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1. MEPC has adopted amendments to Regulation 12 of MARPOL Annex 1 vide Resolution MEPC.266 (68). Revised Regulation 12 reads as follows:
   1. Oil residue (sludge) may be disposed of directly from the oil residue (sludge) tank(s) to reception facilities through the standard discharge connection as per regulation 13, or to any other approved means of disposal of oil residue (sludge), such as an incinerator, auxiliary boiler suitable for burning oil residues (sludge) or other acceptable means which shall be annotated in item 3.2 of the Supplement to IOPP Certificate Form A or B.
   2. Oil residue (sludge) tank(s) shall be of adequate capacity, having regard to the type of machinery and length of voyage, to receive the oil residues (sludge).
   3. Oil residue (sludge) tank(s) shall be provided with a designated pump that is capable of taking suction from the oil residue (sludge) tank(s) for disposal of oil residue (sludge) by means as described in para 4(i).
   4. Oil residue (sludge) tank(s) shall have no discharge connections to the bilge system, oily bilge water holding tank(s), tank top or oily water separators, except that the tank(s) may be fitted with drains, with manually operated self-closing valves and arrangements for subsequent visual monitoring of the settled water, that lead to an oily bilge water holding tank or bilge well, or an alternative arrangement, provided such arrangement does not connect directly to the bilge discharging piping system; and
   5. Oil residue (sludge) tank(s) discharge piping and bilge water piping may be connected to a common piping leading to the standard discharge connection as per regulation 13; the connection of both systems to the possible common piping leading to standard discharge connection referred to in regulation 13 shall not allow for the transfer of sludge to the bilge system.
   6. Sludge tank(s) shall not be arranged with any piping that has direct connection overboard, other than the standard discharge connection referred to in regulation 13.
   7. Sludge tank(s) shall be designed and constructed so as to facilitate their cleaning and the discharge of residues to reception facilities (ships delivered before 31 December 1979 may comply with this requirement as far as practicable).
2. Ships constructed before 1 January 2017 shall be required to comply with paragraph 1(iv), 1(v), 1(vi) and 1(vii) above not later than the first renewal survey of IOPP on or after 1 January 2017.
3. Clarifications for terminology used and some examples of possible acceptable arrangements are provided below.
   1.  
      1. The designated pump is any pump used for disposal of oil residue (sludge) through standard connection or any pump used to transfer oil residue (sludge) to any approved means of disposal such as an incinerator, auxiliary boiler suitable for burning oil residue (sludge) or other acceptable means as written in paragraph 3.2 of FORM A or B.
      2. Common pump for transferring content of oil residue (sludge) tank(s) and oil bilge water of bilge holding tank to standard discharge connection is acceptable, provided same pump is not transferring sludge to bilge system and not discharging to 15 PPM filter unit also.
   2. Some of the acceptable arrangements. 
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4. Ship owners and managers are advised to take note of above requirement for compliance. For ships constructed before 1 January 2017 which does not comply with paragraph 1(iv), 1(v), 1(vi) and 1(vii) above, owners will be required to propose modification and get the plans submitted and approved. The compliance is to be ensured by first renewal IOPP survey carried out on or after 1 January 2017.

Enclosure:

1. IMO Resolution MEPC.266 (68)
2. IMO Resolution MEPC.187(59)
3. IMO Resolution MEPC.1/Circ.753/Rev.

Disclaimer

This Technical Circular and the material contained in it is provided only for the purpose of supplying current information to the reader and not as an advice to be relied upon by any person.
While we have taken utmost care to be as factual as possible, readers/ users are advised to verify the exact text and content of the Regulation from the original source/ issuing Authority.

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