 |
IMO tightens ship-to-ship oil transfer operation measure
 |
News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News". |
Latest news « News archive
31 Jul 2009
The Marine Environment Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted the amendments to the MARPOL Convention to prevent pollution during ship-to-ship oil transfer operations. The MEPC has also agreed to
circulate voluntary and interim measures to address greenhouse gas
emissions from shipping. The committee adopted amendments to MARPOL
relating to the on-board management of oil residue (sludge); proposed
draft amendments to MARPOL to prohibit carriage or use of heavy grade
oil in the Antarctic area; a proposal to designate specific portions of
the coastal waters of the United States and Canada as an emission
control area; and the guidelines relating to the implementation of
MARPOL Annex VI, the ship recycling Convention and the Ballast Water
Management Convention. The MEPC adopted amendments to MARPOL Annex I
for the prevention of marine pollution during some ship-to-ship (STS)
oil transfer operations. The amendments are expected to enter into
force on 1 January 2011. IMO said the new chapter 8 on prevention of
pollution during transfer of oil cargo between oil tankers at sea will
apply to oil tankers of 150 gross tonnage and above and will require
any oil tanker involved in oil cargo STS operations to have, on board,
a plan prescribing how to conduct STS operations (the STS Plan), which
would be approved by its administration.
Notification to the relevant coastal state will be required not less
than 48 hours in advance of the scheduled STS operations although some
relaxation to this rule is allowed in certain, very specific, cases.
IMO said the regulations are not intended to apply to bunkering operations.
Consequential amendments to the International Oil Pollution Prevention
(IOPP) Certificate, the Supplement to the IOPP Certificate and the Oil
Record Book were also adopted. (EHL)
Source: MB
