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In a landmark
decision for the cause of safer shipping and cleaner oceans, the
International Maritime Organization (IMO) has approved a new global
timetable for accelerating the phase-out of single-hull oil tankers.
At the end
of a week-long meeting of the Organization's Marine Environment
Protection Committee (MEPC 46, April 23rd - 27th, Chairman, Mr Mike
Julian of Australia) at IMO headquarters in London, delegates from
IMO's 158 member States agreed to a timetable that will see most
single-hull oil tankers eliminated by 2015 or earlier. Double-hull
tankers offer greater protection of the environment from pollution
in certain types of accident. All new oil tankers built since 1996
are required to have double hulls.
The new phase-out
timetable, which will be enshrined in a revised chapter 13G of the
MARPOL Convention on the prevention of marine pollution, is one
of a range of post-Erika measures tabled by IMO. The new regulation
will enter into force in September 2002, the earliest possible time
permitted under the MARPOL Convention.
According to
IMO Secretary-General William O'Neil, IMO has demonstrated quite
clearly that it can respond to the needs of member governments and
the world shipping community. He said, "To deal with the fallout
from the Erika we worked out a schedule, in consultation with the
chairmen of our two main committees, which advanced the date of
this session of the MEPC so that any amendments adopted now could
be put into force as soon as the MARPOL Convention allows." The
46th session of the MEPC was brought forward from its original proposed
date of July 2001.
Mr O'Neil added,
"The adoption of the proposed amendments to MARPOL regulation 13G
reaffirms IMO's position as the proper forum for dealing with complex
technical, economic and political issues concerning international
shipping, where significant differences in viewpoints can be resolved
and a solution found that is acceptable to all."
The revised
regulation identifies three categories of tankers, as follows: "Category
1 oil tanker" means oil tankers of 20,000 tons deadweight and above
carrying crude oil, fuel oil, heavy diesel oil or lubricating oil
as cargo, and of 30,000 tons deadweight and above carrying other
oils, which do not comply with the requirements for protectively
located segregated ballast tanks (commonly known as Pre-MARPOL tankers).
"Category 2 oil tanker" means oil tankers of 20,000 tons deadweight
and above carrying crude oil, fuel oil, heavy diesel oil or lubricating
oil as cargo, and of 30,000 tons deadweight and above carrying other
oils, which do comply with the protectively located segregated ballast
tank requirements (MARPOL tankers), while "Category 3 oil tanker"
means an oil tanker of 5,000 tons deadweight and above but less
than the tonnage specified for Category 1 and 2 tankers.
Although the
new phase-out timetable sets 2015 as the principal cut-off date
for all single-hull tankers, the flag state administration may allow
for some newer single hull ships registered in its country that
conform to certain technical specifications to continue trading
until the 25th anniversary of their delivery.
However, under
the provisions of paragraph 8(b), any Port State can deny entry
of those single hull tankers which are allowed to operate until
their 25th anniversary to ports or offshore terminals. They must
communicate their intention to do this to IMO. The European Community
Member States, together with Cyprus and Malta, indicated that they
would make use of paragraph 8(b) and would deny port entry to single-hull
tankers beyond 2015.
As an additional
precautionary measure, a Condition Assessment Scheme (CAS) will
have to be applied to all Category 1 vessels continuing to trade
after 2005 and all Category 2 vessels after 2010. A resolution adopting
the CAS was passed at the meeting.
Although the
CAS does not specify structural standards in excess of the provisions
of other IMO conventions, codes and recommendations, its requirements
stipulate more stringent and transparent verification of the reported
structural condition of the ship and that documentary and survey
procedures have been properly carried out and completed.
The requirements
of the CAS include enhanced and transparent verification of the
reported structural condition and of the ship and verification that
the documentary and survey procedures have been properly carried
out and completed. The Scheme requires that compliance with the
CAS is assessed during the Enhanced Survey Programme of Inspections
concurrent with intermediate or renewal surveys currently required
by resolution A.744(18), as amended.
The existing
MARPOL regulation 13G, adopted in 1992, already legislated for the
phasing-out of single-hull tankers but over a more protracted period
which would have allowed some ships to continue trading until their
30th anniversary.
The details
of the revised regulation were finalised during a series of intense
discussions in a working group under the chairmanship of Mr Zafrul
Alam of Singapore.
The 46th session
of the Marine Environment Protection Committee was chaired by Mr
Mike Julian from Australia and was held at IMO Headquarters in London
between April 23rd and 27th.
IMO - the International
Maritime Organization - is the United Nations specialized agency
with responsibility for the safety of shipping and the prevention
of marine pollution by ships.
Web site: www.imo.org
For further
information please contact: Lee Adamson, Public Information Manager
on 0207 587 3153 (ladamson@imo.org)
or
Natasha Brown, Information Officer on 0207 587 3274 (nbrown@imo.org).
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