Operations and Maintenance - All Ships

Ship Board Emergency Plans

Draft guidelines containing instructions for the development emergency plans for ships carrying noxious liquid substances under Annex II of MARPOL were discussed by the Committee. The plan’s content is in line with requirements established under Resolution MEPC.54(32) for oil pollution, the Committee. Such plans involve responsibilities and action required by the ship and by the coastal State in responding to an emergency. Recognizing that work is ongoing under the amendments to the 1990 Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC) Convention to further develop the role and required infrastructure of the coastal State and to incorporate noxious liquid substances into the Convention, approval of the draft emergency plans was held in abeyance pending completion of the OPRC work.

Anti-fouling Paints

The Committee continued to discuss the prohibition of TBT paints on the ship’s outer hull after recalling its November 1990 recommendation to prohibit the use of tributyltin (TBT) paints on non-aluminum vessels <25 meters in length and TBT compounds which exhibit high release rates of TBT biocide.

Views on further banning TBT self-polishing paints were mixed with proponents for global prohibition (the North Sea States) arguing that although no equivalent alternative exists, a ban in the long term will put pressure on industry to develop a suitable alternative.

Those favoring its continued use, noted TBT’s superior performance qualities which reduce the carriage of harmful organisms by as much as 70% and reduce air pollution emissions that would otherwise occur due to the additional power needed to propel a ship with a fouled outer hull. Documentation was submitted indicating decreasing levels of TBT since its banned use on small pleasure craft, which is considered the principal source of TBT pollution. TBT use on commercial ships is considered to be controllable by improving environmentally responsible maintenance practices during the ship’s dry docking.

Except for Japan, Delegations agreed effective TBT alternative paints are not yet available to prevent fouling for the five-year duration that exists between the mandatory dry dockings. This matter will be progressed intersessionally by a correspondence group coordinated by the Netherlands Ministry of Transport.

Ballast Water Management

A set of draft regulation applicable to all ships that carry ballast water was developed for consideration at future MEPC Sessions. The regulations require ship operators to take measures to minimize the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens through the ship’s ballast water and associated sediments. These measures are to be documented in a ballast water management plan which shall be carried on board the vessel and be made readily available to port States which have implemented measures to minimize the introduction of non-indigenous potentially harmful aquatic organisms into their jurisdictional waters.

Although developing technologies are making progress to eliminate the transfer of

Two methods of ballast water exchange are being considered: (1) the flow through method which involves the continuous exchange of ballast in order that its volume is replaced three times or (2) a single, complete ballast exchange. In either case, the process should take place in the open sea (e.g. at water depths > 2000 meters) in order for the concentrations of organisms to be reduced by approximately 95%, which is considered as an acceptable level of risk. Due to the nature of the ballast exchange process, the Design and Equipment Sub-Committee has been tasked to evaluate all safety aspects associated with the process.

Because of the difficulty in determining the biological profile of coastal waters and the uncertainty associated with determining the potential harm that a non-indigenous species may afford, such precautionary efforts aim to reduce the risk rather than offer a solution to the problem. Guidelines to safely and effectively implement such regulations are in an early stage of development.

Port States will be allowed to exempt vessels from complying with these requirements, either due to their operation (e.g. drilling units) or trading routes where an acceptable level of risk exists.

Garbage Management Plan

As previously reported, all ships of 400 gt and above, ships certified to carry 15 persons or more and all fixed and floating platforms will be required to carry on board a garbage management plan. This plan is to be on board new ships built after 1 July 1997 and on all existing ships (built prior 1 July 1997) by 1 July 1998 under Annex V of MARPOL 73/78. The Committee adopted a set of guidelines to assist owners/operators in the development of such a plan. Arrangements in the plan for managing garbage should include designation of a responsible person and procedures for collecting, separating processing, storing and disposing of garbage together with information for operating any associated equipment on board.