IMO NEWS
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Summer 2021
FROM THE MEETINGS
SUB-COMMITTEE ON POLLUTION PREVENTION AND RESPONSE (PPR 8), 22 – 26 MARCH 2021 Black Carbon measurement methods for data collection. With regards to developing a standardized sampling, conditioning, and measurement protocol, the Sub-Committee encouraged interested Member Governments and international organizations to undertake further studies on Black Carbon measurement systems to enable accurate and traceable (comparable) measurements of Black Carbon emission and submit the results to future Sub-Committee sessions. The Sub-Committee welcomed the establishment by Canada of the international Technical Working Group (TWG) on the Development of a Standardized Sampling, Conditioning and Measurement Protocol for Black Carbon Emissions from Marine Engines. The ISO was invited to keep the Sub-Committee or MEPC, as appropriate, informed of its ongoing review of the ISO 8217 standard for specification of marine fuels, including the possibility to include an additional informative indicator in the ISO 8217 standard, to evaluate whether a fuel tends to be paraffinic or aromatic in character. With regard to potential regulatory options to reduce the impact of black carbon emissions form shipping on the Arctic, the SubCommittee invited the MEPC to approve updated terms of reference for the agenda item, to include: • Develop, as a starting point, guidelines on recommendatory goalbased control measures to reduce the impact on the Arctic of Black Carbon emissions from international shipping; • Further consider regulating or otherwise directly control Black Carbon emissions from marine diesel engines (exhaust gas) to reduce the impact on the Arctic of Black Carbon emissions from international shipping, taking into account the identified candidate control measures;
A Correspondence Group on Development of a Protocol for Verification of Ballast Water Compliance Monitoring Devices was established to further the work.
Review of the IMO Biofouling Guidelines
The Sub-Committee continued its review of the IMO Biofouling Guidelines, which provide a globally consistent approach to the management of biofouling – the accumulation of various aquatic organisms on ships’ hulls, which is also a vector for the transfer of invasive aquatic species. The Correspondence Group on Review of the Biofouling Guidelines was re-established and the Sub-Committee requested to extend the target completion year to 2023.
Marine litter – addressing losses or discharges of fishing gear
The Sub-Committee has been tasked with progressing certain elements of IMO’ s action plan to address marine plastic litter. In this context, the Sub-Committee considered the output of a correspondence group, which has been looking at how to address losses or discharges of fishing gear, including draft amendments to reporting requirements under MARPOL Annex V regulations on the prevention of pollution from ships by garbage. The Sub-Committee agreed to further consider the report of the correspondence group and the commenting document that had been submitted to this session at its next session, in conjunction with additional relevant documents that may be forwarded to PPR 9 by the MEPC (e.g. report of the GESAMP Working Group on sea-based sources of marine litter and a submission by FAO on reporting protocols and practices). The Committee was invited to extend the target completion year to 2023.
• Further consider recommended Black Carbon measurement methods (light absorption filter smoke number (FSN); photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS); and laser induced incandescence (LII)) to be used in conjunction with regulations to control Black Carbon emissions from marine diesel engines; • Develop a standardized sampling, conditioning and measurement protocol, including a traceable reference method and an uncertainty analysis, taking into account the three most appropriate Black Carbon measurement methods (FSN, PAS, LII), to make accurate and traceable (comparable) measurements of Black Carbon emissions; and submit a report to MEPC 79 in 2022.
Standards and performance of sewage treatment plants
The Sub-Committee continued its review of MARPOL Annex IV regulations and the related 2012 Guidelines on implementation of effluent standards and performance tests for sewage treatment plants (resolution MEPC.227(64)). The Correspondence Group on Amendments to MARPOL Annex IV and Associated Guidelines was re-established, to continue the review. The Committee was invited to extend the target completion year to 2023.
Standard for the verification of ballast water compliance monitoring devices
The Sub-Committee continued its work on the development of a standard for the verification of ballast water compliance monitoring devices. IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention, which has been in force since 2017, aims to prevent the spread of harmful species in ballast water by requiring ships to manage their ballast water.
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