Sea Views: New regulations on sewage control come into effect

International regulations for the prevention of pollution by sewage from ships entered into force on September 27 – nearly 30 years after their adoption by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), but the anticipated adoption of a revision has confused the issue.

The regulations are contained in optional Annex IV of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, and were modified in 1978 (Marpol 73/78). This requires that every ship to which Annex IV applies to shall be equipped with either a sewage treatment plant or a sewage comminuting and disinfecting system or a sewage-holding tank.

The regulations have entered into force prior to a revised Annex IV that is planned for adoption early in 2004 and likely to enter into force around July 2005. The revision was made by the IMO as a less restrictive alternative to the original text in view of insufficient ratifications of that text.

The situation has been confusing for ship operators, but the revised Annex cannot be adopted until the original Annex has entered into force. In consequence there is now a transitional period until that time.

Accordingly, the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) has agreed to request any Parties to Annex IV, which may not be able to modify their national legislation to implement the revised Annex IV, until its entry into force, not to apply for the purpose of port state control, requirements of the existing Annex IV to ships of foreign flags falling under those categories of ships that will be exempted by the revision. The MEPC requested that punitive measures should not be applied to these ships during the transition period.

World Maritime Day

World Maritime Day (WMD), the annual event to focus attention on the importance of the maritime industries to world trade, was celebrated by the IMO On September 25.

Addressing the international maritime community in his WMD message, IMO Secretary-General William O'Neil recognised the considerable efforts that have been made, and continue to be made, to ensure that ship operations today are as safe, secure and environmentally friendly as they can be.
He also drew attention to the broad range of skills, experience and expertise within the organisation that are available to deal with the issues that come before IMO. However, he qualified this by saying that the "final responsibility" must eventually lie with ship operators, and with the ship managers and ship staff that they employ.

Furthermore he emphasised that it is the seafarers who can make the most significant contribution of all in the creation of a culture of safety within the industry as a whole. O'Neil spoke of shipping as an industry able to boast of a history and a tradition that few others can match, with a legacy handed down by seafarers of pride in a job well done, attention to detail, professionalism, and of skills diligently learned and painstakingly applied.

Dubai issues new rules on tanker emission

The Government of Dubai has issued revised regulations regarding the control of hydrocarbon emissions at tanker berths and it is significant that the directive specifies responsibilities of vessel charterers in this respect.

It says that tanker berth users/charterers must ensure that all tanker ships calling at tanker berths are without any structural or mechanical damage, failure, or breakdown that could release cargo vapours involuntarily. The directive goes on to say that masters of tankers bound for loading at tanker berths should be informed well in advance to purge cargo tanks with fresh inert gas, until the atmosphere within cargo tanks reaches a maximum of 2 per cent hydrocarbon content, or less, prior to the ship's arrival at Dubai Ports.

All pump rooms should be ventilated for at least one hour prior to the ship's arrival at the pilot station in order to expel any cargo vapours within the space/spaces. Loading operations carried out on tanker ships should be exercised with utmost care, having regard to the wind direction and humidity levels.

The loading rate should be adjusted/reduced in weather conditions when the wind direction is from the North or Northwest and humidity levels are high in order to reduce emissions and allow better dispersions of hydrocarbon and mercaptans and/or hydrogen sulphide gases.

– Frank Kennedy is a Dubai-based marine consultant