Amendments to MARPOL Annex V – Garbage Requirements

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Amendments to the Annex V of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from ships will enter into force on 1 March 2018

  • Published:
  • Author: Panos Mouratidis

The main amendments adopted by resolution MEPC 277(70) are the following:

– Cargo residues which are not harmful to the marine environment have less strict discharge requirements than cargo residues which are harmful. Solid bulk cargo as per regulation VI/1-1.2 of SOLAS, other than grain, shall be classified in accordance with appendix I of MARPOL Annex V and shall be declared by the shipper as to whether or not they are harmful to the marine environment.

– A new format of the Garbage Record Book has been included into Appendix II of MARPOL Annex V. Garbage Record Book is divided in two parts. Part I covers all garbage other than cargo residues and it is applicable to all ships. Part II covers cargo residues and applies to ships only carrying solid bulk cargoes. Garbage Record Book part II for solid bulk cargo residues includes entries for position or port, garbage category (J or K), amount discharged to sea or reception facilities, as well as start and stop positions for sea discharge.

– Part I of the Garbage Record Book has been amended and the category of e-waste is included.

-Garbage Record Book should be maintained up to date along with all receipts from shore reception facilities to be retained on board for a period of two years.

-The start and stop date/times and positions for the use of incinerators should be recorded.

-Receipts received from reception facilities should be retained on board for two years.

-A new table is included for reporting exceptional discharge or loss of garbage under regulation 7, also covering the reason for the discharge or loss, details there of and precautions taken.

Shipping operators should ensure that vessels have the required new format of the Garbage Record Book, placards posted on-board and Garbage Management Plans revised as necessary to satisfy the amendments to MARPOL Annex V.

Finally, the 2012 guidelines for the implementation of MARPOL Annex V have been replaced by the new MEPC.295(71) aligning it with the new requirements and also with the relevant requirements of the Polar Code.

Source: MEPC.277(70), MEPC.295(71), MEPC 220(63)

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