USA. Balancing environmental asperations with economic realities - BYM Marine & Maritime News

Posted - March 19, 2012 - Spyros M Polemis Chairman, International Chamber of Shipping

The reduction of CO2 emissions is certainly one of the most politically and economically complex subjects, but I will return to this in more detail in a moment. The need to protect the environment however goes far beyond global warming, and I will first make some general remarks about some of the other difficulties that we face, and as an example, we will focus on the difficulties we face in the United States.

The ultimate goal of the shipping industry is simple: zero accidents, zero loss of life and zero pollution. In view of the huge liabilities involved for non-compliance this is a matter of enlightened self-interest. Particularly when speaking in the United States, it is always important to stress that we are a global industry requiring global rules. If major trading nations such as the US adopt rules that are at variance to those agreed by governments at IMO we have chaos; and if individual US States decide to implement their own rules in conflict with Federal requirements, it is even worse, we actually run the risk of double chaos.

Right now we face a particular challenge with ballast water, with some individual States talking about treatment standards 100 times more stringent than what has been agreed at IMO and for which the equipment required simply does not exist.

Then it is California, and their unilateral air pollution rules, which are still subject to legal challenge by the industry, although following the entry into force of the IMO MARPOL requirements on sulphur emissions from ships, the temptation for individual States to develop their own environmental rules will hopefully diminish. As a general remark, however, I have to say that we have been disappointed by the apparent reluctance of the current US Administration to defend Federal regulations from infractions by US States.

Unfortunately, with ballast water, the problem we have with some US States choosing to go their own way, has been compounded by the failure of the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention to enter into force, although this should now be expected to happen within the next year or so.

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