A
revised MARPOL Annex V will enter into force on 1 January, 2013, and will
introduce stricter controls on the disposal of garbage from ships at sea.
The
main revisions to the Annex are as follows:
1. New definitions have been introduced, including
for animal carcasses, cooking oil, cargo residue and domestic waste.
2. All ships of 100 gt and above or certified to
carry more than 15 people are required to have on board a garbage management
plan (note: there is no requirement for the plan to be approved).
3. Ships 12 metres in length or more and fixed or
floating platforms are to display placards notifying crew and passengers of the
MARPOL Annex V requirements.
4. Ships of 400 gt and above and all fixed or
floating platforms are to have on board and maintain a garbage record book in
the format specified in MARPOL Annex V.
5. Discharges of any garbage from fixed or floating
platforms and from any ship alongside or within 500 metres of a fixed or
floating platform are prohibited. Food waste may be discharged from a fixed or
floating platform provided it is more than 12 nm from land and the waste has
been passed through a comminuter or grinder so that it can pass through a
screen with openings no greater than 25 mm.
6. The discharge of garbage into the sea is
prohibited except under certain circumstances when a ship is en route, as
follows:
Outside special areas
- Food waste may be discharged more than 3 nautical miles
(nm) from land if passed through a comminuter or grinder, Such waste is to
be capable of passing through a screen no greater than 25 mm or may be
discharged more than 12 nm from land if not passed through a comminuter or
grinder.
- Cargo residues that do not contain substances
classified as harmful to the marine environment may be discharged more
than 12 nm from land.
- Cleaning agents in cargo hold, deck and external
surfaces’ wash water may be discharged to sea provided they are not
harmful to the marine environment.
- Animal carcasses may be discharged as far from land as
possible in accordance with IMO guidelines.
Inside special areas
- Food wastes may be discharged as far as practical from
land but not less than 12 nm from land or the nearest ice shelf.
- Cargo residues may be discharged provided that:
- cleaning agents in cargo hold, deck and external
surface wash water are not harmful to the marine environment
- both the port of departure and the next port of destination
are within the special area and the ship will not transit outside the
special area between those ports
- no adequate reception facilities are available at those
ports
- discharge of cargo hold washing water containing
residues is made as far as practicable from the nearest land or ice shelf
and not less than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land or the nearest
ice shelf.
- Cleaning agents in cargo hold, deck and external surface
wash water may be discharged to sea provided they are not harmful to the
marine environment.
Note: the IMO is developing guidelines for determining which cargo
residues and cleaning agents are harmful to the marine environment.
Reference : Lloyd's Register Of Shipping
