Associated British Ports Ships’ Waste Management

(Port Waste Management Plan)

Consultation on Draft PWMP

The Merchant Shipping (Port Waste Reception Facilities) Regulations 2003 require ABP to provide adequate reception facilities for the collection of garbage from ships. The Port of Southampton has a Port Waste Management Plan (see below) servicing the requirements of ship-generated waste for common user berths. Privately operated terminals within the Port Estate have their own in-house waste management plans.

Under the 2003 Regulations, ABP is required to consult with customers, port agents, regulators, waste contractors and other interested parties to ensure that we understand and meet ship generated waste management needs and requirements. In order to achieve this objective, ABP would be pleased to receive your comments on the following matters relating to the existing waste management plan and any other observations you may have about waste management services by Friday 14^th May 2010. ABP proposes to resubmit the current Port Waste Management Plan to the MCA for approval in the autumn.

Questions that you may consider relevant to waste management services could include, but need not be limited to:

Are the types of waste reception facilities provided at the ABP operated berths sufficient for the collection of different waste streams?
Is the capacity of waste reception facilities provided at ABP operated berths sufficient for the collection of Annex V garbage?
Is the disposal frequency of waste at reception facilities appropriate?
Is the location and ease of use of facilities provided at the ABP operated berths sufficient for the collection of different waste streams?
Are users aware of the information provided on the facilities available and could the service be improved?

Please submit your comments to Andy Owens, Operations Manager, Associated British Ports, Ocean Gate, Atlantic Way, Southampton, SO14 3QN or to aowens@abports.co.uk by Friday 14th May 2010.

Click here to see the consultation draft waste management plan.

Provision of Waste Facilities

Under the 2003 Regulations and the IMO MARPOL Convention 73/78, ports and terminals must provide adequate reception facilities to receive the types and quantities of waste from ships normally using the port or terminal. Every port, harbour, terminal and marina in the UK must have a port waste management plan detailing how ship-generated waste is dealt with. The ABP Southampton PWMP can be viewed by clicking on the link below.

ABP provides bins for the disposal of ship-generated waste only. This service is provided in conjunction with Veolia Environmental Services plc who use their marine barge to collect ship generated wastes and transport them for disposal.

ABP provides 9.0m³ bins at fixed locations around the Port estate. THESE ARE FOR SHIP-GENERATED GARBAGE, INCLUDING EU GALLEY WASTE AND RUBBISH FROM CREWS’ QUARTERS ONLY. Up to 4m³ per ship can be landed. Anything more than this must be disposed of at market rates following negotiation with a waste contractor. International Catering Waste must NOT be placed in these facilities.

All other MARPOL wastes, e.g. oil, oily wastes, noxious substances in liquid form, sewage and international catering waste must be disposed of via arrangements made between the ship/agent and a licensed waste management contractor. Food waste and its packaging that originates from outside the European Union must be brought ashore in sealed, leak proof bags and deposited in the bins marked “FOR DISPOSAL OF INTERNATIONAL FOOD WASTE”. A list of waste management companies, which are approved to work in ABP Southampton, is available from the Operations Department, or is listed in Appendix E of the current Port Waste Management Plan.

Prior Notification of Waste to be Landed
Ships (or agents acting on their behalf) must advise ABP up to 24 hours in advance of arrival on the amount of waste they intend to land by logging onto www.abpnotify.co.uk and filling in the online waste form for the Port of Southampton. THIS IS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT and ABP is obliged to report vessels that do not complete the form to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Mandatory Discharge of Waste
Unless granted an MCA exemption certificate or able to prove that they have sufficient on-board storage space for wastes, ALL VESSELS must unload ALL their waste when in port. If this exceeds 4m³ of garbage, ships will have to arrange disposal of the extra waste with an appropriate waste contractor.

Mandatory Waste Fee
The Mandatory Waste Fee (or Environment Charge) is currently £40.95 for the disposal of 4m³ of Annex V waste. The fee covers 100% of the costs involved in providing garbage reception facilities. It is reviewed on an annual basis following an assessment of waste charges, landfill tax and useage of the facilities.

Failure to Comply and Complaints Procedure
It is a legal requirement for vessels to comply with the Merchant Shipping (Port Waste Reception Facilities) Regulations 2003. The main requirements of the Regulations include:

§ The prior notification, up to 24 hours in advance of arrival, of the amounts of waste to be landed;

§ The mandatory discharge of waste carried, and

§ The payment of a mandatory waste fee to cover a significant proportion of the costs involved in waste management.

If ABP becomes aware that a vessel has not complied with these actions, it will report the ship to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), which is the regulating body for the Regulations in the UK. Such vessels may then be targeted by MCA for inspection and onward destination ports/terminals will be warned of their non-compliance. Vessels that fail to comply with the requirements shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine as provided for in the 2003 Regulations.

If ABP’s waste reception provision is considered to be unsatisfactory, the Master should bring the alleged inadequacy to the attention of the port or terminal concerned immediately. For ABP Southampton, complaints should be addressed to the Operations Department (Tel: +44 (0)23 8048 8800). Full contact details are provided at the end of the Prior Notification Form for ABP Southampton.

If the problem is not resolved at the time to his satisfaction, the Master should complete the complaints form in the MCA’s Marine Guidance Note ( MGN) 387, either directly or through the shipowner, flag state or agent, and send it to the MCA at the following address:

PWR Inadequacies
Environmental Quality Branch
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Spring Place
105 Commercial Road
Southampton SO15 1EG

For inadequacies in UK ports, the Master should provide full information about the incident including time and date, a full account of the inadequacy and the action taken by the port/terminal after the inadequacy was brought to their attention. The MCA will investigate the report and where the allegation of inadequate facilities is justified it will:

In the case of non-UK ports/terminals inform the port state of the alleged inadequacy and also notify the IMO Secretariat.
In the case of UK ports/terminals, take up the matter of the alleged inadequacy directly with the port and/or terminal concerned and notify the European Commission.

Click here to view the current Port Waste Management Plan.