Recent amendment to South Korea's regulations concerning the imposition and collection of oil spill response costs
Reference is made to Circulars 1/17 and 6/17 concerning developments with respect to IMO's International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship's Ballast Water and Sediments "The BWM Convention" as well as the status of the US Ballast Water Management (BWM) Regulations.
International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 and US Ballast Water Management (BWM) Regulations
Hong Kong will introduce their own regulation to require vessels plying Hong Kong waters to use cleaner fuel from January 2019 to complement the efforts under the PRC's Ministry of Transport's action plan for the Hong Kong, Macau and PRD (Pearl River Delta).
The USCG Marine Safety Centre (MSC) has issued a Type Approval Certificate to Sunrui Marine Environment Engineering Co. Ltd for its Filtration/ Electrolysis ballast water treatment system. This brings the total number of systems approved by the USCG to date to four. Two further systems are currently under review.
Following their last circular, the Club's correspondents Pandi Liquidadores S.R.L have provided an update on ballast water treatment in Argentina.
California Ballast Water Regulation Changes
04/05/2017
New Penalties for Ballast Water Violations, effective from 1st July 2017.
Panama Canal Authority (ACP) issued Advisory A‐15‐2017, clarifying issues relating to requirements under ACP's fuel regulations for vessels transiting Panama Canal.
Please find attached information from the Clubs correspondents regarding new provisions on ballast chlorinating
January 1st, 2020, has been set as the implementation date for a significant reduction in the sulphur content of the fuel oil used by ships.
China ECA'S update
15/03/2017
China MSA have strengthened enforcement of the low sulphur fuel regulation (with sulphur contents no more than 0.5%) at all 11 core ports since 1 January 2017.
Zika virus update- March 17
10/03/2017
The MEC is no longer required for vessels calling from Zika affected countries/areas.
The US Coast Guard has issued a Marine Safety Information Bulletin (MSIB) updating their enforcement policy under the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Extension Program.
The Ministry of Transport ("MOT") of China has issued a formal notice on the revision of its Provisions on Prevention of Marine Environmental Pollution Caused by Ships and Their Related Operations.
The Panama Canal Authority issued and released the attached Advisory to Shipping No. A-04-2017 regarding manoeuvring requirements in Panama Canal waters.
The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited (ITOPF) latest press release is on the downward trend in oil spills from tankers.
The lengthy judicial proceedings in the French courts arising out of the sinking and massive oil spill from the tanker ERIKA off the coast of Brittany in December 1999, gave rise to numerous questions regarding the interaction between the international oil pollution liability conventions as incorporated into French law and other French legislation which claimants argued should apply. As a result legislation has been passed by France since the ERIKA judgements in an attempt to codify the Erika jurisprudence.
The Ballast Water Management Convention 2004 will enter into force on 8 September 2017. The International Group has prepared an update and guidance on compliance with this Convention and with US BWM Regulations. Further updates and guidance will be provided as and when necessary.
ECM Client Alert 25-2016: USCG Issues Type Approval to 2 More Ballast Water Treatment Systems
05/01/2017
On 23 December, 2016, the US Coast Guard Marine Safety Center issued the second U.S. Coast Guard Ballast Water Management System Type Approval Certificate.
On 2 December, the USCG issued the first USCG Ballast Water Management System Type Approval Certificate to Norwegian manufacturer, Optimarin AS, the attached ECM Maritime Services Client alert 24-2016 reports.