a set of regulations regarding discharge of sewage into the sea, ships'
equipment and systems for the control of sewage discharge, provision of facilities
at ports and terminals for the reception of sewage, and requirements for survey
and certification. It includes a model International Sewage Pollution Prevention
Certificate to be issued by national shipping administrations to ships under
their jurisdiction.
The revised
draft Annex will apply to new ships engaged in international voyages, of 400
gross tonnage and above or which are certified to carry more than 15 persons.
Existing ships will be required to comply with the provisions of the revised
Annex IV five years after the date of its entry into force. Once in force, the
Annex will require ships to be equipped with either a sewage treatment plant
or a sewage comminuting and disinfecting system or a sewage holding tank.
The discharge
of sewage into the sea will be prohibited, except when the ship has in operation
an approved sewage treatment plant; or is discharging comminuted and disinfected
sewage using an approved system at a distance of more than three nautical miles
from the nearest land; or is discharging sewage which is not comminuted or disinfected
at a distance of more than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land.
Amendments
to MARPOL 73/78 - Annex V
Proposed amendments to the Appendix to MARPOL Annex V on Prevention of pollution
by garbage from ships are also set for adoption. The amendments relate to the
recording of disposal of cargo residues in the Garbage Record Book.
Revised MARPOL Annex I and Annex II set for approval
The MEPC is expected to approve the revised texts of MARPOL 73/78 Annex
I and Annex II with a view to subsequent adoption at MEPC 52 in October 2004,
with an expected entry into force date of 1 January 2007.
Both Annexes
have been updated and include the amendments adopted in recent years.
Amendments to
IBC code
The MEPC will consider for approval proposed amendments to the International
Bulk Chemical Code (IBC Code). The amendments revise and update the Code and
reflect the changes to MARPOL Annex II, which are being proposed for approval
and subsequent adoption at MEPC 52.
Transport of
vegetable oils
The MEPC will be invited to consider, with a view to adoption at MEPC 52, an
MEPC resolution on Guidelines for the transport of vegetable oils in deep tanks
or in independent tanks specially designed for the carriage of such vegetable
oils on board dry cargo ships. The guidelines have been developed to allow general
dry cargo ships, which are currently certified to carry vegetable oil in bulk,
to continue to carry these vegetable oils on specific trades.
Ballast water
management
Following the adoption in February this year of the International Convention
for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, the MEPC
will consider follow-up work, including preparation of a plan of action for
the development of guidelines for implementation of the Convention.
The MEPC is expected
to establish a working group to develop the guidelines.
Recycling of
ships
The IMO Assembly, in November 2003, adopted resolution A.962(23) on IMO Guidelines
on Ship Recycling. The Committee is expected to consider further work on the
issue including:
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1. |
development
of a harmonized format for the Ship Recycling Plan; |
| |
2. |
development
of further technical considerations to assist in developing a Ship Recycling
Plan; |
| |
3. |
review
and further development of Appendices 1 to 3 of the Guidelines on Ship Recycling
in light of experience gained in their application; |
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4. |
development
of detailed criteria for ships to be declared "Ready for Recycling";
and |
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5.
|
consideration
of mechanisms to promote the implementation of the Guidelines on Ship Recycling
such as a reporting system for ships destined for recycling. |
The MEPC is expected
to establish a working group on ship recycling.
Air pollution
related issues
The MEPC is expected to establish a working group on air pollution related issues
in order to consider the development of an IMO Green House Gases (GHG) emission-indexing
scheme and related issues, including the report of the intersessional correspondence
group on greenhouse gases. Assembly resolution A.963(23) on IMO policies and
practices related to the reduction of greenhouse emissions from ships invites
the MEPC:
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1.
|
to
consider methodological aspects related to the reporting of GHG emissions
from ships engaged in international transport; |
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2. |
to
develop a Work Plan with a Timetable; and |
| |
3.
|
to
keep this matter under review and to prepare consolidated statements of
continuing IMO policies and practices related to the limitation or reduction
of GHG emissions from international shipping. |
Identification
and protection of Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas
The MEPC will be invited to consider proposals for the identification of three
new Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs):
- the Baltic Sea area, except Russian waters;
- the Galapagos Archipelago (Ecuador); and
- the waters of the Canary Isles archipelago (Spain).
Meeting of the
MEPC OPRC/OPRC-HNS Technical Group
The MEPC OPRC/OPRC-HNS Technical Group is meeting ahead of the MEPC from Tuesday,
23 March to Friday, 26 March 2004.
______________
IMO - the International
Maritime Organization - is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility
for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution
by ships.
Web site: www.imo.org
For further
information please contact:
Lee Adamson, Senior External Relations Officer on 020 7587 3153 (media@imo.org)
or
Natasha Brown, External Relations Officer on 020 7587 3274 (media@imo.org
).
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