The US Coast Guard’s Office of Design and Engineering Standards issued an updated Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular on “Voluntary Compliance with International Sewage Regulations in Annex IV TO MARPOL 73/78.”
The purpose of NVIC 01-09, Change 1 is to provide additional guidance for vessel owners or operators as well as manufacturers of any shipboard sewage processing equipment, including facilities that test shipboard sewage and related processing equipment, to voluntarily request USCG certification of compliance with international sewage regulations in Annex IV to MARPOL 73/78. It also provides for reciprocity under Annex IV for non-US flagged ships operating in waters subject to the jurisdiction of the US.
The updated circular incorporates changes made by IMO Resolution MEPC.200(62) and Resolution MEPC.227(64) and provides additional guidance for vessel owners or operators as well as manufacturers.
The changes made by Resolution MEPC.200(62) provide for the adoption of Special Area Provisions and the Designation of the Baltic Sea as a Special Area under MARPOL Annex IV. The changes made by Resolution MEPC.227(64) provide for specifications for the testing of effluent standards and performance tests for sewage treatment plants, and include testing for phosphorus and nitrogen.
Vessel masters, owners, manufacturers of any shipboard sewage processing equipment, independent testing laboratories that have been or would like to be accepted by the Coast Guard for the Type Approval testing of such equipment should take note of NVIC 01-09, Change 1.
This circular replaces NVIC 01-09, titled, “Voluntary Compliance with International Sewage Regulations in Annex IV TO MARPOL 73/78,” of June 23, 2009.
Further details may be found by reading the NVIC 01-09 Change 1:
