the International Maritime Organization is the international body responsible for controlling marine
pollution
IMO achieves this by adopting the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships,
commonly known as “MARPOL”
Annex I of the MARPOL Convention contains regulations for control of pollution by oil
Annex II of the MARPOL Convention contains regulations for control of pollution by noxious liquid cargoes carried in bulk or tank washings from such cargoes
to prevent hazards to the environment, the following should be observed:
Oil tankers
for oil tankers at sea:
– there are requirements for the discharge of oil ir?te the sea which must be observed *
– in order to comply with these requirements, LOT procedures must be observed during deballasting, decanting and tank
cleaning operations
– most crude carriers must:
• crude oil wash their cargo tanks to minimize oily wastes;
• have segregated ballast tanks; or
• have dedicated clean ballast tanks
for oil tankers in port:
– ship movements alongside must be restricted by adjusting moorings
– all pipelines, joints and valves must be kept under observation whilst handling cargo
– catchment trays must be fitted or placed at vulnerable points (hose connections, for example)
– strict control must be exercised whilst loading to prevent tanks overflowing
– all scuppers must be closed to prevent a discharge of oil from the deck overboard
– all valves and blanks must be checked prior to cargo operations
– valves not used should be secured if possible
– sea valves not in use should be closed by double valves or blanked off
– if oil is spilt, cargo operations must be stopped and warnings given to all involved
Chemical tankers
that for chemical tankers at sea and in port:
– for the purpose of discharging slops containing cargo residues into the sea, Annex II divides noxious cargoes on
chemical tankers into four categories
– these categories are X, Y, R and D, and a cargo of category A represents the most dangerous pollutant and a cargo of
category D the least dangerous
– all operations on board involving cargo, ballast and bunkers should be done in accordance with the applicable pollution Regulations
– carrying out operations in accordance with the ship’s Procedures and Arrangements (P and A) Manual ensuresthat
pollution regulations are complied with
– care should be taken to avoid cargo spillage during cargo transfer, ballasting or tank-cleaning operations
– pollution-prevention procedures during the operations include keeping a watch on:
• levels in cargo, slop or ballast tanks
• cargo or ballast hoses or hard arms
• pumps, valves, gaskets, connections and hatches
• spill pans and scuppers
• alarms and instrumentation
• co-ordination of operation signals
– personnel on watch should be present at all times during operations and regularly carry out the inspections on the pollution-prevention procedures
Liquefied gas tankers
that for liquefied gas tankers at sea and in port:
– all operations on board involving cargo, ballast and bunkers should be done in accordance with the applicable pollution
regulations
– during cargo-transfer operations, care should be taken to avoid release of cargo liquid and/or vapours
– the preparation for cargo transfer includes procedures to be followed to prevent pollution of air and of water
– these procedures include:
• inspection of cargo hoses, loading arms, valves and gaskets
• inspection of cargo system and instrumentation
• inspection of flanges, valves, connections and tank hatches for tightness
– personnel on watch should be present at all times during cargo-transfer operations, and should regularly carry out the
inspections mentioned above
.10 states that, where required, all events should be recorded in the Oil/Cargo Record Book