Page 16: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 2015)

OPINION

It’s time to end the

MARPOL Merry-Go-Round

BY CLAY MAITLAND ardly a month goes by when tion alone is not an effective deterrent. tistics”. We’ve gotten better at gathering push to be adopted at the International another illegal maritime Over the years, various complaints have reliable data in years since. Today, we Maritime Organization. The problem is dumping violation is report- been made: there aren’t enough acces- all think of ourselves as data wonks. that each individual oily waste dumping

Hed. Most violations, pros- sible reception facilities for oily wastes As Chairman of the North American case lacks the dramatic impact to bring ecuted in the United States, are based on in U.S. ports, notably in the Gulf ports; Marine Protection Association (NAME- about a more effective drive to discour- false or fraudulent entries in the oil re- or oily water separators are inadequate, PA), I get to hear many sea stories. As age these violations. So, the dumping cord book of a foreign-? ag ship. Often, or imperfectly understood by the ves- I am now about to celebrate my 40th and the oil record book misdeeds go on evidence of a “magic pipe” installation is sel’s engineers. Whether or not various anniversary with International Regis- … and on. found upon inspection in a United States explanations are accepted, the big prob- tries, I have a long historical memory of Several things are needed to bring this port. While not all such reported cases lem from the point of view of ? ag state oily water separator stories. It must be tragicomedy of enforcement without are successfully prosecuted, most are, and coastal state administrators is that remembered that MARPOL was a long prevention to an end. First, we need to with the help of a whistleblower aboard there is no such thing as a body of reli- time being born, and it was the almost stop kidding ourselves into believing that the ship. able statistics. A British prime minister, forgotten AMOCO CADIZ wreck on the there is adequate access to port waste re-

The steady stream of such violations Benjamin Disraeli, inveighed 150 years French coast in 1979 that gave the Con- ception facilities at terminals on the Gulf is convincing evidence that prosecu- ago against “lies, damned lies, and sta- vention, and its ? rst Annex, the necessary coast of the United States. There isn’t.

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www.cimaccongress.com 16 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • DECEMBER 2015

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