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Confusion reigns as UN's wastewater treatment mandate faces delay in Baltic
THE entry into force of MEPC (Marine Environment Protection Committee) 227(64), the amended regulation governing ship wastewater discharge, risks having shipowners falling afoul of the law, says a wastewater treatment supplier.
Mark Beavis, managing director of ACO Marine, supplier of wastewater treatment, believes that further delay of the UN's International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) implementation will cause more confusion.
"A number of shipowners believe the deferred entry into force applies to MEPC.227(64) in its entirety, but this is not our understanding," Mr Beavis said.
The IMO at its MEPC 68 postponed only the entry-into-force date of the Special Area's sewage discharge requirements. The rest of the regulation still remains in force.
Apart from the Special Area clause - Section 4.2 for passenger ships MEPC.227(64) came into effect in January, superseding MEPC.159 (55).
According to a statutory update published in the December 2015 issue of Lloyd's Register's Class News:
"Entry into force of MARPOL Annex IV requirements prohibiting passenger vessels from discharging sewage within the Baltic Sea special area (and any future IMO designated Special Areas was intended to apply to new passenger ships from January, 2016.
"However," said Mr Beavis, "a delay in arranging and/or confirming reception facilities in the nine Baltic Sea states means that the special area cannot take effect on this date. Therefore, the IMO's MEPC has agreed in principle to implement the requirements from June 2019 and from June 2021, for existing ships.
"Currently the Baltic Sea is the only IMO designated Special Area, but other areas are applying for special area status and so there would potentially be a wider impact on passenger ship operations.
"Owners and yards really do need to start specifying plant now if they are to comply with the new rules in time," he added.
ACO Marine is a member of German-based ACO Group and a leading supplier of advanced wastewater treatment systems to the global commercial, naval, offshore and leisure marine sectors.
Mark Beavis, managing director of ACO Marine, supplier of wastewater treatment, believes that further delay of the UN's International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) implementation will cause more confusion.
"A number of shipowners believe the deferred entry into force applies to MEPC.227(64) in its entirety, but this is not our understanding," Mr Beavis said.
The IMO at its MEPC 68 postponed only the entry-into-force date of the Special Area's sewage discharge requirements. The rest of the regulation still remains in force.
Apart from the Special Area clause - Section 4.2 for passenger ships MEPC.227(64) came into effect in January, superseding MEPC.159 (55).
According to a statutory update published in the December 2015 issue of Lloyd's Register's Class News:
"Entry into force of MARPOL Annex IV requirements prohibiting passenger vessels from discharging sewage within the Baltic Sea special area (and any future IMO designated Special Areas was intended to apply to new passenger ships from January, 2016.
"However," said Mr Beavis, "a delay in arranging and/or confirming reception facilities in the nine Baltic Sea states means that the special area cannot take effect on this date. Therefore, the IMO's MEPC has agreed in principle to implement the requirements from June 2019 and from June 2021, for existing ships.
"Currently the Baltic Sea is the only IMO designated Special Area, but other areas are applying for special area status and so there would potentially be a wider impact on passenger ship operations.
"Owners and yards really do need to start specifying plant now if they are to comply with the new rules in time," he added.
ACO Marine is a member of German-based ACO Group and a leading supplier of advanced wastewater treatment systems to the global commercial, naval, offshore and leisure marine sectors.
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