Text 4b

POLLUTION BY SHIPS

Many types of discharge from ships are prohibited and regulated, according to the UN Act on measures against water pollution by ships. The list for the substances prohibited for discharge includes:

1. oil;

2. large volumes of hazardous liquid substances;

3. packed hazardous substances;

4. toilet waste;

5. solid waste.

The discharge of oil has already been discussed above. As for the large volumes of hazardous substances, they are divided into four categories on a falling scale: A, B, C and D. Category A includes poisonous substances that, if discharged into the sea in connection with tank or ballast cleaning, would constitute a severe risk to marine resources or human health or would cause a serious damage to the beauty of nature and recreational values. Category B implies hazardous liquid substances that may constitute a risk to marine resources. Category C means less hazardous liquid substances. The substances of the category D are practically harmless to life in water. They do not result in any grave risk to human health or, for example, disturb the use of public beaches; but due to persistent, foul smelling or irritating characteristics cause moderate decreases in the beauty of the area.

The discharge of packed hazardous substances is strictly prohibited altogether. A maritime administration may even prohibit the transportation of such a substance, which is allowed to be transported by ship, if it, in the case of a discharge, would pose great damage to the marine environment.

The rules for the discharge of toilet waste imply that ships are only allowed to make a discharge more than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land and the waste must be ground into finer particles and disinfected.

Prohibited for discharge solid wastes include plastic materials, paper products, rags, glass, metal, bottles, china, wooden boards, covering and packing materials. The discharge of leftovers should be done as far away from land as possible and at a distance of at least 12 nautical miles.

Emission of fumes from ships also presents a serious problem. Sulphuric and nitric oxides constitute the dominating portion of exhaust gas emitted by ships. They participate in acidification; the emission thus gives rise to a negative impact on the environment. Regarding the emission of sulphuric oxides, it can be stated that shipping is responsible for two-thirds of the emission within the transport sector. But it should be mentioned, however, that nowadays equipment is available that may reduce the emissions of nitric oxides by up to 95 %.

Responsibility concerning protective measures against the ecological threats to water environment is spread out over many different authorities: environmental protection agencies, coast guards, rescue service boards, maritime administrations and even meteorological and hydrological institutes. As close as possible to the quay there should be an environmental station for attending waste from ships.

Such an establishment should be able to serve many quay sites. The environmental station should include at least one container for combustible waste and three containers for barrels and other waste that may leak: cans containing oil, remains of solvents and similar substances. There must be a repository for oily rags and cotton waste as well as for lead batteries and accumulators. An environmental station should also have devices to take care of oil waste from ships and oil originated from discharges in the sea.

In general, there are strict rules regarding shipping to limit pollution. The possibilities for authorities to survey these rules are not efficient for the time being and need much improvement.

Ex. 13. Answer the questions:

1) How many and what hazardous substances are taken into the UN Act on measures against water pollution?

2) Are the substances prohibited systematized according to their dangerous categories, from harmless to the most poisonous?

3) Why does the marine administration prohibit the transportation and discharge of packed hazardous substances?

4) What distance for the discharge of toilet waste is permitted according to the rules?

5) What things are to be related to solid wastes?

6) What gases do the ship emit and how can their emission influence the marine biological life ?

7) Can the nowadays equipment be enough capable to reduce the emission of such harmful substances?

8) What institutions or organizations do establish and regulate any protective measures of water environment?

9) What are duties and task of environmental stations?

10) Are many services, agencies, guards, administrations busy with determination of strict rules regarding shipping to limit pollution?

11) But such supervision isn’t very efficient, is it?

Ex. 14. Explain why:

1) it is rather difficult, to elaborate any measures against water pollution by shipping.

2) such substances as oil and solid wastes are really prohibited for discharge.

3) all harmful substances are divided into four categories.

4) not all substances of these four categories present a severe risk to marine resources or human health or would cause damage to the beauty of nature and its equilibrium.

5) some of hazardous substances are even prohibited for transportation.

6) different kinds of wastes should be discharged more than twelve nautical miles from the nearest land.

7) shipping is responsible for the more portion of emission within the transport section.

8) there should be an environmental station for attending wastes from ships .

9) such establishments should have different kinds of containers and repositories for different kinds of pollutants.

10) strict rules regarding shipping to limit pollution are not efficient the time being.

Ex. 15. Develop the idea:

a) Many types of discharge from ships are prohibited and regulated;

b) Hazardous substances are divided into four categories on a falling scale: A, B, C and D;

c) Emission of fumes from ships also presents a serious problem.

Ex. 16. Make up a short summary of the text.

Ex. 17. Skim the text and render its main idea in 5 – 10 sentences: