Môi trường - Ocean dumping

Ocean dumpingClass Test6 mins start workState 3 reasons why ships use anti fouling paint.Mention 2 metals that can be found in antifouling paint.Ocean dumpingDumping of waste at sea is a deliberate activity.London Dumping Convention of 1972London Dumping Convention of 1972The London Convention 1972 (LC) is one of the first global conventions to protect the marine environment from human activities and has been in force since 1975. 85 States are parties to it.The London Protocol 1996 (LP), which will eventually replace LC, is in force since 24 March 2006. 37 States are parties to it 31 of which are also parties to LC. The international convention on dumping is the “Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter” (London Dumping Convention of 1972). Under this convention, there is a list of substances that are NOT ALLOWED TO BE DUMPED AT ALL and a list of substances that are ALLOWED TO BE DUMPED ONLY IN TRACE QUANTITIES, and also if it can be proved that they can rapidly be rendered harmless at sea.London Dumping Convention of 1972WHAT IS DUMPING?DUMPING IS THE DELIBERATE DISPOSAL AT SEA OF WASTES LOADED ON BOARD A VESSELDUMPING IS NOT:Pipeline discharges from landOperational discharges from vessels or offshore installations“ORIENTATION”The objective of LP is to:..protect and preserve the marine environment from ALL SOURCES of pollution, and take effective measures,.. to prevent, reduce and where practicable eliminate pollution caused by dumping or incineration at sea of wastes.So LC + LP govern dumping activities world-wide, but always from the perspective of protection from all sources of pollution.DumpingMany countries dump lots of waste at sea but this is normally done under a permit system and in accordance with international instrument.The list of substances that are allowed to be dumped are only done so with the permission of the sea authorities. In issuing a permit, the authorities will need to consider:The nature of the dumping siteThe quantity of the material to be dumpedThe toxicity of the material to be dumped“ORIENTATION”All dumping is prohibited except for possibly acceptable wastes in annex 1 to LP: dredged materialsewage sludgefish wastes, or material resulting from industrial fish processing operationsvessels and platforms or other man-made structures at seainert, inorganic geological material (e.g., mining wastes)organic material of natural originbulky items primarily comprising iron, steel and concrete for which the concern is physical impact (conditions apply)CO2 capture and storage in sub-seabed geological formations (2006)“ORIENTATION”6 of these 8 waste streams are generated on land Sediments are dredged from harbours and estuaries, but its quality as a potential resource is often determined by up stream sources: Hence the need for watershed (catchment areas) management LONDON PROTOCOL BASIC RULES (1)Protection of the sea and the sea-bed (“Sea” means all marine waters other than internal waters of States.)Internal waters are excluded, unless a party “opts-in” (Art. 7.2)No incineration at sea (Art. 5)No export of wastes to other countries for dumping or incineration (Art.6)Designation of a national authority to implement the ProtocolDumping allowed only on the basis of a permit Reporting (Art. 9) and compliance (Art. 11) enhancedTechnical co-operation (Art.13) and “Transitional period” option for new Parties till 24 March 2011 (Art. 26) LONDON PROTOCOL BASIC RULES (2)Precautionary approach:“..Parties shall apply a precautionary approach to environmental protection from dumping whereby appropriate preventative measures are taken when there is reason to believe that waste etc. introduced in the marine environment are likely to cause harm even when there is no conclusive evidence to prove a causal relation between inputs and their effects” (Art. 3.1)Meaning for dredged materials:Sometimes more restrictions to dumpingStrong emphasis on control of contaminants at source LONDON PROTOCOL BASIC RULES (3)Reference to "polluter-pays principle"".Parties shall endeavour to promote practices whereby those it has authorized to engage in dumping or incineration at sea bear the cost of meeting the pollution prevention and control requirements for the authorized activities, having due regard to the public interest.” (Art 3.2)Meaning for dredged materials:Incentive for proper allocation of environmental costsIn practice: costs of monitoring can be charged to the applicantAlso recognition that contamination of sediments is often caused elsewhereCURRENT TRENDS IN DUMPINGAnnually 200 to 400 million tonnes of dredged material are dumped in Convention waters, 10% of which is contaminated from shipping, industrial and municipal discharges, land run-offDredged material constitutes ~ 80 to 90% of all materials dumpedOther materials dumped include: sewage sludge (Republic of Korea till 2011)decommissioned vesselsorganic materials, e.g. food and beverage processing wastes, spoilt cargoesfish wastesmining wastesACHIEVEMENTS (1) Parties have stopped unregulated dumping and incineration activities of the 1960s and 1970s (1st phase)All dumping is subject to licensing and controlled by regulatory programmes to assess the need for and potential impact of dumpingProhibitions extended since mid-1990s for dumping of industrial and radioactive wastes and incineration at sea (2nd phase)In other words, the “core business” under LC and LP is under control and the main politically sensitive issues of the past have been resolved. ACHIEVEMENTS (2) 9 guidelines have been developed for a logical, step-by-step assessment of each waste category addressing:waste prevention auditassessment of alternativeswaste characterization“Action List” assessment of potential effects of sea and land disposal optionsdisposal site selectionmonitoring and licensing proceduresACHIEVEMENTS (3)These 9 guidelines draw on generally accepted approaches for integrated waste management and pollution prevention and are therefore also useful for other fora!! (Reviews are regularly made)Guidelines for the Sampling and Analysis of Dredged Material Intended for Disposal at Sea (2004)Guidelines for placement of artificial reefs (2008)Training materials are being expanded and adapted (low-tech extension: 2009)Guidance how to develop an “Action list” (2008)LESSONS LEARNEDParties gained a wealth of practical experience on marine pollution prevention issues, interpretation, licensing, compliance and field monitoring activities.Full compliance still remains a substantial problem for many Parties, due to technical, legal and administrative issues. Improvement of compliance is regularly discussed since 1999. A “Compliance Group” has been established (first session in 2008). A “Barriers to compliance” project is currently being implemented (2008-2011).Continuous outreach activities to new Parties are a necessity.Not all Parties and potential Parties can afford coming to meetings in London. Hence promotion of LP since 1996 in Regional and National Workshops such as this Workshop in Muscat.Collaborative agreements with other organizations (UNEP, IOI, IOC? FAO?) to move from “ad hoc” to more programmatic co-operation. CURRENT AND FUTURE ISSUESCore issues under control, so more attention for new, “boundary” issues, which invariably demand co-operation:Spoilt cargo management 2008 (LP>>IMO)LP amendments in 2006 permitting CO2 capture and storage in sub-seabed geological formations to limit ocean acidification (LP>>UNFCCC and IPCC)Regulation of ocean fertilization (2008–2009)(LP>>IOC, UNEP, CBD, GESAMP) Ship-recycling convention in 2009 (IMO>>LP)Advice on Best Management Practices to remove TBT Paints from ships (IMO’s prohibition of TBT antifoulants in 2008) (LP>> IMO and GPA)Placement of artificial reefs in the oceans (2008)OCEAN FERTILIZATION: ACTIVITIES UNDER LC/LPWhat is it?: Stimulation of natural photosynthesis in the oceans, i.e., by “seeding” with iron particles, to draw down part of the surplus of CO2 from the atmosphereConcerns: (1) effectiveness of the method, does it work? (2) potential impacts on the marine environment and human healthAction in 2007: Parties issued “Statement of Concern” and agreed to work towards regulation of ocean fertilizationAction in 2008: “Policy” resolution adopted allowing only “legitimate scientific research” (no commercial activities!)Action in 2009??: Possibly: legally binding resolution or amendment of LP to regulate this activityPOTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR STATES WHEN JOINING LONDON PROTOCOLA better capability to prevent marine pollution from dumping activitiesAccess to the annual meetings of Parties (policy and regulatory aspects of dumping and protection of the marine environment), and the annual meetings of the Scientific Groups (scientific and technical aspects of dumping)Joining an agreement for control of ALL SOURCES of marine pollution which promotes finding the best overall environmental solution to specific problems and sustainable use of the oceansAdditional tool to protect the coastal zone and marine environmentAccess to technical assistance and experience of other Parties to aid marine environmental protection and capacity buildingPOTENTIAL COSTS FOR STATES WHEN JOINING LONDON PROTOCOLThere are no membership fees. The potential costs vary and depend on the dumping activities but funding would be required for:Preparing enabling national legislationAdministering a licensing system and proceduresConducting field and compliance monitoring activities and preparing reports thereonAttending annual meetings of the Parties and the Scientific GroupsAnti-fouling PaintsAnti fouling paints are used to paint the hull of vessels to prevent growth of algae and other marine sediments on it. These paints have been found to cause harm to marine organisms especially because they usually contain tin.Air pollution from shipsTransportation in general contributes 46% to total air pollution.Shipping contributes to air pollution in the following ways FuelFirefightingRefrigeration & Air-conditioningCargoCombustionBurning of fuel can produce pollutants like Carbon Dioxide, Sulphur Oxide, Nitrogen Oxide and this causes Green House Effect (Global Warming).In addition, Sulphur Oxide can cause Acid Rain which destroys vegetation and aquatic life.Refrigeration & Air-conditioningCFC’s and Freons are used in the above. They are known to cause depletion of the ozone layer. Some of their effects are:Skin Cancer (Melanoma) Affects the Iris of the eyePhytoplankton level and oceanic productivity reducesBreakdown of the immune systemFirefightingCarbon dioxide is used to fight fires and this causes Greenhouse Effect. Also, halons contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer.CargoWith air pollution, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are the issue.These cargoes are volatile hence they easily evaporate into the atmosphere causing Greenhouse Effect.The issue of Ozone depleting substances is addressed internationally by the Montreal Protocol. For shipping the issue of air pollution is addressed by Annex VI of the MARPOL Convention akpe na mi!