MARPOL Annex V – Special Area Provisions for the Wider Caribbean Region

Jeff Ramos

RAC/REMPEITC-Carib

2

Annex I – Oil

Annex II – Noxious Liquid Substances (NLS)

Annex III – Harmful Substances in Packaged Form

Annex IV – Sewage

Annex V – Garbage

Annex VI – Air Pollution

International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78)

Annex V - Garbage

• Regulates how ships handle and dispose of garbage based on different categories of waste

• The categories are based on the impact they have on the environment

• These categories are:– Plastic– Floating dunnage, lining or packing

material– Ground down paper products,

crockery, rags, metal, glass, etc.– Food waste– Incinerator ash 3

4

MARPOL 73/78 Annex VPrevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships

• Garbage includes all kinds of food, domestic and operational waste, excluding fresh fish, generated during the normal operation of the vessel and liable to be disposed of continuously or periodically

• The disposal of plastics into the sea is prohibited and garbage discharge of other garbage into coastal waters and “Special Areas” is severely restricted

• Governments are to ensure the provision of reception facilities for garbage at ports and terminals

Normal Discharge Ranges

5

Importance of MARPOL Annex V

Time taken for objects to dissolve at sea

Paper bus ticket 2-4 weeks

Cotton cloth 1-5 months

Rope 3-14 months

Woolen cloth 1 year

Painted wood 13 years

Tin can 100 years

Aluminum can 200-500 years

Plastic bottle 450 years

Annex V Special Areas

• Special Area: A sea area where for recognized technical reasons in relation to its oceanographical and ecological condition and to the particular character of its traffic the adoption of special mandatory methods for the prevention of sea pollution by garbage is required

• Prohibits the dumping of any garbage other than food waste into the sea 7

8

Special Areas - MARPOL 73/78

Annex I (oil)

Annex II (bulk

chemicals)

Annex V(garbage)

Annex VI (air

pollution)

Mediterranean Sea Antarctic Area Mediterranean Sea (1/5/09)

Baltic Sea

Baltic Sea Baltic Sea North Sea

Black Sea Black Sea

Red Sea Red Sea

Gulfs Area Gulfs Area

Gulf of Aden North Sea

Antarctic Area Antarctic Area

North West European Waters

Wider Caribbean Region

Oman area of the Arabian Sea

Southern South African waters

“special area” requirements not in effect SOx emission control area

9

Wider Caribbean Region as a Special Area

• The Wider Caribbean Regional Workshop on Oil Spill Preparedness and Response and 'Special Area' Status under Annex V of MARPOL 73/78, held in Caracas, Venezuela, in October 1990, recommended that the Region be declared a 'Special Area' under Annex V of MARPOL in order to improve the marine environment of the Region

• The designation entered into force on 4 April 1993, but cannot be enforced until the States of the Region declare there are adequate waste reception facilities to meet the needs of the ships trading there

10

11

MARPOL Annex V/5(4)

• (4) Reception facilities within special areas:– (a) The Government of each Party to the Convention, the

coastline of which borders a special area, undertakes to ensure that as soon as possible in all ports within a special area adequate reception facilities are provided in accordance with regulation 7 of this Annex, taking into account the special needs of ships operating in these areas.

– (b) The Government of each Party concerned shall notify the Organization of the measures taken pursuant to subparagraph (a) of this regulation. Upon receipt of sufficient notifications the Organization shall establish a date from which the requirements of this regulation in respect of the area in question shall take effect. The Organization shall notify all Parties of the date so established no less than twelve months in advance of that date.

– (c) After the date so established, ships calling also at ports in these special areas where such facilities are not yet available, shall fully comply with the requirements of this regulation.

Activities by RAC/REMPEITC-Carib

• Nov ‘07 – MARPOL V seminars in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, St. Kitts & Nevis, & St. Lucia

• Oct ‘08 – MARPOL V seminar in Curacao, also attended by Bonaire, Saba, Suriname, & El Salvador

• Jun ‘09 – Letters to WCR parties (25) of MARPOL V requesting endorsement to sponsor draft IMO submission

• Nov ‘09 – MARPOL V seminar in Colombia, also attended by Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, & Nicaragua

12

Letters sent by REMPEITC to MARPOL Parties

13

Draft Recommendation to MEPC

14

Global Integrated Shipping Information System

15

GISIS is an online, web-based system providing easy access for Member States to

provide and maintain data, together with controlled access to the public of authorized information, as previously agreed by Member

States.

Global Integrated Shipping Information System

16

MARPOL Annex V – Wider Caribbean RegionStatus as of 18Nov09

Antigua & Barbuda

Bahamas

Barbados

Belize

Colombia

Cuba

Dominica

Dominican Republic

France

Guatemala

Guyana

Honduras

Jamaica

Mexico

Netherlands

Nicaragua

Panama

St Kitts & Nevis

St Lucia

St Vincent & Grenadines

Suriname

Trinidad & Tobago

United Kingdom

United States *

Venezuela

Costa Rica

Grenada

Haiti

MARPOL V Party?

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N

PRFs Entered in GISIS?

N N N N N N N N N Y N Y N Y Y N N N N N N N N N N

Adequate PRF?

Y N Y Y Y Y N Y Y Y

17Y – Pending Official Letter * U.S. maintains “Coast Guard Maritime Information Exchange” website

18

Summary

• It is vital that the WCR special area provisions of MARPOL V be implemented

• Parties to MARPOL 73/78 need to provide port reception facilities & to inform IMO of such details

• Parties need to endorse REMPEITC letter (Agreement to co-sponsor IMO submission to MEPC)

• This information will facilitate the coming into force of the WCR special area status