Ballast Water

IMO Adopts New Ballast Water Rules

A new international convention to prevent the potentially devastating effects of the spread of harmful aquatic organisms carried by ships' ballast water has been adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution from ships. The instrument was adopted at an international conference held from 9 to13 February 2004 at IMO's London Headquarters. The Convention will require all ships to implement a Ballast Water and Sediments Management Plan. All ships will have to carry a Ballast Water Record Book and will be required to carry out ballast water management procedures to a given standard. Existing ships will be required to do the same, but after a phase-in period. Parties to the Convention are given the option to take additional measures which are subject to criteria set out in the Convention and to IMO guidelines yet to be developed. IMO Secretary-General Mr. Efthimios E. Mitropoulos congratulated Member Governments on the successful outcome of the conference. "With the adoption of this Convention, the Organization has made global provisions to control and manage ships' ballast water and thus prevent, minimize and ultimately eliminate the transfer of

Senate Committee OKs Ballast Water Bill

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today voted unanimously to approve the “Ballast Water Management Act of 2005” (S. 363), introduced by Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and co-sponsored by Senators Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Paul Sarbanes (D-Maryland), and Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii). The legislation would amend the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to establish

U.S. Ports Endorse Ballast Water Legislation

In response to the growing trend of state laws regulating ballast water discharges from ships, U.S. ports plan to develop a legislative proposal that would: 1) establish a strong Federal ballast water management program; and, 2) preempt state legislation in this area. During the Monday, October 16, meeting of AAPA's U.S. Legislative Policy Council (USLPC) representing the Association's 84 U.S. port members, Chairman of the Board J

Alfa Laval's PureBallast Receives Type Approval

PureBallast, Alfa Laval’s chemical-free system for ballast water treatment, has now received full Ballast Water Type Approval from DNV on behalf of Norwegian authorities. The certification, which was issued on June 27th, confirms that PureBallast complies in full with pending ballast water treatment legislation from the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Alfa Laval’s PureBallast system, which has been purchased for installation aboard more then 25 vessels since its launch

Ballast Water Treatment Systems

The U.S. Coast Guard seeks consultation with interested and affected parties in establishing a program to approve ballast water treatment systems. The intent is to ensure that ballast water treatment systems approved for use on vessels will meet the ballast water discharge standard the Coast Guard will be implementing in the near future. Comments and related material should be submitted by December 3, 2004. 69 Fed. Reg. 47453 (August 5, 2004).

California Clarifies BWMS Position

Installation or use of an USCG accepted Alternative Management Systems (AMS) does not waive a vessel's requirement to meet the California Code of Regulations ballast discharge performance standards. In accordance with the California Public Resource Code and California Code of Regulations, vessels may manage ballast water using an alternative, environmentally sound method approved by the California State Lands Commission or the USCG as being at least as effective as ballast water exchange

Hamworthy Develops New Ballast Water Solutions

Ratification of the IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention is widely anticipated within the next 12 months. As a consequence, ship owners are evaluating as a matter of some urgency which ballast water treatment technology is best suited to both their existing and new ships. Recognizing that no one solution will be suitable across all ship types, sizes and environmental conditions, Hamworthy’s dedicated ballast water research and development team has developed two different

Ships to Hold Ballast Water by Law

iAfrica reported that South Africa will ratify an international maritime convention aimed at stopping ships illegally discharging their ballast water while in local waters. The government communications head said the meeting agreed to ratify the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ballast water and Sediment. Ballast water is used in many cargo ships to maintain correct trim when the vessel is not fully laden.

Ballast Water Management – Angola, Africa, Rules

Angola, Africa, maritime authority draws attention of masters to its ballast water management requirements All vessels coming from outside Angola must follow Angolan Executive Decree 12-05, article 10 regarding ballast water management. It appears to the Angolan authority that the relevant information has not been passed on to ships' master. The decree states that Operators must ensure that vessels and/or installations originating fromoutside the country and operating under their

New York Amends Ballast Water Rules

Great Lakes Shipping Industry Praises Deadline Extension.   The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) today modified its ballast water discharge permit and extended the deadline by which ship owners have to comply with state rules. Today's action effectively eliminates onerous ballast water treatment requirements through the end of 2013.  The agency’s ballast water regulations are the most stringent in North America and have been the topic of