Marine Environment Protection Week 9

Course Module: Protection of the Marine Environment

• Program: Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation
• Course Code: MAR ENV
• Credit Units: 3
• Course Description: Protection of the Marine Environment
• Module Title/Number: Week 9, Module 9
• Learning Outcome 1 (LO1): Discuss the mandatory regulations of Annex IV (MEPC.115(51), MEPC 2(VI): Regulations 1-12)
• Learning Outcome 2 (LO2): Determine the significance of the legislative requirements for preventing marine pollution by ships
• STCW Competence Addressed: A-II/1 F3.C1: Ensure compliance with pollution prevention requirements; A-II/2 F3.C2: Monitor and control compliance with legislative requirements and measures to ensure safety of life at sea, security and protection of marine environment
• STCW Knowledge Units Addressed: A-II/1 F3.C1.KUP 1.1: Knowledge of the precaution to prevent pollution to marine environment; A-II/1 F3.C2.KUP 2.4: Knowledge of relevant international maritime law embodied in international agreement and conventions, regard shall be paid to responsibilities under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships; A-II/2 F3.C2.KUP 2.8: Methods and aids to prevent pollution of the marine environment by ships
• MARPOL Annex IV: Regulations for preventing pollution by sewage from ships
• Sewage Problem: Discharge of raw sewage creates health hazards, oxygen depletion, and visual pollution, especially in tourism areas
• Sewage Sources: Primarily land-based (e.g., municipal sewers, treatment plants), and also from ships
• Annex IV Regulations: Regulate sewage discharge from ships, including equipment, systems, port reception facilities and survey requirements
• General Prohibition: Discharge of sewage into the sea within a specific distance from the nearest land, unless otherwise allowed
• Reception Facilities: Governments must provide adequate reception facilities for sewage
• Annex IV Entry into Force: September 27, 2003
• Revised Annex IV: Adopted April 1, 2004; effective in August 2005
• Annex IV Applicability: Ships engaged in international voyages (400 gross tonnage or more, certified to carry more than 15 persons), with approved sewage treatment plants, comminuting systems, or holding tanks
• Prohibited Discharge: Except when using approved sewage treatment plants or when discharging comminuted and disinfected sewage more than 12 nautical miles from nearest land
• Special Areas: Discharge prohibited within the Baltic Sea Special Area except in certain circumstances -
• New passenger ships: June 1, 2019
• Existing passenger ships:
  • June 1, 2021
  • June 1, 2023
• Sewage Definitions: Drainage from toilets, medical facilities, spaces with animals, and other mixed wastes
• Holding Tank Definition: A tank for storing sewage
• International Voyage Definition: Voyages from one country to a port in another
• Person Definition: Crew members and passengers
• Anniversary Date: The date corresponding to the expiry of the International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate

Course Materials and Procedures

• Materials: Multi-media equipment, slide presentations, LMS, MOODLE by Seaversity, Abook by TERP
• References: MARPOL Consolidated Edition 2017, IMO, NEW-HANDOUT-OF-MARPOL-I-6
• Pre-assessment: 10-point questions relating to Annex IV definitions
• Motivation/Review: Video presentation on sewage treatment plants
• Lesson Proper: 5Es (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) or 4As (Activity, Analysis, Abstraction, Application) pedagogy
• Activity: Film viewing/slide presentation on Week 9
• Analysis: Answering questions about Annex IV procedures; including types of approved Sewage Systems; and how to know if it is approved by the administration; technical aspects of proper sewage disposal into the sea in various situations; processing question: for example, can the ship dispose of sewage? Why?.
• Assessment: Formative and Summative assessments are given, which include scenarios and processing questions.