London Convention and London Protocol: Marine Pollution PDF

LECTURE 8   Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (LC, 1972) and London protocol 1996;  Introduction  The Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter 1972, commonly called the "London...

LECTURE 8   Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (LC, 1972) and London protocol 1996;  Introduction  The Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter 1972, commonly called the "London Convention" or "LC '72" abbreviated as Marine Dumping, is an agreement to control pollution of the sea by dumping and to encourage regional agreements supplementary to the Convention.  Is one of the first global conventions under the auspices of IMO specifically addresses effective control of ocean dumping (disposal or wastes) at sea from vessels, aircraft, platforms or other man-made structures and has been in force since 1975.  However, it does not cover discharges from land-based sources such as pipes and outfalls, wastes generated incidental to normal operation of vessels, or placement of materials for purposes other than mere disposal.  The London Convention entered into force on August 30, 1975. As of January 2021, there are 87 Member Parties to the London Convention. What is dumping at sea according to London Convention of 1972?  "Dumping" has been defined as the deliberate disposal at sea of wastes or other matter from vessels, aircraft, platforms or other man-made structures, as well as the deliberate disposal of these vessels or platforms themselves.  Background  The Convention was called for by the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (June 1972, Stockholm), the treaty was drafted at the Intergovernmental Conference on the Convention on the Dumping of Wastes at Sea (13 November 1972, London) and it was opened for signature on 29 December 1972. It entered into force on 30 August 1975 when 15 nations ratified.  The main objective of the LC is to prevent indiscriminate disposal at sea of wastes that could be liable for creating hazards to human health; harming living resources and marine life; damaging amenities; or interfering with other legitimate uses of the sea.  The1972 Convention extends its scope over "all marine waters other than the internal waters" of the States and prohibits the dumping of  Wastes and other matter  TheLondon Convention consists of 22 Articles and 3 Annexes. It follows a "black list/grey list" approach to regulating ocean dumping;  Annex I materials (black list) generally may not be ocean dumped (though for certain Annex I materials dumping may be permissible if present only as "trace contaminants" or "rapidly rendered harmless“.  Annex II materials (grey list) require "special care".  Annex III lays out general technical factors to be considered in establishing criteria for issuance of ocean dumping permits. Trace contaminants and residues are incredibly small particles or microorganisms that can make their way into our food system. These particles or microorganisms can include anything from bacteria to pesticides to minerals found in or on consumables like food and water.  “Black- and grey-list" approach is applied for wastes, which can be considered for disposal at sea according to the hazard they can cause to the environment.  ‘Black list’ items dumping is prohibited.  Dumping of the ‘Grey list’ materials requires a special permit from a designated national authority under strict control and provided certain conditions are met.  All other materials or substances can be dumped after a general permit has been issued.  London Protocol 1996  In 1993, Parties to the London Convention decided to prohibit dumping of all types of radioactive waste and sea-based incineration of sewage sludge and industrial waste;  In1996, London Convention was rationalized and superseded by the 1996 Protocol to the Convention Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter. It is call as London Protocol.  The Protocol entered into force on 24 March 2006 and up to March 2019 there are 53 Parties to the Protocol.  The LP 96 has been the most modern and comprehensive global treaty relating to the prevention of marine pollution from dumping at sea. ANNEX 1- WASTES OR OTHER MATTER THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED FOR DUMPING 1. dredged material; 2. sewage sludge; 3. fish waste, or material resulting from industrial fish processing operations; 4. vessels and platforms or other man-made structures at sea; 5. inert, inorganic geological material; 6. organic material of natural origin; 7. bulky items primarily comprising iron, steel, concrete and similarly unharmful materials for which the concern is physical impact, and limited to those circumstances where such wastes are generated at locations, such as small islands with isolated communities, having no practicable access to disposal options other than dumping; and  Other prohibitions  the 1996 protocol also prohibits altogether the practice of incineration at sea, except for emergencies, and prohibits  the exports of wastes or other matter to non-Parties for the purpose of dumping or incineration at sea.  Conclusion  The disposal of solid waste at sea has been regulated under international agreements for the past 40 years. However, the problem is basically that we do not know whether this regime is generally being fully implemented, since there is substantial under-reporting of what is happening.  Therefore, there is a major knowledge gap about the implementation of the 1972 London Convention and the 1996 London Protocol, as has been acknowledged by the Meetings of the Contracting Parties to the two agreements.  Some capacity building is available from the International Maritime Organization and some of the Contracting Parties, to promote better implementation of the agreements and better reporting of what is being done. However, a significant capacity- building gap remains.