COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships was adopted
by the IMO in 1973; it was later modified by the Protocol of 1978.

It contains the following chapters:

 Chapter 1, General.
 Chapter 2, Requirements for control of operational pollution.
 Chapter 3, Requirements for minimizing oil pollution from oil tankers due to
side and bottom damage.
 Chapter 4, Prevention of pollution arising from an oil pollution incident.

Annexes.

 Annex I. Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil.

 Annex II Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Substances in

Bulk.

 Annex III Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances

Carried by Sea in Packaged Form.

 Annex IV Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships.

 Annex V Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships.

 Annex VI Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships

Definitions.

Harmful Substance; means any substance which if introduced into the sea, is liable
to create hazards to human health, to harm living resources and marine life, to
damage amenities or to interfere with other legitimate uses of the sea, and includes
any substance subject to control by the present convention.

Discharge; in relation to harmful substances or effluents containing such substances,

means any release howsoever caused from a ship and includes any escape,
disposal, spilling, leaking, pumping, emitting or emptying.

Ship; means a vessel of any type whatsoever operating in the marine environment
and includes hydrofoil boats, air-cushion vehicles, submersibles, floating craft and
fixed or floating platforms.
COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

Protocol I. Provisions concerning Reports on Incidents Involving Harmful

Substances.
 Duty to Report: The Master or other person having charge of any ship
involved in an incident shall report the particulars of such incident without
delay and to the fullest extent possible.
 If the ship has been abandoned the owner, charterer, manager or operator of
the ship, or their agent shall assume the responsibilities of the Master.
 The report shall be made when an incident involves: the discharge or
probable discharge of oil, or noxious liquid substance carried in bulk, resulting
from damage to the ship or its equipment, or for the purpose of securing the
safety of a ship or saving life at sea.
 A discharge or probable discharge of harmful substances in packaged form,
including those in freight containers, portable tanks, road and rail vehicles, or
ship-borne barges.
 Contents of a report shall include:
 Identity of the ship involved.
 Time, type and location of the incident.
 Quantity and type of harmful substance involved.
 Assistance and salvage measures.
 Reports must be made by the fastest telecommunications channels
available and the highest possible priority to the nearest coastal state.

Annex 1 Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil.

Definitions.
Oil; means petroleum in any form including crude oil, fuel oil, sludge, oil refuse and
refined products.

Oily Mixture; means a mixture with any oil content.

Oil Fuel; means any oil used as fuel in connection with the propulsion and auxiliary
machinery of the ship.

Oil Tanker; means a ship constructed or adapted primarily to carry oil in bulk in its
cargo spaces and includes combination carriers (OBO’s) and any “chemical carrier”

New Ship; means a ship:

a) For which the building contract was placed after 31 st December 1975.
b) The keel of which was laid after 30th June 1976.
c) The delivery of which is after 31st December 1979.
d) Or which has undergone a major conversion, which is completed after 31 st
December 1979.

Existing Ship; means a ship which is not a new ship.

Nearest Land; The term “from the nearest land” means from` the baseline from
which the territorial sea of the territory in question is established.
COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

Special Area; means a sea area where for recognised technical reasons in relation to
its oceanographic and ecological condition and to the particular character of its traffic
there are special mandatory regulations for the prevention of pollution.

Instantaneous Rate of Discharge; means the rate of discharge of oil in litres per hour
at any instant divided by the speed of the ship in knots at the same instant.

Slop Tank; means a tank specifically designated for the collection of tank drainings,
tank washings and other oily mixtures.

Clean Ballast; means ballast which if it were discharged from a stationary ship into
calm water on a clear day would not produce visible traces of oil on the surface, or
cause a sludge or emulsion to be deposited beneath the surface. If the ballast is
discharged through an ODM&C system the oil content would be below 15 ppm.

Segregated Ballast; means ballast carried in a tank which is completely separated

from the cargo oil and oil fuel system and is permanently allocated to the carriage of
ballast water.

Regulation 2. Application.
Unless expressly provided otherwise, the provisions of this annex apply to all ships.

Regulation 6. Surveys and Inspections.

Every oil tanker of 150 gt and above and every other ship of 400 gt and above shall
be subject to the following surveys;
 An initial survey before the ship is put into service to ensure that the
structure, equipment, systems, fittings arrangements and materials fully
comply with the requirements of MARPOL 73/78
 A renewal survey at intervals not exceeding 5 years to ensure that the ship
continues to comply.
 An intermediate survey within 3 months of the second anniversary date or
within 3 months of the third anniversary date. This survey shall replace one
of the annual surveys.
 An annual survey within 3 months of the anniversary date.
 An additional survey after a repair resulting from investigations, or any
repairs or renewals.
 An IOPP certificate shall be issued by the flag state administration.
COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

Chapter III. Requirements for Machinery Spaces of All Ships.

Regulation 12 Tanks for oil residues (Sludge).

Every ship of 400 gt and above must have a tank or tanks of sufficient capacity to
receive oil residues such as those resulting from the purification of FO, LO, or from
leaks in the machinery space which cannot be dealt with otherwise.
 Piping to from a sludge tank must have no direct connection overboard other
than a standard discharge connection.
 Ships must be able to discharge the contents of the sludge tank to shore
reception facilities.

Regulation 14. Oil Filtering Equipment.

Any of more than 400 gt but less than 10,000 gt must be fitted with oil filtering
equipment such as will ensure that the oil content of any oily mixture will not exceed
15 ppm.
Any ship of more than 10,000 gt must be fitted with oil filtering equipment which is
fitted with alarm arrangements which will ensure that any discharge will be stopped
automatically if the oil content exceeds 15 ppm.

Ships engaged on voyages exclusively within special areas or stationary ships such
as hotel ships or storage vessels or HSC must have a holding tank of sufficient
capacity to retain any oily bilge on board until it can be discharged to shore reception
facilities.

Regulation 15. Control of Operational Discharge of Oil. (Engine room bilges)

Any discharge of oil or oily mixtures into the sea is prohibited.

A. Discharges outside special areas.

Any discharge of oil or oily mixtures into the sea from ships of 400gt and above is
prohibited except where all the following conditions are satisfied.
 The ship is proceeding en-route.
 The oily mixture is processed through Oil Filtering Equipment.
 The oil content of the effluent does not exceed 15 ppm.
 The oily mixture does not originate from cargo pump rooms on an oil tanker.
 The oily mixture is not mixed with cargo residues in the case of tankers.

B. Discharges in Special Areas.

Any discharge of oil or oily mixture into the sea from ships of 400gt and above is
prohibited except when all the following conditions are met:
 The ship is proceeding en-route.
 The oily water mixture is processed through oil filtering equipment.
 The oil content of the effluent does not exceed 15 ppm.
 The oily mixture does not originate from cargo pump room bilges on an oil
tanker.
 The oily mixture is not mixed with oil cargo residues.
 In the Antarctic any discharge of oil into the sea is prohibited.
COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

C. Requirements for ships of less than 400gt in all areas except the Antarctic.
For a ship of less than 400 gt, oil and all oily mixtures shall either be retained on
board for subsequent discharge to shore reception facilities or discharged into the
sea when all the following conditions are met:
 The ship is proceeding en-route.
 The ship has in operation oil filtering equipment that ensures that the oil
content of the effluent does not exceed 15 ppm.
 The oily mixture does not originate from cargo pump room bilges on an oil
tanker.
 The oily mixture is not mixed with oil cargo residues.

General Requirements.
 Whenever visible traces of oil are observed on or below the surface of the
water in the immediate vicinity of a ship or its wake the authorities must
promptly investigate if there has been a violation of this regulation.
 No discharge into the sea shall contain chemicals or other substances in
quantities or concentrations which are hazardous to the marine environment.
 Oil residues which cannot be discharged into the sea in compliance with this
regulation must be retained on board for subsequent discharge to reception
facilities..

Regulation 17 Oil Record Book. Part 1 Machinery Space Operations.

Every oil tanker over 150 gt and every other ship of over 400 gt must carry an ORB
Part 1.
 Must be completed on each occasion whenever any of the following
machinery space operations takes place.
 Ballasting or cleaning of fuel oil tanks.
 Discharge of dirty ballast or cleaning water from fuel oil tanks.
 Collection and disposal of oil residues.
 Receipts for the quantity of oil residues must be kept with the ORB.
 Discharge overboard or disposal of bilge water from machinery spaces.
 Any bunkering operation involving fuel oil or bulk lubricating oil.
 Transfer on board of fuel oil or lubricating oil.
 Any accidental or exceptional discharge of oil or oily mixture.
 Any failure of the oil filtering equipment.
 Each operation must be recorded without delay.
 Each operational entry must be signed by the officer in charge of the
operation.
 Each completed page must be signed by the Master.
 Must be written in English, French or Spanish.
 Must be available for inspection by shore authorities.

The information recorded must include:

 Date.
 Time operation started/stopped
 Position at which the operation started/stopped or port.
 Tanks involved.
 Quantities involved.
COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

Requirements for the Cargo Area of Tankers.

Regulation 18 Segregated Ballast Tanks.

Every crude oil tanker of 20,000 tonnes deadweight and above and every product
carrier of 30,000 tonnes deadweight delivered after 1 st June 1982 must be provided
with segregated ballast tanks.

The capacity of the segregated ballast tanks shall be determined so that the ship
may operate safely on ballast voyages without having to use cargo tanks to carry
ballast.

However ballast water may be carried in cargo tanks on voyages where the Master
considers that additional ballast is required for the safety of the ship, or in
exceptional circumstances.

Regulation 29 Slop tanks

1 Subject to the provisions of paragraph 4 of regulation 3 of this Annex, oil tankers of

150 gross tonnage and above shall be provided with slop tank arrangements in
accordance with the requirements of paragraphs 2.1 to 2.3 of this regulation. In oil
tankers delivered on or before 31 December 1979, as defined in regulation 1.28.1,
any cargo tank may be designated as a slop tank.
2.1 Adequate means shall be provided for cleaning the cargo tanks and transferring
the dirty ballast residue and tank washings from the cargo tanks into a slop tank
approved by the Administration.
2.2 In this system arrangements shall be provided to transfer the oily waste into a
slop tank or combination of slop tanks in such a way that any effluent discharged into
the sea will be such as to comply with the provisions of regulation 34 of this Annex.
2.3 The arrangements of the slop tank or combination of slop tanks shall have a
capacity necessary to retain the slop generated by tank washings, oil residues and
dirty ballast residues.
The total capacity of the slop tank or tanks shall not be less than 3 per cent of the oil
carrying capacity of the ship, except that the Administration may accept: 1 2 per cent
for such oil tankers where the tank washing arrangement are such that once the slop
tank or tanks are charged with washing water, this water is sufficient for tank
washing and, where applicable, for providing the driving fluid for eductors, without
the introduction of additional water into the system;
. Oil tankers of 70,000 tonnes deadweight and above delivered after 31 December
1979, as defined in regulation 1.28.2, shall be provided with at least two slop tanks.
COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

Regulation 31 Oil Discharge Monitoring and Control System.

Oil tankers of 150 gt and above must be equipped with ODMC equipment approved
by the administration.
The system shall be fitted with a recording device to provide:
 A continuous record of the discharge in litres/per nautical mile.
 The total quantity of oil discharged.
 Must be identifiable by time and date.
 Must be retained on board for a period of three years.
 The equipment must come into operation when there is any discharge of
effluent into the sea.
 Must ensure that any discharge of effluent is stopped automatically when the
instantaneous rate of discharge exceeds 30 litres per nautical mile.
 The discharge must be stopped automatically if the ODMC equipment fails.
 The ODMC may be fitted with a manually operated alternative method of
stopping discharge.
 If the equipment fails it must be repaired as soon as possible.
 There must be an operating manual available on board.

Regulation 32. Oil Water Interface Detector.

Every oil tanker of 150 gt and above shall be provided with an effective oil water
interface detector approved by the Administration for a rapid and accurate
determination of the oil water interface in slop tanks and shall be available for other
tanks from which it is intended to discharge effluent to the sea.

Regulation 33. Crude Oil Washing.

Every crude oil tanker of 20,000 tonnes deadweight and over delivered after 1 st June
1982, shall be fitted with a crude oil washing system that complies with the
requirements of the administration.
Ships must have an “Operations and Equipment Manual” which gives details of the
system.

Regulation 34. Control of Operational Discharges of Oil. (Cargo space tankers)

Any discharge into the sea of oil or oily mixtures from the cargo area of an oil tanker
is prohibited except when all the following conditions are satisfied.
 The tanker is not in a special area.
 The tanker is more than 50 nm from the nearest land.
 The ship must be proceeding en-route.
 The instantaneous rate of discharge of oil does not exceed 30 litres per
nautical mile.
 The total quantity of oil discharged does not exceed 1/15,000 of the particular
cargo, (for tankers delivered before 31st December 1979)
 For tankers delivered after 31st December 1979, the total quantity discharged
shall not exceed 1/30,000 of the total quantity.
 The tanker must have an operational ODMC system.
COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

Regulation 35 Crude oil washing operations

1 Every oil tanker operating with crude oil washing systems shall be provided with an
Operations and Equipment Manual* detailing the system and equipment and
specifying operational procedures. If an alteration affecting the crude oil washing
system is made, the Operations and Equipment Manual shall be revised accordingly.
2 With respect to the ballasting of cargo tanks, sufficient cargo tanks shall be crude
oil washed prior to each ballast voyage in order that, taking into account the tanker's
trading pattern and expected weather conditions, ballast water is put only into cargo
tanks which have been crude oil washed.
3 Unless an oil tanker carries crude oil which is not suitable for crude oil washing, the
oil tanker shall operate the crude oil washing system in accordance with the
Operations and Equipment Manual.

Discharges in Special Areas.

Any discharge of oil into the sea while a ship is in a special area is prohibited.(ref
regulation 34 above)

Regulation 36. Oil Record Book Part II – Cargo/Ballast Operations.

Every oil tanker of 150 gt and above shall have an ORB Part II.
The ORB must be completed on each occasion:
 Loading an oil cargo.
 Internal transfer of oil cargo.
 Discharge of an oil cargo.
 Ballasting of cargo tanks.
 Ballasting of dedicated ballast tanks.
 Cleaning of cargo tanks including COW.
 Discharge of ballast except from segregated ballast tanks.
 Discharge of water from slop tanks.
 Closing of all valves after discharge from slop tanks.
 Closing of all valves necessary for the isolation of dedicated clean ballast
tanks.
 Disposal of residues.
 The total quantity of oil and water used for washing and returned to a storage
tank.
 Any accidental or exceptional discharge of oil.
 Any failure of the ODMC equipment.
 Each operation must be signed by the officer in charge of the operation.
 Each completed page must be signed by the Master.
 Entries must be in the working language of the ship or English, French or
Spanish.
 The ORB must be retained on board for a period of three years after the date
of the last entry. Must be available for inspection.
COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

Regulation 37 Shipboard oil pollution emergency plan

 Every oil tanker of 150 gross tonnage and above and every ship other than
an oil tanker of 400 gross tonnage and above shall carry on board a
shipboard oil pollution emergency plan approved by the Administration.
 Such a plan shall be prepared based on guidelines* developed by the
Organization and written in the working language of the master and officers.
The plan shall consist at least of:
 The procedure to be followed by the master or other persons having charge
of the ship to report an oil pollution incident, as required in article 8 and
Protocol I of the present Convention, based on the guidelines developed by
the Organization;
 The list of authorities or persons to be contacted in the event of an oil
pollution incident;
 A detailed description of the action to be taken immediately by persons on
board to reduce or control the discharge of oil following the incident; and the
procedures and point of contact on the ship for co-ordinating shipboard action
with national and local authorities in combating the pollution.
 In the case of ships to which regulation 17 of Annex II of the present
Convention also apply, such a plan may be combined with the shipboard
marine pollution emergency plan for noxious liquid substances required under
regulation 17 of Annex II of the present Convention. In this case, the title of
such a plan shall be “Shipboard marine pollution emergency plan”.
 All oil tankers of 5,000 tons deadweight or more shall have prompt access to
computerised, shore-based damage stability and residual structural strength
calculation programs

Reception Facilities.

Outside special areas all ports and terminals must have reception facilities for
residues and oily mixtures.
 If ships calling at the port have completed a ballast voyage of 72hrs or 1,200
nm.
 If crude oil or oil products are loaded into ships at a rate of 1,000 tonnes per
hour or more.
 At ship repair yards or tank cleaning facilities.
 If the terminal handles ships provided with sludge tanks.
 All ports for oily bilge water or tank residues.

Within special areas.

All ports and repair yards within a special area must have facilities for dealing with
dirty ballast, tank washing water, and residues.
COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

For the purposes of this annex the special areas are:

 The Mediterranean Sea
 The North Sea
 The Baltic Sea.
 The Black Sea.
 The Red Sea.
 The Gulf Area.
 The Gulf of Aden.
 The Antarctic.
 Waters off South Africa

Annex II Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid

Substances in Bulk.

Definitions:
Chemical tanker; means a ship constructed primarily for the carriage of noxious
liquid substances in bulk.

Clean ballast; means ballast carried in a tank which since it was last used for the
carriage of a cargo containing a substance in Category X, Y, Z or Other, has been
thoroughly cleaned in accordance with the appropriate requirements.

Segregated ballast; means ballast water introduced into a tank which is permanently
allocated for the carriage of ballast, and which is completely separated from the
cargo and fuel oil systems.

Noxious liquid substances; means any substance falling into Category X, Y, Z or

other.

Special Area; means a sea area where for recognised technical reasons in relation to
its oceanographic and ecological condition and to the particular character of its traffic
there are special mandatory regulations for the prevention of pollution.

Special areas; the special areas are:

 The Baltic Sea.
 The Black Sea.
 The Antarctic.

Regulation 2 Application.
Unless expressly provided otherwise the provisions of this annex apply to all ships
carrying NLS in bulk.

Regulation 3 Exceptions.
The discharge requirements of this Annex shall not apply to NLS or mixtures
containing NLS when:
 It is necessary for the safety of the ship.
 For saving life at sea.
 Resulting from damage to the ship or its equipment.
COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

Regulation 6. Categorisation of Noxious Liquid Substances.

Category X: Noxious Liquid Substances which, if discharged into the sea from tank
cleaning or de-ballasting operations, are deemed to present a major hazard to either
marine resources or human health and, therefore, justify the prohibition of the
discharge into the marine environment.

Category Y: Noxious Liquid Substances which, if discharged into the sea from tank
cleaning or de-ballasting operations, are deemed to present a hazard to either
marine resources or human health or cause harm to amenities or other legitimate
uses of the sea and therefore justify a limitation on the quality and quantity of the
discharge into the marine environment;

Category Z: Noxious Liquid Substances which, if discharged into the sea from tank
cleaning or de-ballasting operations, are deemed to present a minor hazard to either
marine resources or human health and therefore justify less stringent restrictions on
the quality and quantity of the discharge into the marine environment; and

Other Substances: substances which have been evaluated and found to fall outside
Category X, Y or Z because they are considered to present no harm to marine
resources, human health, amenities or other legitimate uses of the sea when
discharged into the sea from tank cleaning of de-ballasting operations. The
discharge of bilge or ballast water or other residues or mixtures containing these
substances are not subject to any requirements of MARPOL Annex II.
After 1st January 2007, the maximum permitted residue in a tank and its associated
piping left after discharge will be set at a maximum of 75 litres for products in
categories X, Y and Z, Compared with previous limits which set a maximum of 100 or
300 litres, depending on the product category.

Regulation. 7. Surveys and Certification.

Ships carrying NLS in bulk will be subject to the following surveys;
 An initial survey before the ship is put into service to ensure that the
structure, equipment, systems, fittings arrangements and materials fully
comply with the requirements of MARPOL 73/78
 A renewal survey at intervals not exceeding 5 years to ensure that the ship
continues to comply.
 An intermediate survey within 3 months of the second anniversary date or
within 3 months of the third anniversary date. This survey shall replace one
of the annual surveys.
 An annual survey within 3 months of the anniversary date.
 An additional survey after a repair resulting from investigations, or any
repairs or renewals.
 An IOPP Certificate for the Carriage of NLS in Bulk shall be issued by the
flag state administration.
COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

Operational Discharges of Residues of NLS.

Regulation 13 Control of Discharges of Noxious Liquid Substance

The discharge into the sea of residues of substances in categories X,Y or Z shall be
prohibited unless:

Discharge Provisions Category X, Y or Z; The discharge into the sea of

substances in category X Y or Z, or ballast water, tank washings or other residues or
mixtures shall be prohibited unless such discharges are made in full compliance with
these regulations.

Pre-wash and Discharge Procedures.

Before any pre-wash or discharge procedure is carried out, the tank must be emptied
to the maximum extent, in accordance with the P&A manual.

Discharge Standards.
Where the provisions of these regulations allow discharge into the sea the following
standards shall apply;
Any water subsequently added to the tank may be discharged into the sea if;
 The ship is proceeding en-route at a speed of at least 7 knots.
 The discharge is made below the waterline.
 The discharge is made at a distance of at least 12 nm from the nearest land.
 The depth of water must be at least 25m.

Ventilation of Cargo Residues.

Approved ventilation procedures may be used to remove cargo residues, any water
subsequently added to the tank shall be regarded as Clean.

The use of Cleaning Agents or Additives.

When a cargo washing medium other than water is used, its discharge shall be
governed by these regulations.

Category X; A tank from which category X cargo has been discharged must be pre-
washed before the ship leaves the port of discharge. The residues must be
discharged to shore reception facilities.
 The concentration of the product in the effluent must not exceed 0.1% by
weight.

Category Y & Z; The discharge into the sea of substances in category Y & Z is
prohibited unless A tank from which category Y & Z cargo has been discharged must
be pre-washed before the ship leaves the port of discharge. The residues must be
discharged to shore reception facilities.;
 The ship is proceeding en-route at a speed of at least 7 knots.
 The discharge is made below the waterline.
 The discharge is made at a distance of at least 12 nm from the nearest land.
 The depth of water must be at least 25m.
In special areas the tanks must be washed and the washing discharged to a shore
reception facility, item c does not apply.
COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

Operational Requirements for Ballasting and De-ballasting.

Ballast introduced into a tank which has been washed to such an extent that the
ballast contains less than 1 ppm of the substance previously carried may be
discharged into the sea.
 The discharge is made below the waterline.
 The discharge is made at a distance of at least 12 nm from the nearest land.
 The depth of water must be at least 25m.
Other substances; The discharge into the sea of substances in this category is
prohibited unless;
 The ship is proceeding en-route at a speed of at least 7 knots.
 The concentration and the rate of discharge of the effluent means that the
concentration of the substance in the ships wake does not exceed 1 part of
the substance in 10 parts of water.
 The discharge is made at a distance of at least 12 nm from the nearest land.
Transport of vegetable oils
The MEPC also adopted a resolution on Guidelines for the transport of vegetable oils
in deep tanks or in independent tanks specially designed for the carriage of such
vegetable oils on board dry cargo ships.
The guidelines have been developed to allow general dry cargo ships that are
currently certified to carry vegetable oil in bulk to continue to carry these vegetable
oils on specific trades. The guidelines will take effect on 1 January 2007.

Regulation 14. Procedures and Arrangements Manual.

Each ship which carries NLS in bulk must be provided with a P&A manual. The main
purpose of this manual is to identify for the ships officers the physical arrangements
and operational procedures with regard to cargo handling, tank cleaning, slops
handling, and cargo tank ballasting and de-ballasting procedures.
As a minimum the manual should contain the following;
 A description of the main features of Annex II of MARPOL 73/78.
 A table showing the NLS cargoes that the ship is certified to carry.
 Specific information on the substances the ship is certified to carry.
 A table identifying the tanks in which certain NLS may be carried.
 A description of the following arrangements and equipment;
 Cargo heating and temperature control system.
 A description of the cargo discharge arrangements.
 A schematic diagram of the cargo pumping and stripping systems.
 A list of tanks which may be used as slop tanks.
 Methods of stripping cargo tanks and restrictions such as the minimum list
and trim.
 Methods of draining cargo pumps and lines.
 Cargo tank pre-wash arrangements and programmes.
 Procedures for cargo tank ballasting and de-ballasting.
 Procedures for the discharge of residues, and residue/water mixtures.
 Procedures to be followed if a cargo tank cannot be discharged in accordance
with the required procedure.
 A table showing the quantities of cargo residue which will remain in a cargo
tank and its associated pipe work following discharge and stripping.
MARPOL 73/78 Appendix D gives a standard format for the P&A manual.
COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

Regulation 15 Cargo Record Book.

Every ship to which this annex applies must carry a Cargo Record Book.
The cargo record book must be completed on a tank to tank basis whenever any of
the following operations takes place.
 Loading of any cargo.
 Internal transfer of cargo.
 Discharging of any cargo.
 Cleaning of cargo tanks.
 Ballasting of cargo tanks.
 Discharge of ballast from cargo tanks.
 Disposal of residues to shore reception facilities.
 Discharge into the sea or removal by ventilation of residues.
 If a discharge is made under Reg 8 whether the discharge is intentional or
accidental.
 Each entry must be signed by the officer or officers in charge of the operation,
the completed page must be signed by the Master.
 When a surveyor appointed or authorised to supervise any operation has
inspected the ship the surveyor must make an entry to that effect in the cargo
record book.
 Entries must be made in the working language of the ship.
 The cargo record book must be available for inspection.
 The completed record book must be retained on board for a period of at least
3 years after the last entry is made.

Annex III Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances

Carried by Sea in Packaged Form.
These regulations apply to all ships carrying harmful substances in packaged form,
for the purposes of these regulations “harmful substances” are defined as being
those identified by the IMDG Code as “Marine Pollutants”.

Packaging, marking and labelling must be in compliance with the requirements of the
IMDG Code.

Documentation must also comply with the requirements of the IMDG Code, and
these substances must be further identified with the words “Marine Pollutant”.

Every ship must have a special list or manifest stating the harmful substances
carried on board. The location of the packages must be shown on a detailed cargo
plan. Copies of the cargo plan and the manifest must be retained ashore by the
owner of the ship or his representative.

Exceptions.

Jettisoning of harmful substances in packaged form is prohibited, except where

necessary for the purpose of securing the safety of the ship or saving life at sea.
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MARPOL 73/78

Annex IV Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships.

Definitions;
Sewage; means drainage and other wastes from any form of toilets, urinals and WC
scuppers. Drainage from medical spaces such as dispensaries, and sick bays via
wash basins, wash tubs and scuppers. Drainage from spaces containing living
animals, or other waste waters when mixed with any of the above.

Holding tank; means a tank used for the collection and storage of sewage.

Regulation 2. Application

The provisions of this annex shall apply to;

 New ships of 200 gt and above.
 New ships of less than 200 gt which are certified to carry more than 10
persons.
 New ships which do not have a measured gross tonnage, but are certified to
carry more than 10 persons.
 Existing ships of 200 gt and above, and ships which do not have a measured
gross tonnage, which are certified to carry more than 10 persons. 10 years
after the date of entry into force of this annex.

Regulation 4 Surveys.

Every ship to which these regulations apply must have an initial survey before the
ship is put into service, to ensure that the ship complies with these regulations and
then Periodical surveys at intervals decided by the Flag State Administration.

The International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate shall be issued for a period
not exceeding 5 years.

Regulation 8 Discharge of Sewage

Subject to the provisions of regulation 9 of this Annex, the discharge of sewage into
the sea is prohibited, except when
 the ship is discharging comminuted and disinfected sewage using a system
approved by the Administration in accordance with regulation 3(1)(a) at a
distance of more than 4 nautical miles from the nearest land, or sewage which
is not comminuted or disinfected at a distance of more than 12 nautical miles
from the nearest land, provided that in any case, the sewage that has been
stored in holding tanks shall not be discharged instantaneously but at a
moderate rate when the ship is en route and proceeding at not less than 4
knots; the rate of discharge shall be approved by the Administration based
upon standards developed by the Organization; or
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MARPOL 73/78

 The ship has in operation an approved sewage treatment plant which has
been certified by the Administration to meet the operational requirements
referred to in regulation 3(1)(a)(i) of this Annex, and
 The test results of the plant are laid down in the ships International Sewage
Pollution Prevention Certificate (1973);
 Additionally, the effluent shall not produce visible floating solids in, nor cause
discoloration of, the surrounding water; or
 The ship is situated in the waters under the jurisdiction of a State and is
discharging sewage in accordance with such less stringent requirements as
may be imposed by such State.

When the sewage is mixed with wastes or waste water having different discharge
requirements, the more stringent requirements shall apply.

Exceptions

Regulation 8 of this Annex shall not apply to:

 the discharge of sewage from a ship necessary for the purpose of securing
the safety of a ship and those on board or saving life at sea; or
 The discharge of sewage resulting from damage to a ship or its equipment if
all reasonable precautions have been taken before and after the occurrence
of the damage, for the purpose of preventing or minimizing the discharge.

Regulation 9. Sewage Systems.

Every ship to which these regulations apply shall have one of the following types of
sewage system:
 The type must be approved by the administration.
 A sewage comminuting and disinfecting system which must have facilities to
store sewage when the ship is less than 3 nm from the nearest land.
 A holding tank capable of retaining all sewage produced on board having
regard to the operation of the ship.
To enable pipes at reception centres to be connected with the ships discharge
pipeline, both lines must be fitted with a standard discharge connection.

Regulation 10 Reception facilities

 The Government of each Party to the Convention undertakes to ensure the

provision of facilities at ports and terminals for the reception of sewage,
without causing undue delay to ships, adequate to meet the needs of the
ships using them.
 The Government of each Party shall notify the Organization for transmission
to the Contracting Governments concerned of all cases where the facilities
provided under this regulation are alleged to be inadequate.
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MARPOL 73/78

Annex V. Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships.

Definitions.
Garbage means all kinds of victual, domestic and operational waste excluding fresh
fish, generated during the normal operation of the ship.

Regulation 2 Application.
Unless expressly provided otherwise these regulations apply to all ships.

Regulation 3 Disposal of Garbage outside Special Areas.

The disposal of all plastics including synthetic ropes, fishing nets and plastic garbage
bags is prohibited.

The disposal of the following garbage shall be made as far as practicable from the
nearest land:
 25 nm for dunnage, lining and packaging materials which will float,
 12 nm for food waste and all other garbage including paper products, rags,
glass, metal, bottles, crockery and similar refuse,
 3 nm for the disposal of garbage mentioned above may be permitted if it has
passed through a comminuter or grinder, and is capable of passing through a
25mm screen,

Regulation 5 Disposal of Garbage within Special Areas.

For the purposes of this annex the following are designated Special Areas;
 The Mediterranean Sea.
 The Baltic Sea.
 The Black Sea.
 The Red Sea.
 The Gulf Area.
 The North Sea.
 The Antarctic.
 The Wider Caribbean Region.

MARPOL Annex V states that within a special area garbage may only be disposed of
as follows:
"(a). disposal into the sea of the following is prohibited:
 . all plastics, including but not limited to synthetic ropes, synthetic fishing nets,
plastic garbage bags and incinerator ashes from plastic products which may
contain toxic or heavy metal residues; and
 all other garbage, including paper products, rags, glass, metal, bottles,
crockery, dunnage, lining and packing materials;except as provided disposal
into the sea of food wastes shall be made as far as practicable from land, but
in any case not less than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land;
 . Disposal into the Wider Caribbean Region of food wastes which have been
passed through a comminuter or grinder shall be made as far as practicable
from land, but in any case not less than 3 nautical miles from the nearest land.
Comminuted or ground food wastes shall be capable of passing through a
screen with openings no greater than 25 millimetres."
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MARPOL 73/78

Reception Facilities.
The government of every country which is signatory to this convention, and which
has a coastline which borders a “special area” must ensure that any port provides
adequate reception facilities for garbage.The government of any party to the
convention, at whose ports ships depart en-route to the Antarctic, must provide
adequate reception facilities for garbage.

Regulation 6 Exceptions.
These regulations shall not apply if the discharge of garbage is necessary for the
purpose of securing the safety of the ship, or for saving life at sea. Or where the
discharge of garbage results from damage to the ship or its equipment.

Regulation 9. Placards, Garbage Management Plans, and Garbage Record

Keeping.

 Every ship of 12 m or more in length shall display placards which notify the
crew and passengers of disposal requirements for garbage.
 The placards must be written in the official language of the Flag State, and in
English or French.
 Every ship of 400 gt and above and every ship which is certified to carry 15 or
more persons must carry a garbage management plan, which the crew must
follow.
 The plan must provide written procedures for collecting, storing, processing
and disposing of garbage.
 The plan must provide operating instructions for any equipment on board for
processing garbage.
 The plan must designate the person in charge of carrying out the plan.
 The plan must be in accordance with the guidelines developed by the IMO.
 The plan must be written in the working language of the crew.

Garbage Record Book.

Every ship of 400 gt and above, and every ship certified to carry 15 persons or more
must be provided with a “Garbage Record Book”.
This garbage record book must be in the form specified by the IMO.
The following must be record in the garbage record book;
 Each discharge operation, or completed incineration.
 Each discharge operation, or completed incineration must be signed for on
the date of the operation by the officer in charge.
 Each completed page of the garbage record book must be signed by the
Master.
 Entries in the garbage record book must be written in the official language of
the Flag State, and in English or French.
 Each entry must include the date and time, the position of ship, a description
of the garbage, and the estimated amount discharged or incinerated.
 The garbage record book must be retained on board for a period of at least 2
years after the last entry.
 The garbage record book must be available for inspection.
 In the event of an accidental loss, or discharge of garbage under Reg 6.
(Exceptions), an entry to this effect must be made in the garbage record book.
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Receipts.
On every occasion when garbage is discharged to a reception facility or another
ship, the Master must obtain a receipt specifying the amount of garbage transferred.
This receipt must be retained with the Garbage Record Book for a period of at least
2 year
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MARPOL 73/78

Annex VI Regulations for the Prevention of Air pollution from Ships.

Regulation 1. Application.
The provisions of this regulation shall apply to all ships.

Regulation 2. Definitions.

Emission; means any release of substances subject to control by this annex.

Continuous Feeding; means a process whereby waste is fed into a combustion

chamber without human assistance while the incinerator is operating at temperatures
between 850 and 1200oC.

NOx Technical Code; means the Technical Code on Control of Emissions of

Nitrogen Oxides from Marine Diesel Engines.

Ozone Depleting Substances; means controlled substances and include:

 Halon 1211.
 Halon 1301
 Halon 2402
 CFC-11
 CFC-12
 CFC- 113
 CFC-114
 CFC-115.

Also since 1 July 2010 vessels must have an Ozone Depleting Substances record
book describing all of the following operations in kg without delay:

- Recharging full or partial, of equipment containing ozone depleting substances

- Discharge of ozone depleting substances to the atmosphere.
- Repair or maintenance of equipment containing ozone depleting substances
---Deliberate or Non-deliberate
- Discharge of ozone depleting substances to land based reception facilities

- Supply of ozone depleting substances to the ship

The Ozone Depleting Substances record book may be part of an existing log-book or
in electronic form, but it has to be approved by the administration.

Crew must be informed not to release ODS in to the atmosphere. This should be
documented on board. Either by placing a sign next to the equipment, documented
info in the training manual, intra company circular or even a sign board in engine
control room.

Finally make sure that the surveyor will issue new Marpol Annex VI with updated
information in the first periodical survey.
COGC (School of Nautical Studies)

MARPOL 73/78

Sulphur Emission Control Areas

(SECAs) are sea areas where there are stricter requirements for used bunker fuel
compared to other sea areas. SECA is defined in MARPOL Annex VI. The area
includes North Sea, Baltic Sea, and within 24 miles of California coast. Also other
areas may be added via protocol defined in Annex VI

Sulphur limits for fuel in SECA

before 1 July 2010 1.50% m/m
between 1 July 2010 and 1 January 2015 1.00% m/m
after 1 January 2015 0.10% m/m
General sulphur limits in other sea areas
before 1 July 2012 4.50% m/m
between 1 July 2012 and 1 January 2020 3.50% m/m
after 1 January 2020[ 0.50% m/m
1. May be postponed to 1 January 2025

Regulation 3. Exceptions.

The requirements of this regulation shall not apply when an emission is necessary
for the purpose of securing the safety of a ship, or of saving life at sea, or due to
damage to a ship or its equipment.

Regulation 5. Survey and Certification.

Every ship of 400 gt and above shall be subject to the following surveys;
 An initial survey before the ship is put into service.
 A renewal survey at intervals not exceeding 5 years.
 An intermediate survey +/- 3 months of the second anniversary date, or +/- 3
months of the third anniversary date. Such survey shall take the place of an
annual survey.
 An annual survey +/- 3 months of the anniversary date.

Regulation 12. Ozone Depleting Substances.

Any deliberate emission of ozone depleting substances is prohibited.

Regulation 13. Nitrogen Oxides NOx

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MARPOL 73/78

This regulation applies to;

a. Every diesel engine with a power output >130 kW installed after 1 st January
2000.

This regulation does not apply to;

i. Emergency diesel engines.
ii. Lifeboat engines.
iii. Any device or engine used for emergency purposes.

NOx emissions.
17.0 g/kW.h at less than 130 rpm.
 45.0 x n-0.2 g/kW.h when rpm is >130 but <2000.
 9.8 g/kW.h when rpm >2000.

The operation of a diesel engine is permitted when an exhaust gas cleaning system
approved by the administration is operating.

Regulation 14. Sulphur Oxides SOx.

The sulphur content of any fuel used on board ships shall not exceed 4.5% m/m.

SOx Emission Control Areas.

 The Baltic Sea.

 Any other sea area designated by the IMO.

While ships are within SOx emission control areas at one of the following conditions
shall be applied.
 The sulphur content of the fuel shall not exceed 1.5% m/m.
 An exhaust gas cleaning system approved by the administration is in use.
 The exhaust gas cleaning system must limit the SOx emissions from main and
auxiliary engines must not exceed 6.0 g SOx /kW.h.

Regulation 15. Volatile Organic Compounds.

If the emission of VOC’s from tankers is to be limited it must comply with this
regulation.
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MARPOL 73/78

Regulation 16. Shipboard Incineration.

Shipboard incineration shall only be allowed in a shipboard incinerator.
The shipboard incineration of the following products shall be prohibited;
 Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s).
 Garbage containing traces of heavy metals.
 Refined petroleum products containing halogen compounds.
 Shipboard incineration of poly vinyl chlorides.

All ships with incinerators must have manufacturers operating instructions; personnel
responsible for operating the incinerator must be trained.
There must be continuous monitoring of the flue gas outlet temperature; the
minimum allowed is 850o C.

Regulation 17. Reception Facilities.

Repair ports must have facilities for the reception of ozone depleting substances,
and residues from exhaust gas cleaning systems.

Regulation 18. Fuel Oil Quality.

Fuel oil for use on board ships must meet the following requirements;
 Must be blends of hydrocarbons derived from petroleum refining.
 Free of inorganic acids.
 Must not contain any additive which may jeopardise the safety of the
ship.
 Must not contain any additive which may be harmful to personnel.
 Must not contain any additive which adds to air pollution.
This regulation does not apply to coal or nuclear fuel.

Bunker Delivery Note.

Must be retained on board for a period of 3 years after the fuel is delivered. The
delivery note must be accompanied by a sample of the FO to be delivered.