5.6 Environment and pollution

5 International Conventions and Regulations of Importance to Maritime Medicine

Written by Alf Magne Horneland

5.6.1 IMO Conventions in the field of pollution

Pollution caused by ships not only covers oil pollution, although this alone counted for approximately 600.000 tons of oil being discarded in the European waters during the last two decades. In addition a number of noxious liquid substances, sewage, garbage and air pollution is necessary to bear in mind. Ships are potential pollutants throughout their lifetime, from the building process, operation and maintenance, until the scrapping.

A considerable number of conventions and amending protocols from the IMO adresses the question of pollution of marine environment, as shown in Table 5.6.1, starting with OILPOL 1954, via INTERVENTION 1969 and LC 1972 to MARPOL 1973. The preparedness, response and cooperation is further developed in the OPRC 1990 as amended in the HNS-OPRC Protocol of 2000, harmful anti-fouling systems are covered in the AFS 2001 convention, and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments in the BWM 2004, not yet entered into force (July 2009).

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Table 5.6.1 Marine Pollution conventions from IMO

The MARPOL Convention was considerably revised and strengthened in 2008, setting new standards for SOx and NOx emissions which will give results in a long-term perspective. Regarding the CO₂ emissions, however, there still are no rules.

Nevertheless, lack of treaties and their possible defects are not the biggest obstacles against the protection of the environment from pollution. Failing to apply with standards, guidelines and legislation is a far more important issue, probably due to lack of port facilities for the reception of wastes, aspects of cost-saving or merely operational convenience.

Hence, efforts should be made towards the implementations of the treaties in national legislation, the strengthening of inspections and the type of reactions when breaches are discovered.

5.6.2 UNEP Conventions in the field of pollution

But the IMO is not alone addressing maritime pollution and the environment.

The UNEP Conventions from Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm are the most important international treaties addressing the carriage of hazardous chemicals, pesticides, persistant organic pollutants, and how to move and dispose of wastes.

Basel Convention[1] on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (BC) adopted in 1989, entered into force in 1992.

Rotterdam Convention[2] on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (PIC) was adopted in 1998 and entered into force 2004.

Both the Basel and the Rotterdam Conventions aim to control the illegal trafficking of persistant organic pollutants (POPs) and POPs contaminated wastes and concern about the environmental release by the final disposal of such wastes.

Stockholm Convention[3] on Persistent Organic Pollutants (SC), adopted 2001 and entered into force 2004 shall protect human health and the environment from chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically and accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans and wildlife.

Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) can lead serious health effects including certain cancers, birth defects, dysfunctional immune and reproductive systems, greater susceptibility to disease and even diminished intelligence. Given their long range transport, no government acting alone can protect is citizens or its environment from POPs.

5.6.3 ILO Conventions in the field of pollution

ILO have no instruments specifically addressing pollution, but in the respect of threatening crew members, dock workers etc., it will be a part of their working environment, and hence it is indirectly and generally incorporated in several ILO conventions, like ILO C163, C164 and MLC 2006.

5.6.4 EMSA regulation in the field of pollution

The EMSA activities on the area of pollution and environmental protection, includes regulations in the fields of air pollution, anti-fouling coats, ballast water, port waste reception facilities, liability and compensation and on ship recycling[4]. Ship recycling will be mentioned separately, the rest of the areas are discussed here.

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