Oil Pollution Prevention: A Global Effort

International Framework

Measures to prevent marine pollution and to improve maritime safety are addressed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations specialized agency dealing with maritime affairs.

The IMO, through its member status and agencies, develops international conventions and standards that are implemented by governments through incorporation into their domestic legislation. With respect to marine pollution, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships(MARPOL) deals with pollution from oil, chemicals, packaged goods, garbage, sewage, air emissions and anti-fouling systems, and aquatic organisms and pathogens.

The MARPOL Convention includes requirements for construction (i.e., double hulls on oil and chemical tankers), inspection (including enhanced surveys on existing tankers), equipment (i.e., oily/water separators), record keeping (i.e., Oil Record Books, Cargo Record Books) and in-port procedures (i.e., receipts for the discharge of wastes to shore reception facilities, tank cleaning in port).

International requirements for the prevention of oil pollution from ships are contained in Annex I of MARPOL,
Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil. Annex I contains requirements for: surveys and inspections; International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificates; discharges of oil or oily water mixtures; reception facilities; segregated or dedicated clean ballast; crude oil washing; oil record books; oil rigs; restrictions on carrying water ballast in fuel tanks; restrictions on carrying oil in forepeak tanks; retention of oil in slop tanks; monitoring, filtering and separating equipment; sludge tanks; pumping, piping and discharge arrangements; size and arrangement of cargo tanks; double-hulling of oil tankers; subdivision and stability of oil tankers; and shipboard oil pollution emergency plans.

Canadian Legislation

Transport Canada recognizes that, because of the international nature of shipping, action to improve safety and pollution prevention in maritime operations is most effectively carried out at an international level through the IMO; however, in certain cases stricter environmental controls may be appropriate for shipping on internal and inland waters.

The international provisions in Annex I of MARPOL have been incorporated into Canadian legislation in Division 1 of the Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and for Dangerous Chemicals under Part XV of the Canada Shipping Act. These regulations apply the Annex I discharge provisions in Canadian coastal waters but stricter discharge provisions are applied in Canadian inland and Arctic waters (see the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act and the Arctic Shipping Pollution Prevention Regulations for requirements in Arctic waters). In inland waters, ships wishing to discharge bilge water must comply with the 5 part per million (ppm) limit and must have a 5 ppm bilge alarm approved in accordance with TP 12301, Standard for 5 ppm Bilge Alarm.

Both Annex I of MARPOL and the Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and for Dangerous Chemicals contain requirements for the double-hulling of oil tankers. Amendments to Annex I that came into force on September 1, 2002, have resulted in changes to the regime in Canada for the phase-out of single hulled tankers contained in the following:

• TP 11710, Standards for the Double Hull Construction of Oil Tankers, and
• TP 11960, Standards and Guidelines for the Construction, Inspection and Operation of Barges that Carry Oil in Bulk.

Further information is available under Phasing Out of Single-Hulled Oil Tankers.

Transport Canada continues to strictly enforce pollution prevention regulations through the inspection of ships for compliance with pollution prevention provisions and through the investigation of pollution incidents.

Canada acceded to MARPOL in 1993. The authority to implement MARPOL requirements is contained in section 658 of Part XV of the Canada Shipping Act.