MARPOL

Annex One Regulations for the prevention of Pollution by Oil

Regulation 4 covers the survey requirements for the issue of an IOPP
(International Oil Pollution Prevention) certificate. All tankers of >150grt and all
other ships of >400grt are require to be issued with one. The IOPP certificate is
valid for a period of 5 years and is subject to annual survey and an intermediate
survey are required to keep the certificate valid.
Regulation 9 covers the control of discharge of oil. Oil may only be discharged by
a tanker in the following circumstances :
a. The tanker is not in a special area
b. The tanker is >50 from land
c. The tanker is en route
d. Rate of discharge < 30 litres per n.mile.
e. Total quantity of oil is < 1/15000 of the total cargo or 1/30000 for new
ships.
f. The tanker must have an operational oil discharge monitoring system and
slop tank arrangement. (regulation 15 covers the requirements for this)
For other ships of >400grt, they can only discharge oil (from machinery space
bilges)
a. The ship is not in a special area
b. The ship is en route.
c. Oil content of the discharge must be < 15ppm.
d. Must have an oily water separator (regulation 16 covers this)
Oil residues which cannot be pumped overboard as required by these regulations,
must be stored on board for discharge to reception facilities ashore.
Regulation 10 covers special areas which are stated to be the Mediterranean sea,
Baltic sea, black sea, red sea, gulfs area, gulf of Aden, Antarctica, nw Europe.
Discharge of oil into the sea in these areas is strictly prohibited.
Regulation 11 allows exceptions which provide for the purposes of safety of life
and ship.
Regulation 12 covers the requirements for terminals which load oil, shipyards and
the like to provide adequate reception facilities for receiving oily waste.
Regulation 13 covers the requirements for oil tankers with regard to segregated
ballast tanks, dedicated clean ballast tanks and crude oil washing. It also is where
the requirement for double skins on tankers comes from.
Regulation 17 requires vessels of >400grt to have adequate slop/sludge tanks.
Regulation 18 requires tankers to have a discharge manifold for the discharge of
oily waste and dirty ballast water. Regulation 19 gives a standard size for this
connection.
 Regulation 20 covers the oil record book. Whenever the following takes place, an
entry must be made into the oil record book : for machinery space operations
(on all ships)
a. Ballasting and cleaning of FO tanks.
b. Discharge of dirty ballast or cleaning water
c. Disposal of oil residues (sludge)
d. Discharge overboard or disposal otherwise of bilge water which is from a
machinery space.
For cargo/ballast operations on oil tankers
a. Loading of oil cargo
b. Internal transfer of oil cargoes during a voyage
c. Unloading of oil cargoes
d. Ballasting of cargo tanks and dedicated clean ballast tanks.
e. Cleaning of cargo tanks and including crude oil washing.
f. Discharge of ballast (except from segregated ballast tanks)
g. Discharge of water from slop tanks
h. Closing of all appropriate valves or similar devices after slop tank water
discharge.
i. Closing of all valves for isolation of clean ballast tanks from cargo and
stripping lines after slop tank discharge.
j. Disposal of residues.
Regulations 21 through to 25 cover the construction of tankers so as to minimise
the risk of pollution in the event of damage.
Regulation 26 covers the development of a SOPEP (shipboard oil pollution
prevention plan) and is required by all tankers of >150grt and other ships of
>400grt.

Annex Two Regulations for the Control of Pollution by

Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk.
This annex applies only for chemical tankers, carrying chemicals in categories A,
B or C (see below).
Category A noxious liquids which if discharged into the sea, would present a
major hazard to either marine resources or human health or cause serious harm
to amenities or other legitimate uses of the sea to justify stringent anti-pollution
measures.
Category B substances which, if discharged into the sea, would present a
hazard to either marine resources or human health or cause harm to amenities or
other legitimate uses of the sea to justify special anti-pollution measures.
Category C - substances which, if discharged into the sea, would present a minor
hazard to either marine resources or human health or cause minor harm to
amenities or other legitimate uses of the sea and therefore requires special
operational conditions.
Category D - substances which, if discharged into the sea, would present a
recognisable hazard to either marine resources or human health or cause
 minimal harm to amenities or other legitimate uses of the sea and therefore
requires some attention in operational conditions.
Discharge of Category A, B, C and D substances may be discharged into the sea
provided a series of conditions are met. The conditions differ for each category of
noxious substance but basically provide a minimum content percent, the ship must
be underway (speed > 7 knots), discharge is to be below the waterline, the ship
must be > 12 miles from land, and there is a maximum percentage of total volume
on board allowed to be discharged. Important to note here that only chemical
tankers are bound by these rules. Other ships have to look elsewhere in MARPOL
to determine what to do with chemical discharges.
There are special rules regarding the piping and pumping arrangements on
chemical tankers to ensure that a minimum amount of cargo remains in each tank
after being discharged.
Regulation 9 provides for a Cargo Record Book which is very similar in nature to
an Oil Record Book and asks for the same information to be recorded in it.
Chemical tankers must be surveyed and issued with an International Pollution
Prevention Certificate for the Carriage of Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk. It is,
like the IOPP certificate, valid for 5 years with annual surveys and an
intermediate survey.
Some chemicals in category C and D are classified as oil like substances. These
substances may be carried on product tankers which fall under Annex One of
MARPOL. These vessels must have an IOPP which endorses them to carry these
substances and the discharge of them into the sea is governed by the rules which
appear in Annex One.
For chemical tankers of 150grt or more, a shipboard marine pollution emergency
plan for noxious liquid substances has to be developed, approved and used.
Attached to the end of Annex Two, is a section named Standard for Procedures
and Arrangements for the Discharge of Noxious Liquid Substances. In this
context, it refers to discharges overboard. Its purpose is to develop international
standards which are uniform so that vessels can comply with the requirements of
Annex Two. It makes provision for a Procedures and Operational Manual;
equipment and constructional standards for new ships; operational standards for
vessels (both new and existing) carrying category A, B, C and D cargoes.

Annex Three Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by

Harmful Substances Carried by Sea in Packaged Form.

For the purposes of this annex, harmful substances are those which appear in the
IMDG code as marine pollutants.
When carrying harmful substances, all documentation must use the correct
technical name of the product and be further identified by the words MARINE
POLLUTANT.
The shipper must ensure and provide documentation to confirm, that each
substance is package adequately, and marked & labelled appropriately as required.
 Each ship carrying harmful substances must have a special manifest which lists
the harmful substances on board and the location of them. The port state
authority must receive a copy of this manifest before departure from port, as
does the owners representative ashore, until that substance is discharged.
Documents which are required by SOLAS regarding the carriage of Dangerous
Goods, may be combined with the documents required by MARPOL in this annex,
provided a clear distinction is made between dangerous goods and harmful goods.

Annex Four Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by

Sewage from Ships.
This annex is particularly important if you have the misfortune of sailing on a
livestock ship.
It is applicable to all ships of 200grt or more.
An International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate is proposed.
Various discharge requirements are proposed, such as, minimum distance from
land (4 miles); a minimum speed at which the vessel must be travelling; the
fitting of approved sewage plants; and that no visible discolouration or solids are
present in the water around the discharge.
Provision is to be made for reception facilities ashore.
Provisions for standard fittings and pipes for the discharge of sewage to discharge
facilities ashore.

Annex Five Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by

Garbage from Ships.
The disposal of plastics into the sea is prohibited
Dunnage, lining and packing materials may only be disposed of into the sea when
the vessel is more than 25 miles from land.
Food waste, and all other garbage including paper products, rags, glass, metal,
bottles, crockery and similar items can only be disposed of outside 12 miles from
land.
If food waste is comminuted or ground then it can be disposed of when the vessel
is more than 3 miles from land, but as far out as practicable. The particle size
must be no grater than 25mm.
In special areas, all waste is prohibited to be disposed of into the water, except for
ground food waste which can only be put overboard when the vessel is > 12 miles
from land.
Every vessel over 12m in length must display a placard detailing the requirements
of Annex 5, regulations 3 and 5. Regulation 3 covers the requirements for garbage
disposal in general, and regulation 5 covers the special areas.
 Vessels over 400grt must carry a garbage management plan which details the
collection, stowage, processing and disposal of garbage on board. It also must
designate the person responsible for ensuring the plan is carried out.
A garbage record book which records each discharge operation or incineration,
detailing time, date, position, description of the garbage and the amount estimated
to have been discharged.

Annex Six Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution

from Ships.
Not in force and still in the draft phase.
An air pollution prevention certificate is proposed.
Will control emissions of ozone-depleting substances, nitrogen oxides (engine
emissions), Sulpher oxides (engine emissions), and volatile organic compounds
(from tankers).
It will also control emissions as a result of incinerators.
It will effect a minimum standard on fuel oil quality.