KR Webzine Vol.110

Marine Notice No.2-013-3 was published by the Administration of the Marshall Islands 

with regard to the oil filtering equipment and control of operational discharge of oil.

Vessels subject to the requirements of MARPOL Annex I, inter alia, operational

requirements of oil filtering equipment installed onboard machinery space are continuing to be found and/or detained by Port State Control (PSC) in violation of the conventions requirements.

Most commonly, oil filtering equipment has been found inoperative and/or fitted with

bypass piping, directing illegal oily discharges overboard. In many cases, piping modifications were made by the crew without the knowledge of the management

ashore, indicating potential ISM Code discrepancies.

In most of the cases where this situation has been discovered by the United States

 Coast Guard (USCG), criminal investigations and criminal prosecutions have resulted. In the European Union (EU), substantial fines in excess of half a million US dollars per incident have been imposed.

In this particular respect, owners and related stakeholders are strongly advised to note the above and pay full attention to the management of oil filtering equipment and discharge of oil onboard.