pollution prevention

China: Update on SPRO requirements

Effective from 1st March 2020, China’s Maritime Safety Agency (MSA) has published new measures  on Agreement for Ship Pollution Response Regime and a Directory of Hazardous Bulk Liquid Cargo Apt to Cause Pollution, for which oil booms need to be deployed during cargo operations or an Agreement with a SPRO needs to be concluded.

Meanwhile, IG Clubs has checked this effective date with the China MSA, confirming that this date will remain as 1st March 2020 and will not be postponed due to the COVID-...

https://safety4sea.com/china-update-on-spro-requirements/

Rising mobile ice means Arctic neighbors may pollute each others’ waters

A newly published study revealed that the movement of sea ice between Arctic countries is expected to rise this century, also increasing the risk of more widely transporting pollutants like microplastics and oil.

Specifically, the study that was published in the journal Earth’s Future forecasts that by the middle of the century, the average time it takes for sea ice to travel from one region to another will decrease by more than half, and the amount of sea ice exchanged between Arctic countries...

https://safety4sea.com/rising-mobile-ice-means-arctic-neighbors-may-pollute-each-others-waters/

Brazil drains water from one of Stellar Banner cargo holds

The Brazilian Navy reported that drainage of saltwater from one of the cargo holds of the grounded cargo ship Stellar Banner has been completed.

To remind, the VLOC, loaded with iron ore, experienced trouble off the coast of Brazil, on February 25, raising fears that the vessel could sink. After the incident, all 20 crew members have been evacuated from the ship as a precaution.

Now, Brazil took the responsibility to prevent the spill from the grounded vessel, hiring Ardent, salvage company, for...

https://safety4sea.com/brazil-drains-water-from-one-of-stellar-banner-cargo-holds/

Salvage experts begin Stellar Banner’s debunkering

With Stellar Banner ore carrier being grounded at the coast of Brazil from 25 February, salvage experts begun the debunkering operation in order to remove the fuel oil from the vessel.

In fact, responsible for the debunkering process is Smit Salvage in collaboration with ALP Defender offshore vessel and OceanPact’s oil spill response vessel.

In light of the situation, all of the above-mentioned participants will pump fuel from the grounded carrier and then transport it to a receiving vessel.

Accord...

https://safety4sea.com/salvage-experts-begin-stellar-banners-debunkering/

Debunkering to start for grounded Stellar Banner

Salvors will begin removing bunker fuel from Stellar Banner on March 10. The very large ore carrier (VLOC) had grounded off the coast of Brazil, on February 25. The ship was carrying iron ore.

According to information, authorities saw another oil slick last week, but it had disappeared the next day.

An anti-pollution team is still on the area, including two oil spill recovery vessels from Petrobras.

The VLOC, loaded with iron ore, experienced trouble off the coast of Brazil, on February 25,...

https://safety4sea.com/debunkering-to-start-for-grounded-stellar-banner/

AMSA: Retain garbage onboard and dispose of onshore

AMSA has circulated a sticker aiming to urge crews and passengers onboard ships to responsibly separate their garbage onboard so that each type of waste can be recycled or disposed of appropriately onshore.

All waste is harmful in the marine environment. Sorting and separating all types of waste on board your vessel means that each type of waste can be recycled or disposed of appropriately,

…the Authority said via social media.

The sticker reiterates that:

  • No discharge is permitted within 3nm...

https://safety4sea.com/amsa-retain-garbage-onboard-and-dispose-of-onshore/

Oil and potential contaminants removed from “ghost ship”

Cork County Council completed the removal of oil and other contaminants from the MV Alta ‘ghost ship’, which was washed ashore in the middle of February in Ballycotton, Co. Cork, Ireland.

The Council reported that 62 full barrels and 33 empty barrels were airlifted by helicopter from the area of the wrecked vessel to a prepared drop-off area where they were subsequently transferred onto a vehicle and removed by an environmental agent.

In addition, to protect the area and the marine environment,...

https://safety4sea.com/oil-and-potential-contaminants-removed-from-ghost-ship/

Common maritime agenda in the Black Sea officially launched

The Common maritime agenda for the Black Sea has officially launched on 17 February 2020 in Sofia, where representatives from seven Black Sea countries – Bulgaria, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine– convened for their first steering group meeting.

With the Common maritime agenda, the Black Sea region joins the rest of the sea basins bordering the EU in setting a basin-wide initiative for more, and more sustainable, economic growth.

Based on the positive...

https://safety4sea.com/common-maritime-agenda-in-the-black-sea-officially-launched/

IMO’s decision delays implementation of Arctic HFO ban until 2029, NGOs warn

The IMO Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 7) agreed on a draft regulation on heavy fuel oil (HFO) use and carriage in the Arctic, but denounced the inclusion of loopholes in the text, which means the ban will not come into effect until 2029, the Clean Arctic Alliance informed.

The news came following an increased pressure by environmental groups to the IMO to protect the Arctic marine environment from the impacts of international shipping.

The draft new regulation for HFO,...

https://safety4sea.com/imos-decision-delays-implementation-of-arctic-hfo-ban-until-2029-ngos-warn/

China to apply ship pollution prevention measures

Operators should be aware of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on the Prevention and Control of Marine Pollution from Ships and the requirement that Owners/Operators of any ship carrying polluting and hazardous cargoes in bulk, or any other ship above 10,000 GT enter into a pollution clean-up contract with a Ship Pollution Response Organisation (SPRO) before the ship enters a PRC port or engages in loading, discharge or ship-to-ship transfers outside of the port but within 20 nautical miles...

https://safety4sea.com/china-to-apply-ship-pollution-prevention-measures/

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