BALTIC SEAENVIRONMENT PROCEEDINGS No. 59 - Helcom

Regulation 13G also allows for future acceptance of other
B oroperationalarrangments - such ashydrostaticbalance- as
alternatives to the protective measures spelled out in the Regulation.
The MARFOL 73/78 Convention has been ratified by 70 countries hhose
fleets comprise about 90% of the world merchant marine. In practice,
virtually every tanker oparatiq today -lies with MARPOL 73/78 and the
adoption of the amendrments will have a mjor iqxct upon the tanker
mrket.
It is anticipated that many older tiers which mot be brought
uptothenewstandard economically will be scrap@, anc!theMEFC
recognised this by adoptirq a resolution on the developmant of ship
scrappingcapacityto ensure the smooth implementation of the ame&ments.
The resolution recommends Member Goverhments to take initiatives in
operation with the shipbuilding and shipping industries, to develop
scrapping facilities at a world-wide level, to promte research and
developmnt programmes and to provide tecc=l assistance to developing
countries in developing ship scrapping facilities.
me adoption of the amen&mix was first propsed in 1990 and
originally involved oniy double hulls. At that tire several of CWS 136
Member States said that other designs should be accepted as equivalents
and that measures for existing ships should also be contmrplated. Last
year a major study into the comparative perfomana of the double hull
andmid-height deck tanker designs was carried out by IMO, with funding
from the oil and tanker irdustry.
It concluded in January 1992 that the two designs could be
considered as equivalent, although each gives better or worse outflaw
performncemder vermin conditions.
The other ammdments adopted in Y!ch 1992 are concerned with
operational oil pollution. me E?Kunt cf oil M-A& can be discharyed i?to
the sea as a rmnlt of routine operatioz3 has ken drastically reduced.
meamendmnts- which are also expected to enter into force on 6
July 1993 - are concerned with discharges of oily wastes resulting from
tank cleaning operations and with disc?qes f-mm mchinety space bilges
on non-tankers of 400 gX and above. The latts are forbidden to
discharge such wastes if the oil content exceeds 100 parts per million.
meamndments reducethisto15ppm (an amunt tic!! is virtually
undetectable). me new standard will apply to all ships built after 6
July 1993 ti there will be a five-year period of grace for existing ships
(until 6 July 1998).
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