压舱水条约生效
2012.07.01
下面摘自Marine Log, 5月份月刊:
1. 经过多年的调研和轮证美国政府终于2012年3月23日在联邦文告(CFR)中刊出对所有来往大湖区和赫逊河之船只必需进行压舱水处理以便保护当地生态的条例. 这个条约己于6月21日起开始生效. (图)
Ballast Water Management – Moving towards a de facto standards
In the March 23 2012 Federal Register, the U.S. Coast Guard published its long-awaited amendments to its regulations on ballast water management by establishing a standard for the allowable concentration of living organisms in ballast water discharged from vessels in U.S. waters. The regulations, “Standards of Living Organisms in Ship’s Ballast Water Discharged in U.S. Waters.” Becomes effective on June 21, 2012.
The regulations apply to all vessels, both U.S. flag and foreign, that are currently required to conduct ballast water exchanges prior to entering U.S. waters, and to all vessels above 3,000 gross tons that transit between Coast Guard Captain of the Port zones.
Vessels entering the Great Lakes or the Hudson River ecosystems will be required to continue with ballast water exchanges and must also treat ballast water using an approved ballast water management system that satisfy the Regulations ballast discharge standards.
The Regulations for ballast water discharge standards are contained in Title 33 of the Codes of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 151. The Coast Guard is also amending its regulations for engineering equipment by establishing an approval process for ballast water management systems. The Regulations for the approval of ballast water treatment equipment are contained in Title 46 CFR, Part 162.
The Regulations quite properly provide that BWE must be continued for vessels entering the Great Lakes and Hudson River systems. So, while it may seem ironic, the protection of the Great Lakes from NIS (Non Indigenous Species) may for now at least continue to depend upon the rigorous enforcement of a carefully developed BWE (Ballast Water Exchange) regime, rather than upon some new technology.
2.对上述公告日本航运界希望美国能重新考虑把压舱水处理生效日期延后一年与 IMO公约仝时执行. 对此美国政府表示将继续审核生效之日期.
International Maritime Japan has called on the US to bring the timing of its ballast-water regulation in line with the Organisation (IMO)’s Ballast Water Convention.
At a meeting with the US Coastguard (USCG) and 138 shipping delegates in Washington last week, officials from Japan’s Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) argued there is a danger the US law will come into force before the IMO convention.
There is a difference in the application dates despite the two being closely aligned on the standards of treatment required.
The IMO convention has yet to achieve the required flag-state approval to enter into force but, according to the US federal regulation, new ships delivered after December 2013 will have to be fitted with ballast-water treatment systems to trade in the US.
Some existing ships, determined by ballast-water capacity, will also have to comply with the US regulation to fit treatment equipment as early as January 2014.
Japan says it fears its owners’ vessels will be required to comply with US legislation a year before the IMO regulation.
The USCG published its Ballast Water Discharge regulation in March and it entered into force on 21 June.
The US says it will continue to review its application dates for the regulation.
