MARPOL Revisions to Enter into Force from March 2018
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Amendments to the regulation for the prevention of pollution by garbage from ships, known as MARPOL Annex V, will enter into force on March 1, 2018, according to DNV GL.
The amendments, adopted at MEPC 70, include criteria for determining whether cargo residues are harmful to the marine environment, and a new Garbage Record Book format with a new garbage category for e-waste.
Solid bulk cargo as per regulation VI/1-1.2 of SOLAS, other than grain, shall now be classified per the criteria in the new appendix I of MARPOL Annex V, and the shipper shall then declare as to whether or not the cargo is harmful to the environment (HME), DNV GL said.
Additionally, the new form of the Garbage Record Book will be divided into two parts, Part I for all garbage other than cargo residues, applicable to all ships, and Part II for cargo residues only applicable to ships carrying solid bulk cargo.
The GRB garbage categories have also been amended to include e-waste, and the category for cargo residues has been split into HME (harmful to the marine environment) and non-HME.
Even though Annex V of MARPOL is mandatory for all ships, there are neither certification nor approval requirements.
The current 2012 Guidelines for the implementation of MARPOL Annex V has been revoked by the new 2017 Guidelines, aligning it with the MARPOL amendments and relevant requirements of the Polar Code.
