IMO Group to Consider Ballast Water Dumping Rules

Energy-efficiency, ballast water management and ship-recycling rules will be key issues for the International Maritime Organization's Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting Oct. 1-5 at IMO Headquarters in London, it said.

The MEPC will consider the reports of Ballast Water Working Group, with a view to granting basic approval to five, and final approval to three, ballast water management systems that make use of active substances. To date, 36 countries carrying 29.07 per cent of the world tonnage, have ratified the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments Convention. The Convention takes effect twelve months after nations representing 35 per cent of the gross tonnage have become parties to it.

The Committee will also consider harmonizing the type-approval and sampling procedures, and eliminating uncertainties with regard to compliance and preventing the possibility of improperly penalizing ships' crew members.

The MEPC also is expected to continue work on technical and operational measures relating to energy-efficiency measures for ships, following the adoption of the new chapter 4 of MARPOL Annex VI, which takes effect Jan. 1.