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Control of Oil Residues (Sludge) and MARPOL Annex Rev 2

Shipping Notice: CISN 03/2009 Rev 2

Published 3rd December 2009, 10:00am

This notice is reissued at Revision 2 to correct typographical errors in the implementation dates

Printable Version

This Notice is Directed Primarily at:

  • Owners, Managers and Masters of all Cayman Islands Ships (including private and commercial yachts)

  • Ship Builders and Designers

  • Recognized Organizations

Background

1.1         In recent months Port State Control inspectors have imposed control actions on Cayman Island’s ships under the MARPOL Convention.  In two cases this resulted in the detention of the ship.  One of the detained ships was a pleasure yacht.

1.2         Both detentions highlight the need to provide guidance on the management of bilge water and the retention and disposal of oil residues (sludge).

1.3         During MEPC 59, IMO adopted amendments to MARPOL Annex I which clarified the intent of the existing regulation 12 when dealing with oil residues (sludge) onboard.

Tanks for oil residues (Sludge):

2.1MARPOL Annex I regulation 12 requires that every ship of 400 GT and above be provided with sufficient tanks for receiving oil residues (sludge). 

2.2The contents of the sludge tank can only be disposed of in accordance with the requirements of Annex I.  Permitted options are:

  1. 2.2.1         Discharge to shore reception facilities through the standard discharge connection;

  2. 2.2.2         Disposal by onboard incineration;

  3. 2.2.3         Burning in an auxiliary boiler suitable for burning sludge; or

  4. 2.2.4         Other means approved by the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry and shown on the supplement to the IOPP Certificate.

2.3         It is not permitted to discharge the contents of a sludge tank into the sea either directly or via oil filtering equipment.  There should be no direct suction from the sludge tank to the oil filtering equipment.

2.4         It is permissible to provide a means of draining settled water from the sludge tanks.  This should be achieved by manually operated self closing valves that drain to an oily water bilge water holding tank, a bilge well or an alternative arrangement provided such arrangement does not connect directly to the bilge piping system.

2.5         It is not permissible to use a sludge tank provided under regulation 12 as an oily bilge water holding tank.

Tanks for oily bilge water:

3.1         There is no requirement in the Convention for a ship to be provided with tanks for oily bilge water, however when fitted such tanks provide a useful  way to collect bilge water and allow it to settle and separate before being passed to the oil filtering equipment.

3.2         It is permissible to transfer the contents of an oily bilge water tank to a sludge tank, but it is not permitted to transfer the contents of a sludge tank to an oily bilge water tank.

Amendments to MARPOL Annex I regulation 12:

4.1         At MEPC 59 amendments were adopted to regulation 12 which will enter into force on 01 January 2011.  These amendments do not introduce any additional requirements, rather they are intended to better describe the existing requirements and provide greater clarity.  As such the amendments will apply to all existing ships when they enter into force.

4.2         The amendments to regulation 12 represent how the existing regulation is currently being interpreted and enforced by many Port State Control officials.

4.3         The text of the amended regulation 12 is given in the Annex to this Shipping Notice.

Actions:

5.1         To prevent delays, detentions and possible fines being imposed by Port State Control authorities; masters, managers and owners of Cayman Islands Ships (including private and commercial yachts) should:

5.1.1         Confirm that there is no suction from the sludge tank required by regulation 12 to the oil filtering equipment required by regulation 14.  Any such suction should be disconnected by removing the suction valve and blanking the pipe ends; and

5.1.2         Confirm that the discharge from the designated sludge pump(s) can only transfer the contents of the oil residue (sludge) tanks to an approved means of sludge disposal (See 2.2 above) or return to the oil residue (sludge) tanks.  Any unauthorised means of discharge should be disconnected and blanks fitted.

5.2         Should the arrangements onboard not meet the above requirements the owner should contact the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry or the vessel’s classification society without delay.

ANNEX

Text of the amended MARPOL Annex I regulation 12, due to enter into force on 01 January 2011.

Regulation 12

Tanks for oil residues (sludge)

  1. Every ship of 400 gross tonnage and above shall be provided with a tank or tanks of adequate capacity, having regard to the type of machinery and length of voyage, to receive the oil residues (sludge) which cannot be dealt with otherwise in accordance with the requirements of this Annex.

  2. Oil residue (sludge) may be disposed of directly from the oil residue (sludge) tank(s) through the standard discharge connection referred to in regulation 13, or any other approved means of disposal. The oil residue (sludge) tank(s):

    1. shall be provided with a designated pump for disposal that is capable of taking suction from the oil residue (sludge) tank(s); and

    2. shall have no discharge connections to the bilge system, oily bilge water holding tank(s), tank top or oily water separators except that the tank(s) may be fitted with drains, with manually operated self-closing valves and arrangements for subsequent visual monitoring of the settled water, with drains that lead to an oily bilge water holding tank or bilge well, or an alternative arrangement, provided such arrangement does not connect directly to the bilge piping system.

  3. Piping to and from oil residue (sludge) tanks shall have no direct connection overboard, other than the standard discharge connection referred to in regulation 13.

  4. In ships delivered after 31 December 1979, as defined in regulation 1.28.2 tanks for oil residues shall be designed and constructed so as to facilitate their cleaning and the discharge of residues to reception facilities.  Ships delivered on or before 31 December 1979, as defined in regulation, 1.28.1 shall comply with this requirement as far as reasonable and practicable.

For further information contact: Corporate Communications


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