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March 6 2002 USCG publishes ballast water ANPR The U.S. Coast Guard has published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM). It seeks comments on the development of a ballast water treatment goal and on an interim ballast water treatment standard. The Coast Guard is moving towards manadatory ballast water managemenr requirements that will be at least as effective as ballast water exchange in dealing with aquatic nuisance species. The ANPRM suggests three possible goals and four possible standards. Comments should be submitted by June 3, 2002. Singapore owner gets ballast water management certification World Tankers Management is Singapore's first tanker operator in Singapore to have its fleet certified under Lloyd’s Register’s new BWMP operational notation for ballast water management. The company was recently awarded a cerificate in recognition of this achievement at a ceremony in Singapore. While IMO is still working on drafting its proposed International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, a number of countries including the U.S, Canada, Israel, Chile, Panama, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Chile have already declared their own requirements for ballast water management. LR's new BWMP operational notation specifically recognizes that a ship's operational procedures follow IMO guidelines with respect to treatment process, flow through exchange or sequential exchange, confirming that strength and stability considerations have been taken into account as necessary. The notation enable a ship to demonstrate to port states, coastal states and charterers that a Ballast Water Management Plan is in operation. Michael Bruce, managing director of World Tankers says: “We have always striven to find ways to differentiate ourselves in the tanker industry. I believe this award recognizes World Tankers’ proactive commitment to meeting the highest standards of ballast water management, without waiting for future legislation to be enacted.” Although currently there are no internationally agreed regulations covering ballast water management, IMO published guidelines in 1997 that have generally been adopted by those countries already requiring ships to exchange or treat ballast at sea prior to entering port, coastal or state waters.The main feature of the IMO guidelines is the provision of a ballast water management plan (BWMP) specific to each ship, which identifies the procedures to be carried out for the safe and effective management of ballast water on board the ship. To help fully understand the implications of ballast water management as described in the IMO guidelines, Lloyd’s Register has undertaken extensive research investigating the use of the various ballast water management methods on major ship types and has developed assessment criteria to help enable operators to mitigate the relevant risks. A complimentary CD-ROM with up-to-date information may be obtained by contacting Lefteris Karaminas (email: lefteris.karaminas@lr.org). HOME