BALTIC SEAENVIRONMENT PROCEEDINGS No. 59 - Helcom

operating waste handling system, and therefore it should
result in legislation, organisations, procedures and
facilities that actually solve the problem.
A waste management strategy comprises a number of elements,
which can be grouped in three main themes:
administrative and legal matters
technology
infrastructure and support services.
Experience in many countries has shown that effective waste
management relies on a combination of measures rather than a
single technical or regulatory initiative. The strategy
preferably should aim at simultaneous rather than sequential
action on the following fronts (which are not listed in order
of importance):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
development of legislation to set acceptable
standards for waste handling facilities, and to
require monitoring and reporting of waste
operations;
development of procedures and facilities to enforce
the legislation, to monitor the wastes and the
service provided to the ships and to undertake some
practical disposal operations;
cooperation and support of all parties involved such
as governmental organisations, port authorities and
the industry;
establishment of safe and efficient reception,
treatment and disposal facilities and safe
management of existing facilities using
implementation and enforcement programmes which are
within the limits of available resources and skills,
or those likely to be available;
implementation using short-term actions for
immediate implementation and a phased approach to
longer-term actions. Gradual, but simultaneous
improvement in all elements of the strategy have
been found to be more effective than a single major
leap forward.
There are many
_
practical
_ --
reasons for this, including the need
for a great deal of learning and understanding of new
procedures. Resource limitations, of course, is a practical
reason for proceeding at a determined and measured pace.
1. It is better to do something than to investigate for too
long.
Action cannot be taken if absolutely no information is
available. However, it should be kept in mind that no
matter how well the initial survey is executed, an
accurate picture of the quantities and types of wastes
will only be achieved once there are operating
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