Section – C (Pollution Prevention)

Q Write down Names of Six Annex of MARPOL. Explain Annex No. 6

MARPOL includes six technical annexes:

 Annex I: Regulations for the prevention of pollution by oil

 Annex II: Regulations for the control of pollution by noxious liquid substances in bulk
 Annex III: Regulations for the prevention of pollution by harmful substances carried by sea in packaged
form
 Annex IV: Regulations for the prevention of pollution by sewage from ships
 Annex V: Regulations for the prevention of pollution by garbage from ships
 Annex VI: Regulations for the prevention of air pollution from ships

Annex No. 6
Although air pollution from ships does not have the direct cause and effect associated with, for example, an oil
spill incident, it causes a cumulative effect that contributes to the overall air quality problems encountered by
populations in many areas, and also affects the natural environment, such as tough acid rain.

MARPOL Annex VI, first adopted in 1997, limits the main air pollutants contained in ships exhaust gas,
including sulphur oxides (SOx) and nitrous oxides (NOx), and prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone depleting
substances (ODS).

MARPOL Annex VI also regulates shipboard emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from tankers.

Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), agreed to revise MARPOL Annex VI with the aim to
strengthen emission and after three years of experiments, in 2008, adopted the revised MARPOL Annex VI,
which entered into force on 1 July 2010.

Q What is Bunkering, write down different types of bunkering fuel?

Bunkering: is the operation performed to transport the fuel, lube oil from ship to ship

Types of Bunker Fuel: Following are different types of bunkers

– Heavy fuel oil bunker

– Diesel oil bunker
– Marine Gas oil bunker
– Lube oil bunker
– LNG fuel bunker
Q What is ODMCS? Define main parts of OMDCS.
OMDGCS is Oil Discharge Monitoring and Control System

Main Parts of ODMCS: ODMCS consists essentially of four systems:

1. An Oil content meter: is used to analyze the content of oil in the water that is to be discharged overboard.

2. A flow meter: The flow rate of the oily water discharged measured at the discharge pipe.

3. A computing unit: it calculates the oil discharge in liters/nautical miles and the total quantity, along with
date and time identification.

4. An overboard valve control system: it is auto control valve located at the overboard so that it must close
and stop the discharge when permissible limit has been reached.

Q What are three bunkering operation stages? Explain in detail bunkering operation procedure
Ans: The bunkering operation procedure on a ship divided into three important stages:

1. Preparation– Prepare bunkering equipment, storage tanks and bunkering safety and make it ready for
use.
2. Perform– Performing the bunkering operation in real time as per the pre-decided procedure and receiving
the marine fuel according to the bunker plan
3. Wrap-up– Wrapping up the bunkering operation with utmost safety and ensuring the correct amount and
quality of bunker fuel has been received onboard.

1. The chief engineer should calculate and check which bunker oil tanks are to be filled

2. It might be required to empty some tanks and transfer the oil from one tank to other. This is required to
prevent mixing of two oils and prevent incompatibility between the previous oil and the new oil.

3. The sounding of other fuel storage tank (not be used in bunkering operation) should also be taken to
keep a record of fuel already present onboard.

4. A meeting between the members taking part in bunkering process to explain about the following:-

 Which tanks are to be filled

 Sequence order of tanks to be filled
 How much bunker oil is to be taken
 Bunkering safety procedures
 Emergency procedure in case oil spill occurs
 Responsibilities of each officer are explained

5. Sounding taken and recorded before bunkering

6. Checklist filled so that nothing missing

7. All deck scuppers and save all trays are plugged

8. Ensure the overflow tank kept empty to transfer excess fuel from the bunker tanks

9. Adequate lighting at the bunker

10. “No smoking” notice near the bunkering station

11. Onboard communication, signs, and signals to stop the operation between the people involved in bunkering

12. Red flag/light on the masthead

13. Opposite side bunker manifold valves are closed

14. Vessel draught and trim recorded before bunkering

15. All equipment in SOPEP (shipboard oil pollution emergency plan) locker are checked and kept near the
bunkering station

16. When bunker ship or barge secured to the shipside, the person in charge on the barge also explained about
the bunker plan

17. Bunker supplier’s paperwork checked for the oil’s grade and the density if they are as per the specification

18. The pumping rate agreed with the bunker barge/ bunker truck

Q Explain the following about SOPEP

a. What stands for SOPEP?
b. What is SOPEP?

c. Which Annex of MARPOL mentions about SOPEP and which all ships should have SOPEP

d. Who is overall in charge of SOPEP?

e. What are the Contents of SOPEP?

Ans: a. (Shipboard oil pollution emergency plan)

b. SOPEP: it is an emergency plan carried on board to fight oil spill when it occurs at sea in order to avoid
oil pollution.

c. MARPOL Annex- I and all ships with 400 GT and above must carry an oil prevention plan as per the
norms and guidelines laid down by IMO.
d. Master of the ship is the overall in charge of the SOPEP, the second in charge of the SOPEP is chief
officer

e. Contents of SOPEP: SOPEP contains the following things:

 Duty of each crewmember at the time of the spill,

 General information about the ship and the owner of the ship.
 Steps and procedure to contain the discharge of oil into the sea using SOPEP equipment
 Inventory of the SOPEP material provided for pollution prevention such as an oil absorbent pads,
sawdust bags, booms etc.
 Onboard reporting procedure and requirement in case of an oil spill is described
 Authorities to contact and reporting requirements in case of an oil spill
 Drawing of various fuel lines,
 General arrangement of the ship, which includes the location of all the oil tanks with capacity, content
etc.
 The location of the SOPEP locker and contents of the locker with a list of inventory
 Guidance to keep the records of the pollution incident (for liability, compensation and insurance
purpose)
 Procedures for testing various plan described in the SOPEP
 Procedure to maintain the record as required by the authorities
 Details of when and how to review the plan

Q Annex –II of MARPOL. Explain as follows

a. How many Chapters and Appendices of Annex –II

b. What all chapters provide information?

a. Total 8 chapters and 7 appendices

b. chapter-1 Definitions

Chapter 2 - Categorization of noxious liquid substances

Chapter 3 - Surveys and certification
Chapter 4 - Design, construction, arrangement and equipment
Chapter 6 - Measures of control by port States
Chapter 5 Operational discharges of residues of noxious liquid substances
Chapter 7 - Prevention of pollution arising from an incident involving noxious liquid substances
Chapter 8 - Reception facilities

Q What all entries made in the oil record book (any 8?)
1.  Loading of cargo Place of loading, Type of oil loaded and identity of tank(s), Total quantity of oil
loaded
2. Internal transfer of oil cargo during voyage
3. Unloading of oil cargo
4. Crude oil washing (COW tankers only)
5. Ballasting of cargo tanks
6. Ballasting of dedicated clean ballast tanks (CBT tankers only)
7. Cleaning of cargo tanks
8. Discharge of dirty ballast
9. Discharge of water from slop tanks into the sea
10. Collection, transfer and disposal of residues and oily mixtures not otherwise dealt with
11. Discharge of clean ballast contained in cargo tanks
12. Condition of oil discharge monitoring and control system

Q Effects of Marine Pollution

 Disruption of Coral Reefs 

 Reproductive System failure of Marine animals 
 Depletes Oxygen Content of the Ocean
 Effect on Food Chainp
 Effects of Toxic Wastes 
 Effects on Human Health 
 Effects on overall economy

Q Explain SMPEP as follows:

a. What stands for SMPEP?
Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan
b. Difference between SMPEP and SOPEP
Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan (SMPEP) Regulation 26 of Annex I of MARPOL requires every
oil tanker of 150 gt and above and every ship other than an oil tanker of 400 gt and above to carry a Shipboard
Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP) approved by the Administration
c. Which type of causalities covered in SMPEP?
 Grounding
 Fire explosion
 Collision
 Hull Failure
 Excessive List
 Dangerous reaction of cargo

Q Write short note on Garbage Management System on board ship

a. GMS stands for The Garbage Management Plan
It is a complete guideline, which comprises of a written procedure for collecting, storing, processing, and
disposing of garbage generated onboard ship as per regulations provided in Annex V of MARPOL.A GMP is
mandatory for all ships above 100GT and on ships certified to carry 15 persons or more
GMP to be retained onboard as a record for a period of two years from the date of last entry.

b. A Responsible officer is to be in charge for maintaining garbage management plan on ship. Normally
chief officer is responsible along with 2nd engineer (engine department).

c. An approved garbage management plan must INCLUDE following-

 Ships details.

 Overview of Annex V of MARPOL.

 List of equipment for handling garbage on ship.

 Placards to be posted for disposal criteria.

 Possible local recycling arrangements.

 Written procedures for Collecting Garbage.

 Garbage segregation description to avoid intermixing of garbage, which includes Identification of

suitable receptacles for collection & separation.

 Garbage processing methods available on the ship.

 Garbage storing methods and garbage station.

 Garbage disposal methods.

 Entry to be made in garbage record book.

 Emergency and accidental discharge criteria.

 Needs of the reception facilities.

 Identify the available operating & maintenance procedures of collecting equipment on board.

 Describe the training or education programs to facilitate the processing of garbage.

 Identify the location of each collection point