EPA to Crack Down on Ballast Dumping - Paint Square - Paint and Coatings Industry News

Posted - Tuesday, March 29, 2011 - Paint Square - Paint and Coatings Industry New

Under pressure from conservation and fishing groups, the Environmental Protection Agency has agreed in an out-of-court settlement to establish a single, strong system of regulations to control ballast water discharges.
The regulations will toughen federal oversight of ships that dump ballast water in U.S. harbors, a leading way in which invasive species are spread.
The settlement requires EPA to complete scientific reviews of the steps that ships should take to kill or filter living organisms in ballast water. The agency has agreed to publish a draft of a new so-called Vessel General Permit by November and to issue a new permit by late 2012 that would take effect on Jan. 1, 2014.

2008 Permits Challenged

The agreement, filed March 8 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, resolves a 2009 lawsuit that challenged the EPA’s 2008 Vessel General Permit (VGP), officially known as the "Final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Discharges Incidental to the Normal Operation of a Vessel" (73 Fed. Reg. 79).
Ballast water is typically drawn in from, and discharged directly to, ambient waters. Many factors influence the discharge rate and constituent concentrations, but the water typically teems with fish, bacteria, waste and other organisms. It may also include antifoulant coating traces and related chemicals, experts say.

Complete Story at:
http://www.paintsquare.com/news/?fuseaction=view&id=5335

IMO grapples again with CO2 controls - Carbon Positive

Posted - Wednesday, 30 March 2011 - Carbon Positive

The environment committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) returns to work on the vexed issue of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in international shipping through market-based measures (MBMs) this week. The meeting comes as the EU shows further signs of its intent to target shipping emissions this week.
An inter-sessional working group of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting underway in London is reviewing ten submissions from national governments and organizations suggesting different market based approaches. All involve either bunker fuel levy or emissions trading solutions.
The main objective of the meeting is narrow down the ten submissions into a smaller number of more detailed alternatives for consideration at the next full MEPC meeting in July. Proposals could be merged or some could be rejected altogether.
Either way, there appears a long road ahead before an agreed MBM proposal could go to an IMO vote and be approved and implemented. Already, an earlier stage of GHG reduction reforms, the so-called technical and operational measures to increase ship energy efficiency (EEDI and EEOI), have been thwarted from mandatory application. The same high-level diplomatic obstacles that stand in the way of EEDI and EEOI also threaten to obstruct agreement on MBM agreement.

Complete story at:
http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=2296

Japan shipper mulls future of vessel with "abnormal" radiation - Reuters

Posted March 30, 2001 - Reuters

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has not yet decided what it will do with its container ship when it returns to Japan this week, a company official said on Tuesday, after China rejected the vessel for "abnormal" radiation levels.
The MOL Presence is the first ship barred from unloading its cargo at a foreign port over radiation concerns since Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant was crippled by the March 11 earthquake, a spokesman for the Japanese Shipowners Association said.
Governments, including China and the United States, have begun screening for radiation on ships that traveled from Japan's quake-hit northeast, threatening to slow seaborne trade for the world's third largest economy.
"The container ship is expected to arrive in the port of Kobe on Wednesday," said a spokeswoman for MOL, the world's 11th largest container shipper. "The travel plan on when or whether the container ship will depart Kobe is not decided as of now."
If radiation levels are confirmed to be too high on the vessel, MOL may be forced to dispose of the machinery, furniture and other cargo on the ship and reimburse its clients since insurance companies do not cover radiation exposure linked to nuclear accidents, industry experts said.
The vessel would also need to be thoroughly cleaned before it can set sail again.
Chinese authorities detected a maximum of 3.5 microsieverts per hour on MOL's ship when it arrived at the port of Xiamen in eastern Fujian province last week, the company spokeswoman said.

Complete Story at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/29/us-japan-quake-mitsui-idUSTRE72S0P520110329

EU May Bring Shipping Companies into Carbon Market; WWL Cuts CO2 21% - Environmental Leader

Posted - March 29, 2011 - Environmental Leader - Environmental & Energy Management News

Shippers may be required to limit their carbon emissions, possibly through participation in carbon markets, under proposals being considered by the European Union.
The EU is crafting tools to limit emissions from maritime transport because the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has been unable to agree on such measures for over a decade, Bloomberg said.
“Whereas a global agreement in the context of IMO is still the preferable option, and we continue working for that, we have started really seriously preparing for tackling the sector,” Yvon Slingenberg, head of the emissions-trading unit at the European Commission, said at a climate seminar this week in Budapest. “It could be for bringing them into the emissions trading system; it could be also other options such as charges or levies.”
The commission says that global maritime transport accounts for almost three percent of carbon-dioxide discharges, and emissions from ships are expected to more than double by 2050, Bloomberg reports.
The European carbon trading system is the biggest cap-and-trade system in the world. It puts carbon limits on more than 11,000 utilities and manufacturers, with those that emit less being entitled to sell their surplus permits.
Next year the program will be extended to cover aviation. The market will cover chemical and aluminum companies from 2013.

Complete Story at:
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2011/03/29/eu-may-bring-shipping-companies-into-carbon-market-wwl-cuts-co2-21/

Judges Uphold California's Offshore Ship emissions Rules - The Sacramento Bee

Posted Tuesday, March 29, 2011 - By Denny Walsh - The Sacramento Bee

The merchant shipping industry has failed a second time to short-circuit California's effort to combat the toll on the health of its population from air pollution caused by oceangoing vessels.
The industry is contesting California's authority to regulate fuel used by seagoing vessels up to 24 miles off its coast.
The Air Resources Board estimates the vessels' emissions of particulate matter cause 300 premature deaths across the state every year.
California mandates that ships "use cleaner marine fuels in diesel and diesel-electric engines, main propulsion engines, and auxiliary boilers" while operating far beyond the traditional three-mile jurisdictional limit. The Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, in a lawsuit closely watched by states on both coasts, argues that federal statutes and the U.S. Constitution preempt those state rules.
The association asked U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to summarily invalidate the rules adopted by the ARB in 2009.
England refused, and the association took its case to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. On Monday, a three-judge appellate panel upheld England and sent the case back to Sacramento for trial.
In their 45-page opinion, the judges acknowledged as unusual both California's Vessel Fuel Rules and the environmental problems they are intended to address.

Complete Story at:
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/29/3510574/judges-uphold-cal-offshore.html

Talks on a possible Market Based Measure to address GHG emissions from ships continues next week at IMO - BIMCO

Posted March 25, 2011 - BIMCO

The MEPC working group on GHG is meeting intersessionally under the chairmanship of Andreas Chrysostomou of Cyprus Monday to continue where it left at the last MEPC meeting in October 2010.
The issue is contentious, both when it comes to a discussion on the need for an instrument designed to reduce emissions reductions by levies or trading schemes as well as to its possible application with the over-riding political aspects of IMO’s versus UNFCCC’s customary principles in the ring.
One of the primary tasks for the working group is to analyze the various proposals on the table and try to group them according to their individual aspects. It is hoped that this process could lead to fewer contenders. Japan and the World Shipping Council have already joined forces and submitted an amalgamated proposal building on the primary aspects of their previous individual proposals.
BIMCO participates in the meeting and as one of the task leaders in the IMO Expert Group on MBM’s we will have the opportunity to once again present the outcome of the Expert Group’s work.
Progress is not particular forthcoming on the general climate change regulatory scene and this trend will likely carry over to the IMO work. We are however confident that the efficient house rules and procedures that governs the work in IMO will continue to make progress possible on a future GHG regulation for shipping.

Story at:
https://www.bimco.org/en/Members/News/2011/2011/03/25_IMO.aspx

Shipping’s dilemma as sulphur rules tighten - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide Free Daily Newsletter

Posted March 28, 2011 - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide Free Daily Newsletter

Despite ship operators’ slow uptake of exhaust scrubbers in the face of growing sulphur, carbon and nitrogen emission limits, some are predicting a big role for the technology in coming years.Scrubbing units applied to the exhaust stacks of ships and land-based emitting installations remove,to varying efficiencies, the toxic and climate-changing pollutant gases that are increasingly the focus of environmental regulation. While the technology is proven in the case of cleaning sulphur and nitrous oxides, SOx and NOx, the jury is still out on claims of breakthroughs in carbon dioxide (CO2) scrubbing.
However, in the next few years, it will be a significant tightening of global, regional and local-authority rules on sulphur emissions at sea and in port that will drive any uptake of scrubbers. For the moment, the high upfront cost of installing them, especially retrofitting to old vessels, is proving a major barrier. There is also environmental pressure from some quarters on operators to pursue cleaner fuel options rather than persisting with dirty fuel and scrubbing it. There is a vague threat the EU will ban heavy bunker fuel entirely in its waters.
But significant doubts over whether fuel refiners can produce enough low-sulphur fuel to meet the needs of the international shipping fleet in coming years means that alternatives such as switching to liquid natural gas (LNG) or installing SOx scrubbers are under increasing consideration. The best scrubbing technologies appear able to remove up to 98 per cent of sulphur content from marine exhaust emissions.

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15144:shippings-dilemma-as-sulphur-rules-tighten&catid=46:top-story-b&Itemid=151

EPA to Add Numeric Limits to Ballast Water Discharge Rules Under Settlement with Environmental Groups - Marten Law

Posted By Alyssa Moir - March 23, 2011 - Marten Law

EPA will begin writing numeric limits into NPDES permits for ballast water from commercial vessels by November 2012, under the terms of a recent settlement resolving a legal challenge to the agency’s Vessel General Permit (VGP). EPA agreed to make the change to its ballast water regulations to settle a lawsuit brought by environmental groups and the State of Michigan who claimed that EPA’s existing regulations – which do not require water quality testing – are not adequate to ensure that invasive species are not being carried between water bodies.

Background

Ballast water is water that is taken in or released by cargo vessels to compensate for changes in a ship’s weight as cargo is loaded or unloaded, or as fuel and supplies are consumed. When a vessel takes in ballast water, it also takes in aquatic organisms that may then be carried from one port to another along the vessel’s route. When ballast water is released, non-native or invasive species may be introduced into new environments where they can cause environmental harm. The zebra mussel is probably the most publicized example of an invasive species whose inadvertent introduction to U.S. waters caused unintended harmful consequences. In the Pacific Northwest, fish and wildlife agencies are also concerned about the introduction of invasive aquatic species such as smooth cordgrass, Oyster drill, European green crabs, non-native tunicates, and zebra mussels, all passengers in ballast water.
EPA developed the VGP in order to comply with a court order, and published its final permit on December 18, 2008.[1] The permit program went into effect three months later, in February 2009. It applies to all vessels which discharge ballast water or other incidental discharges into waters of the United States, except for (1) recreational vessels,[2] and (2) vessels of the armed forces.[3] Vessels that are covered under the permit include commercial fishing vessels (only for ballast water), cruise ships, research vessels, ferries, oil tankers or petroleum tankers, barges, bulk carriers, cargo ships, container ships, other cargo freighters, mobile offshore drilling units, refrigerant ships, government vessels not part of the armed forces, emergency response vessels, and any other vessels operating in a capacity of transportation.[4] For more details regarding the history of the VGP, see A. Moir, Battle of the Bilge: EPA Issues Draft NPDES Permits for Incidental Boat Discharges, Marten Law – Environmental News (July 16, 2008) and EPA General Permit for Ballast Water Discharge Goes Into Effect, Marten Law – Environmental News (February 27, 2009).

Complete Article at:
http://www.martenlaw.com/newsletter/20110323-ballast-water-numeric-limits

NGOs push EU states over EEDI vote - CarbonPositive

Posted March 23, 2001 - CarbonPositive

An alliance of environmental NGOs is calling on six European states to ratify a key international maritime air pollution treaty in time for a crucial International Maritime Organization (IMO) vote in July on measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in shipping.
The Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC) is calling on Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Malta and the principality of Monaco to ratify the MARPOL Convention’s Annex VI agreement on air pollution. The CSC has written to the Hungarian government, the current holders of the EU presidency, seeking swift action on its ratifying Annex VI and pushing the other five states to do the same.
The six would boost numbers that could vote in support of mandatory application of the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) to new ships. EEDI is expected to cut GHG emissions in international shipping by 20 per cent by 2030 by mandating all new vessels are built to higher energy-efficiency standards.
Nations that are a party to MARPOL Annex VI are expected to vote on EEDI at the next meeting of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in London in July. Moves to have EEDI implemented by IMO failed at an October 2010 MEPC meeting. This prompted supporters of the move, a number of them EU nations, to bring on a vote among Annex VI nations to amend the treaty to adopt EEDI.
CSC warns that the July vote will be tight, given the staunch opposition to mandatory EEDI among developing countries, particularly China and Saudi Arabia.

Complete Story at:
http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=2292

Failure to ratify shipping emissions law could threaten IMO progress - Transport & Environment

Posted March 21, 2011 - Transport & Environment

The Clean Shipping Coalition, of which T&E is a leading member, has written to the Hungarian presidency of the EU, calling on it to act quickly to get five EU member states plus Monaco to ratify the Marpol Annex VI regulation on ship pollution. The move is important, as it could affect whether efforts by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to reduce greenhouse emissions from ships are successful or not.
It seemed something of a breakthrough at the end of last year when it emerged that, despite determined opposition from some developing countries, the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for new ships would be put to July’s IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee for adoption as an amendment to Annex VI of MARPOL, the IMO’s marine pollution convention. Only those IMO members who have ratified Annex VI can vote on whether to include the EEDI. Five EU members plus Monaco have not yet done so.

Complete story at:
http://www.transportenvironment.org/News/2011/3/Failure-to-ratify-shipping-emissions-law-could-threaten-IMO-progress/

Shippers’ role in carbon emission cut crucial - Maritime

Posted - Monday March 14, 2011 - Maritime

THE need to address the issue of climate change has become a matter of priority, and players in the shipping industry must stand up and be counted to play their part to reduce carbon emissions.
Being a crucial facilitator of trade and at the forefront of activities such as offshore oil and gas exploration and production, expectation is high for the shipping industry to be pro-active in adopting green practices.
One way or another, industry players must prepare themselves for a lower-carbon future, looming in the horizon.
There is growing pressure for transport operators, including in shipping, to take serious actions to mitigate the risks of climate change.
The failure of the United Nations Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP 15) held in Copenhagen in December 2009 to advance the agenda is a wake-up call for industries, including the transport sector, to act quickly to reverse the adverse impacts of climate change on the environment.
A report published by Lloyd’s List in December 2009 stated that despite contributing a mere 3.3% of the global total carbon emissions from economic activities, emissions from shipping were estimated to have doubled since 1990.
The report projected that this percentage would grow by a factor of two to three by 2050 from 2007’s levels should there be no regulatory measures taken to lower the emissions from shipping.
This should make industry players aware of the dire prospect, and not become complacent by the fact that shipping contributed only a small percentage to the total global carbon emissions.

Complete Story at:
http://thestar.com.my/maritime/story.asp?file=/2011/3/14/maritime/8244882&sec=maritime

Record ship size for SkySails towing kite. - Maritime Propulsion

Posted March 10, 2011 - Maritime Propulsion

World trader and major charterer of dry bulk freight Cargill Inc., has entered into an agreement with German based SkySails GmbH & Co. KG to use wind power technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the shipping industry. The system was pioneered in 2008 on the MV Beluga SkySail when a 160m2 kite was installed on the 132 m Multi Purpose Heavy Lift Carrier for a voyage from Bremen, Germany to Venezuela.
A SkySail SKS C 320 kite of a 320m2, will be installed on one of Cargill’s long term chartered handysized vessels in December this year , to become operational during early 2012. This size of vessel, between 25,000 and 30,000 dwt, will be the largest application of this technology so far.
All information related to the SkySail system’s operation is displayed on the monitor of a workstation on the ship’s bridge. The steering of the kite, which hovers between 100 and 420 m, is achieved by automatic computer control.
The kite is connected to the ship by a large rope to effect the tow, and according to the manufacturers, produces a propulsive power equivalent to more than 2 MW. Based on this estimation, it could save daily, up to 10 tons of fuel, 32 tons of CO2 and reduce both SOx and NOx emissions.
According to a United Nations (International Maritime Organization) study, up to 100 million tonnes of CO2 could be saved every year by the broad application of the SkySails’ technology on the world merchant fleet. This figure equates to 11 percent of the CO2 emissions of Germany.

http://articles.maritimepropulsion.com/article/Record-ship-size-for-SkySails-towing-kiteV84400.aspx

aersk Line cuts sulphur emissions in New Zealand - World Maritime News

Posted March 8, 2011 - World Maritime News

As part of Maersk Line’s drive to cut sulphur emissions from its fleet towards zero, the shipping line continues to expand on its fuel-switch implementations. On Tuesday 8 March the program was implemented in New Zealand.
Switching from bunker to low-sulphur fuel in New Zealand reduces sulphur to the air by 80-95% in port. The reduction is in this case nine-fold. As a first in the industry, Maersk Line applies its fuel switch program to a country. All nine ports of call in New Zealand and their respective coastal societies will benefit from the new country policy.
“Most New Zealand ports are in or very near major urban areas. The SOx reduction will positively impact the public health and local environment,” says Julian Bevis, Managing Director for Maersk Line, New Zealand.
Pioneers in low-SOx shipping:
To improve the air quality around ports, Maersk Line’s sustainability strategy pledges to reduce SOx emissions significantly with a drive towards zero. The shipping line has committed itself to implementing fuel switch programs at at least 10 global locations by 2015.
“Sulfur is a major problem for our industry. We are concerned with the health impacts of repeated, long-term airborne exposure to SOx, in particular for people living close to busy ports,” says Jacob Sterling, Head of Climate & Environment, Maersk Line.
Maersk Line pioneered voluntary fuel-switching in California in 2006, and has steadily extended the program to other regions, including ports in Texas, Hong Kong and the US Pacific Northwest.

Complete Story at:
http://www.worldmaritimenews.com/article/Shipping/17064/maersk+line+cuts+sulphur+emissions+in+new+zealand++

California Looks Toward More Stringent Maritime Emissions Regulations - O'Melveny & Myers LLP

Posted March 1, 20011 - O'Melveny & Myers LLP - Bob Nicksin

At a workshop held February 16, 2011, the California Air Resources Board (“ARB”) presented its latest proposals for reducing air emissions from ocean-going vessels (“OGV”). The proposed regulations, which are expected to be adopted by the ARB at its May, 2011 meeting, will require both U.S. and foreign-flagged vessels to use low sulfur fuels at greater distances from the southern California shore. Further, sulfur reductions and a change of implementation dates are planned for maritime fuels, which the ARB is hoping to harmonize with the Emissions Control Area (“ECA”) regulations on sulfur in fuel that become effective in 2015. The ARB also plans to change the penalties for noncompliance with these provisions.
The Revised 24-Mile Limit
The ARB first adopted its OGV Fuel Regulation in 2008, and began implementation in 2009. That rule required ships to use less polluting marine distillate fuels instead of heavy fuel oil within a designated area along the California coastline; generally, 24 miles from the mainland.
However, many OGVs began using a different route, moving from the traditional route through the Santa Barbara Channel, which lies within the zone covered by the fuel regulations, to a route on the south side of the Channel Islands, which is beyond the regulated zone. Because vessels using this southerly route do not have to use the cleaner marine distillate fuels, the ARB did not achieve the emissions reductions it had expected through its regulations. The ARB believes OGV operators have made this change because it is cheaper to travel the slightly longer route south of the Channel Islands than to use more costly lower sulfur distillate fuels during the inside passage.
The ARB has also expressed concern that expanded use of the route south of the Channel Islands may interfere with Naval operations, since this route traverses the U.S. Navy’s Pt. Magu Sea Range.

Complete Story at:
http://www.omm.com/california-looks-toward-more-stringent-maritime-emissions-regulations-02-23-2011/

Cargill Propels Shipping Forward With Largest Kite-Powered Vessel - SkySail.info

Posted February 28, 2011 - SkySail.info

Cargill has signed an agreement with SkySails GmbH & Co. KG (SkySails) to use wind power technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the shipping industry. SkySails, based in Hamburg, has developed innovative, patented technology that uses a kite which flies ahead of the vessel and generates enough propulsion to reduce consumption of bunker fuel by up to 35 percent in ideal sailing conditions.
Next December Cargill will install the 320m2 kite on a handysize vessel of between 25,000 and 30,000 deadweight tonnes, which the company has on long-term charter, making it the largest vessel propelled by a kite in the world. Cargill and SkySails aim to have the system fully operational in the first quarter of 2012. Cargill is currently helping SkySails develop and test the technology and has identified a ship-owner – supportive of environmental stewardship in the industry – with whom it will partner on the project.

Complete information at:
http://www.skysails.info/english/information-center/news/news/article/cargill-uebernimmt-pionierrolle-mit-weltweit-groesstem-skysails-schiff/472/595f6b8a29/