Resolution
MEPC.152(55)
GUIDELINES FOR SEDIMENT RECEPTION FACILITIES (G1)
(Adopted on 13 October 2006)
THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION COMMITTEE,
RECALLING Article 38(a) of the Convention on the
International Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Marine
Environment Protection Committee conferred upon it by the international
conventions for the prevention and control of marine pollution,
RECALLING ALSO that the International Conference on
Ballast Water Management for Ships held in February 2004 adopted the
International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water
and Sediments, 2004 (the Ballast Water Management Convention) together with
four Conference resolutions,
NOTING that Regulation A-2 of the Ballast Water
Management Convention requires that discharge of ballast water shall only be
conducted through Ballast Water Management in accordance with the provisions of
the Annex to the Convention,
NOTING FURTHER that Article 5 of the Ballast Water
Management Convention provides that, each Party undertakes to ensure that, in
ports and terminals designated by that Party where cleaning or repair of
ballast tanks occurs, adequate facilities are provided for the reception of
sediments, taking into account the Guidelines developed by the Organization,
NOTING ALSO that resolution 1 adopted by the
International Conference on Ballast Water Management for Ships invited the
Organization to develop these Guidelines as a matter of urgency,
HAVING CONSIDERED, at its fifty-fifth session, the
draft Guidelines for sediment reception facilities (G1) developed by the
Ballast Water Working Group, and the recommendation made by the Sub-Committee
on Flag State Implementation at its fourteenth session,
1. ADOPTS the Guidelines for sediment reception
facilities (G1) as set out in the Annex to this resolution;
2. INVITES Governments to apply these Guidelines as
soon as possible, or when the Convention becomes applicable to them; and
3. AGREES to keep these Guidelines under review.
Annex.
GUIDELINES FOR SEDIMENT RECEPTION FACILITIES (G1)
1.1 The purpose of these guidelines is to provide
guidance for the provision of facilities for the reception of sediments that
are provided in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention. The guidance is
also intended to encourage a worldwide uniform interface between such
facilities and the ships without prescribing dedicated shoreside reception
plants.
1.2 These guidelines apply to sediment reception
facilities referred to in the International Convention for the Control and
Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (the Convention), Article 5
and Regulation B-5.
1.3 These guidelines do not apply to sediment from
tanks other than ballast water tanks.
1.4 It is recognized that some countries, areas or
ports have requirements or regulations relating to the disposal of waste
materials including waste material from ships which may include sediment from
ships ballast water tanks. These guidelines are not intended in any way to
replace or adversely impact any local or national requirements or regulations
concerning the disposal and/or treatment of sediment from ships ballast water
tanks.
2.1 For the purposes of these guidelines, the
definitions in the Convention apply and:
.1
"Ballast Water Tank" means any tank, hold or space used for the
carriage of ballast water as defined in Article 1 of the Convention.
3. GENERAL
REQUIREMENTS FOR RECEPTION FACILITIES
3.1 Article 5 of the Convention requires that:
"reception facilities shall operate without causing undue delay to ships
and shall provide for the safe disposal of such sediments that does not impair
or damage their environment, human health, property or resources or those of
other States."
3.2 A facility should provide the resources to
enable, as far as practicable, their use by all ships wishing to discharge
sediment from ballast water tanks.
3.3 Each Party shall report to the Organization and,
where appropriate, make available to other Parties, information on the
availability and location of any reception facilities for the environmentally
safe disposal of sediments.
4. PROVISION OF
SEDIMENT RECEPTION FACILITIES
4.1 When considering the requirements of these
facilities many factors will have to be taken into account, these should
include but not be limited to:
.1
regional, national and local legislation which will affect the facility and
related to the items below;
.2
site selection;
.3
collection, handling and transport of sediment;
.4
sampling, testing and analysis of sediment;
.5
storage of sediment and storage conditions;
.6
estimated required capacity (volume/weight) including moisture content of the
sediment the facility will handle;
.7
environmental benefits and costs;
.8
proximity of available sites to local ballast tank cleaning and repair
facilities;
.9
effect on the environment in construction and operation of the facility;
.10
training of facility staff;
.11
equipment required to off load sediment from ships, such as cranes;
.12
human health;
.13
safety;
.14
maintenance;
.15
operational limitations; and
.16
waterway access, approaches and traffic management.
5. TREATMENT,
HANDLING AND DISPOSAL OF RECEIVED SEDIMENT
5.1 Disposal, handling and treatment measures
applied to the sediment shall avoid unwanted side effects that may create a
risk to or damage to the Party’s environment, human health, property or
resources or those of other States.
5.2 Personnel involved in the handling of sediment
should be aware of the possible risk to human health associated with sediment
from ships ballast water tanks. Personnel should be adequately trained and be
provided with suitable personal protective clothing and equipment.
6. CAPABILITIES OF A
RECEPTION FACILITY
6.1 Reception facilities should be designed, taking
into account the ship types that may be anticipated to use them and
consideration should be given to the requirements for ballast tank cleaning
that may take place and of repair facilities in the area(s) the reception facility
serves.
6.2 Details of the capabilities and any capacity
limitations of reception process (facilities and equipments) should be made
available to ships wishing to use the facility. The details made available to
ships should include but not be limited to:
.1
maximum capacity (volume or weight) of sediment;
.2
maximum volume or weight that can be handled at any one time;
.3
packaging and labelling requirements;
.4
hours of operation;