3114

Researcher: 
Mitchell
Data entry notes: 
MEPC 51(32); The amendments to Annex I of the convention which deals with pollution by oil brought in the "double hull" requirements for tankers, applicable to new ships(tankers ordered after 6 July 1993, whose keels were laid on or after 6 January 1994 or which are delivered on or after 6 July 1996) as well as existing ships built before that date, with a phase-in period. New-build tankers are covered by Regulation 13F, while regulation 13G applies to existing crude oil tankers of 20,000 dwt and product carriers of 30,000 dwt and above. Regulation 13G came into effect on 6 July 1995. Regulation 13F requires all new tankers of 5,000 dwt and above to be fitted with double hulls separated by a space of up to 2 metres(on tankers below 5,000 dwt the space must be at least 0.76m). As an alternative, tankers may incorporate the "mid‑deck" concept under which the pressure within the cargo tank does not exceed the external hydrostatic water pressure. Tankers built to this design have double sides but not a double bottom. Instead, another deck is installed inside the cargo tank with the venting arranged in such a way that there is an upward pressure on the bottom of the hull. Other methods of design and construction may be accepted as alternatives "provided that such methods ensure at least the same level of protection against oil pollution in the event of a collision or stranding and are approved in principle by the Marine Environment Protection Committee based on guidelines developed by the Organization. For oil tankers of 20,000 dwt and above new requirements were introduced concerning subdivision and stability. The amendments also considerably reduced the amount of oil which can be discharged into the sea from ships(for example, following the cleaning of cargo tanks or from engine room bilges). Originally oil tankers were permitted to discharge oil or oily mixtures at the rate of 60 litres per nautical mile. The amendments reduced this to 30 litres. For non‑tankers of 400 grt and above the permitted oil content of the effluent which may be discharged into the sea is cut from 100 parts per million to 15 parts per million. Regulation 24(4), which deals with the limitation of size and arrangement of cargo tanks, was also modified. Regulation 13G applies to existing crude oil tankers of 20,000 dwt and product carriers of 30,000 dwt and above. Tankers that are 25 years old and which were not constructed according to the requirements of the 1978 Protocol to MARPOL 73/78 have to be fitted with double sides and double bottoms. The Protocol applies to tankers ordered after 1 June 1979, which were begun after 1 January 1980 or completed after 1 June 1982. Tankers built according to the standards of the Protocol are exempt until they reach the age of 30. Existing tankers are subject to an enhanced programme of inspections during their periodical, intermediate and annual surveys. Tankers that are five years old or more must carry on board a completed file of survey reports together with a conditional evaluation report endorsed by the flag Administration. Tankers built in the 1970s which are at or past their 25th must comply with Regulation 13F. If not, their owners must decide whether to convert them to the standards set out in regulation 13F, or to scrap them. Another set of tankers built according to the standards of the 1978 protocol will soon be approaching their 30th birthday - and the same decisions must be taken.
Treaty Name and Text
Agreement Name: 
Amendments To Annex I Of The International Convention For The Prevention Of Pollution From Ships
Alternative Treaty Name: 
Amendments regarding Double Hull Tankers to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships; Amendments to MARPOL Annex I
Possible Sources (additional): 
http://www.imo.org/includes/blastData.asp/doc_id=6971/51(32).pdf
Signature/Entry into Force/Termination
Date IEA was signed: 
1992-03-06
Signature Year: 
1992
Place IEA was signed: 
London
Date IEA entered into force: 
1993-07-06
Treaty Type
Membership eligibility (multilateral, bilateral, etc): 
Agreement Type Level 3: 
E (environment) Code (agreement is environmental or not): 
Environmental
Source for E (environmental) code: 
Title
Text used for E (environmental) coding: 
Amendments To Annex I Of The International Convention For The Prevention Of Pollution From Ships
Words used to code as Environmental: 
pollut/pollution from ships/ship
Lineage
Lineage: 
MARPOL
Sequence in lineage: 
203.150
Secretariat and auspices
Org Auspices: 
IMO
Legacy
Hidden fields
Version: 
2007.10
Inclusion Auto-Generated: 
MEA - Multilateral Environmental Agreements
Subject: 
Pollution/Ocean
Category: 
ENV