MARPOL Annex V Changes

[Me-and-Boo]

Just in case you have not heard, the MARPOL Annex V has upcoming changes January 1, 2013. I suspect many of you are thinking: "who cares?" or "huh?" or even "oh I did not know. What do I need to do?"

Here is a hint: think of those placards you are required to post on your boat. Those are there because of MARPOL Annex V and the US Coast Guard.

MARPOL Annex V concerns garbage on the non-territorial waters. No dumping plastic at any time type issue. MARPOL garbage is just about anything on board that Americans would consider trash along with meat and vegetable waste from meals.

The changes that we will see are from treaties and other acts that has the US and the US Coast Guard implementing the MARPOL Annex V changes.

What does it really mean? It means essentially no dumping of anything along the coasts, East and West, even outside of territorial waters, in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. In certain areas you will still be allowed to grind food wastes and let those go into the waters. But even that has limitations.

The chart will help a little to understand the changes.

[nigel1]

Thanks for bringing this up, I'm in the process of getting to grips with all these changes on our work boat.

[daddle]

Oh good. Now that the bureaucrats (who have never been on a boat) have solved the ocean trash problem we will have clean seas.

[Kettlewell]

The charts refer to "ships." Do they apply to pleasure boats or vessels below 20 meters?

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

The charts refer to "ships." Do they apply to pleasure boats or vessels below 20 meters?

I believe they do, and if your boat is over 12m in length, you'll need to display a placard indicating what can go over the side and where.

Look at this link (and this is the pre Jan 2013 rules)
http://www.bsh.de/en/Marine_data/Env...in_Annex_V.pdf

From Jan 2013, about the only thing you can put over the side is food waste, and that depends on where you are

[Kettlewell]

In the USA we have had to have these Marpol Annex V placards installed onboard any boat over 26 feet for many years, if not decades. I believe these first came into force back in the '70s or '80s. So, I guess we will have to soon change our placards. Hadn't heard this before.

[Me-and-Boo]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

The charts refer to "ships." Do they apply to pleasure boats or vessels below 20 meters?

Yes, these changes apply to essentially all vessels. The vessels is does not apply to probably should be on a pond.

If you are on a commercial vessel it is critical that your environmental officer knows these changes. These will be enforced, on the water and in port. The major impact (that is a funny for us yachters) is there is no more chucking dunnage overboard after clearing port.

South America, Europe, Asia and Australia all have changes too. Primary impact is to reduce dumping into the oceans and especially along coastal areas. The secondary is if we are sailing through the waters, we have less of it fouling our water and air.

[Kettlewell]

I realize the purpose, but I was wondering if the changes apply to smaller and pleasure vessels too as it might become rather impractical to carry 30 days worth of trash of all sorts--but that never stopped a bureaucrat from making a rule! In practice, we rarely dump any trash except for food scraps anyways, and certainly never plastic or polluting stuff. When well offshore we have sunk glass bottles and metal cans in the past. The sad thing is that once you are in "port" the local garbage disposal some places involves someone taking it around the corner, after you have paid them, and then dumping your trash back into the harbor.

[nigel1]

This is pretty much the full text of the new regs
http://www.imo.org/ourwork/environme...01%2862%29.pdf

There is a get out clause for retaining waste onboard if it is likely to be a health hazard.

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by Me-and-Boo

If you are on a commercial vessel it is critical that your environmental officer knows these changes..

Haha....if i told the Mate he is officially the environmental officer he would demand another pay rise.....

I think the only ship's that have a dedicated environmental officer are cruise ships, most that i know of are like us in that the Mate gets to look after the garbage record book.....environmental officer....ha!.....i would never hear the end of it....

[Red Charlotte]

Originally Posted by nigel1

This is pretty much the full text of the new regs
http://www.imo.org/ourwork/environme...01%2862%29.pdf

There is a get out clause for retaining waste onboard if it is likely to be a health hazard.

Whew. Thanks for the link. THAT was some dry reading!

[Sailormantx]

At least we don't have to keep a garbage log on small sailboats....yet.

[Red Charlotte]

True. But if we have to keep them one day, I'm going to make mine SUPER fancy with gilded lettering on the front!

[svBeBe]

We are away from the boat so I cannot verify the verbiage on the required placard posted on our boat, but the chart linked in OP comments reads the way I remember the placard. I don't see any difference in what can be discharged and where. What supposedly has changed?

Judy

[Zanshin]

svBeBe - the special areas have been added; so in the Caribbean there are now restrictions in place. I just checked and I now have to carry and use a garbage log (not 400 tons but the CE certification allows for 15 people!)