Program Update: Proposal of Emission Control Area to Reduce Emissions from Ships in the U.S. Caribbean - EPA

Published August 2010 - Office of Transportation and Air Quality EPA-420-F-10-041

The United States has submitted a proposal to the International Maritime Organization to designate an area off the coasts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in which stringent international emission controls would apply to engines and fuels on ships operating in the area. When adopted, this control program would dramatically reduce air pollution from ships and deliver substantial benefits to the population of those U.S. territories, as well as to marine and terrestrial ecosystems. This fact sheet contains an overview of the proposal.


Overview
The United States has proposed the designation of an Emission Control Area (ECA) for specific portions of the coastal waters around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This action would control the emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and particulate matter (PM) from ships operating in the area, most of which are flagged outside of the United States. These ships are significant contributors to the Territories’ emission inventories. The ECA is expected to reduce emissions of NOx by 11,000 tons, PM2.5 by 3,300 tons, and SOx by 31,000 tons1 per year, which is 27 percent, 86 percent, and 96 percent, respectively, below levels in 2020 absent the ECA. The overall cost of the ECA is estimated at $70 million.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized United Nations agency responsible for improving maritime safety and preventing pollution from ships. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a member of the U.S. delegation to the IMO and its Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC).
Footnote1 The proposal to the IMO presented emission reductions in units of metric tones (MT): 10,000 MT NOx, 3,000 MT PM2.5, and 28,000 MT SOx reduced.
The proposed ECA designation is the latest component of EPA’s coordinated strategy to address
emissions from all ships that affect U.S. air quality. For more information about other components
of the strategy, including new Clean Air Act standards and the North American ECA,
please visit EPA’s Ocean-going Vessels Web page at www.epa.gov/otaq/oceanvessels.htm.

Complete report at:
http://epa.gov/OMS/regs/nonroad/marine/ci/420f10041.pdfhttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=7048304257613697692