Key outcomes of the IMO PPR 9

Safety and Pollution Hazards of Chemicals

Outcome of GESAMP/EHS 58. The outcome of GESAMP/EHS (Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environment Protection/Environmental Health and Safety) 58, disseminated as PPR.1/Circ.11, was noted. In particular:

• Development of GESAMP Hazard Profiles for 13 new substances;
• The review and revision of GESAMP Hazard Profile ratings for three existing substances;
• The advice regarding the assessment of mixtures against the new discharge requirements in regulation 13.7.1.4 of MARPOL Annex II;
• The clarifications in relation to the assessment of complex substances – Creosote (coal tar).

Evaluation of products and cleaning additives

With regard to the provisional categorization of liquid substances carried out by ESPH 27, the Sub-Committee:

• Concurred with the evaluation of pure or technically pure products and mixtures as a whole;
• Concurred with the evaluation of trade-named mixtures and their respective inclusion in lists 2 and 3 of MEPC.2/Circ.27 with validity to all countries and with no
  expiry date;
• Noted the deliberations on how to assess mixtures against the criteria for the discharge requirement in regulation 13.7.1.4 of MARPOL Annex II;
• Concurred with the evaluation of cleaning additives;
• Noted the review undertaken of the draft circular MEPC.2/Circ.27;
• Urged reporting countries that have products in list 2 or list 3 of the MEPC.2 circular to contact the respective manufacturers, requesting them to review their products for the purpose of assessing any necessary changes to carriage requirements;
• With regard to products in lists 2 or 3, it was proposed that a new Annex should be introduced in the MEPC.2 circular, listing products re-assessed from MARPOL Annex II cargoes to Annex I cargoes. Also, that a running list of reassessed products will be maintained and posted on the IMO website.

Development of an operational guide on the response to spills of hazardous and noxious substances (HNS)

The Sub-Committee considered document PPR 9/4 by REMPEC (Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean) containing the marine response manual developed by REMPEC, the Bonn Agreement and HELCOM (Helsinki Commission), proposing that it be used as a basis for the development of an IMO guide on the response to HNS.

After discussion, interested delegations were invited to work intersessionally to develop an operational guide on the response to spills using document PPR 9/4 as the basis and report to PPR 10, whilst extending the target completion year to 2023.

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The Sub-Committee noted the launch of IMO’s e-learning Management System (LMS), including the new e-learning course entitled “An introduction to Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation”, which has been developed by IMO in collaboration with World Maritime University.

Revision of guidelines associated with AFS Convention as a consequence of the introduction of controls on Cybutryne

Having considered the relevant parts of the report by the Working Group, the Sub-Committee approved items in general, and in particular:

• Agreed to the draft texts of the 2022 Guidelines for brief sampling of anti-fouling systems on ships, 2022 Guidelines for inspection of anti-fouling systems on ships and 2022 Guidelines for survey and certification of anti-fouling systems on ships, with a view to adoption by MEPC 78;
• Invited the Committee to instruct the III Sub-Committee to review the 2022 Guidelines for inspection of anti-fouling systems on ships with a view to it being added as a new appendix to the Procedures for port State control in its future version;
• Invited the Committee to note that work related to the controls on cybutryne has been completed;
• Agreed that there is no need for an update to the list of Inventory materials under the Hong Kong Convention as the existing relevant text is sufficiently generic;
• Noted that there may be a need to consider amending the 2015 Guidelines for the development of the Inventory for Hazardous Materials which contain more specific guidance currently limited to organotin compounds

Evaluation and harmonisation of rules and guidance on the discharge of discharge water from scrubbers

Having considered the relevant parts of WG 2’s report, the Sub-Committee:

• Noted the Group’s discussion on the development of guidelines for risk and impact assessments of the discharge water from EGCS;
• Agreed to the draft MEPC circular on 2022 Guidelines for risk and impact assessments of the discharge water from exhaust gas cleaning systems for approval by MEPC 78;
• Noted the Group’s discussion on the development of guidelines on the delivery of EGCS residues and stored discharge water;
• Agreed to the draft MEPC Circular on 2022 Guidance regarding the delivery of EGCS residues and stored discharge water to port reception facilities, for approval by MEPC 78;
• Noted the Group’s discussion on how best to finalise the remaining work on “regulatory matters” and on “development of a database on substances identified in EGCS discharge water’;
• Invited the Secretariat to explore possible development of a database of local/regional regulations on EGCS discharges within the MARPOL Annex VI module in GISIS.

EXPLORE MORE AT INTERMANAGER’S OVERVIEW OF PPR 9