Ocean cargo: Bush signs Maritime Prevention Pollution Act into law

Jeff Berman, Group News Editor -- Logistics Management, 7/24/2008

WASHINGTON and ALEXANDRIA, Va.—President George W. Bush officially inked H.R. 802, the “Maritime Pollution Prevention Act, into law this week. This follows the passing of the legislation by the U.S. Senate on July 8.

This bill implements Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, which is more commonly known as MARPOL, and is comprised of air quality benefits for port communities throughout the country. Annex VI, which is an international treaty that sets limits for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and oxides of sulfur from ship exhaust, is the global protocol for regulating vessel emissions. 

"While land-based emissions and some marine emissions are the responsibility of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, AAPA believes that an international process is the most effective for vessels, the majority of which are flagged in countries other than the U.S.," Nagle said in a statement. "Considering that emissions from ocean-going ships are predicted to grow by more than 70 percent over the next 15 years, it's imperative that meaningful and effective air emissions standards be adopted to improve air quality."

And AAPA Director of Communications Aaron Ellis told LM in an interview earlier this month that the biggest takeaway with this legislation being passed is that by being part of the international treaty (Annex VI), the U.S will be able to level the playing field for all ships so that there is a single emissions standard that will have to be maintained.

“This is really all about trying to be able to control something that we have not been able to control in the past,” explained Ellis. “Previously—and now—international ships that call U.S. ports really are outside of U.S. jurisdiction with regard to emissions. We really don’t have any control over their particulate matter, oxides, nitrogen, or sulfur they are putting into our atmosphere, however, domestic ships that call at U.S. ports and all other domestic vessels do have to live under the U.S. EPA rules for emissions.

Another component of this legislation is that port authorities have been very supportive of it, because many ports are trying to manage—and struggling—with some of the emissions sources in their facilities, said Ellis. And he added that ships are the largest source of emissions in outward regions, but by being able to finally have some control over those emissions to keep them at a level that is pre-ordained, it will give ports in non-payment zones like Los Angeles and Long Beach a better ability to reduce their overall emissions and have more control over their atmospheric conditions.

The AAPA said that a U.S. delegation led by the EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard with support from the AAPA and the World Shipping Council played a large role in negotiating a suite of amendments that will further reduce amendments that will further reduce air emissions and particulate matter from ships.

MARPOL Annex VI entered into force on May 19, 2005 and has remained unchanged ever since, but the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee is expected to approve changes to Annex VI at its meeting in London in October.