Annex I- Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil

Chapter 4 - Requirements for the cargo area of oil tankers - Part C - Control of operational discharges of oil

Regulation 34 - Control of discharge of oil

A Discharges outside special areas

1 Subject to the provisions of regulation 4 of this Annex and paragraph 2 of this regulation, any discharge into the sea of oil or oily mixtures from the cargo area of an oil tanker shall be prohibited except when all the following conditions are satisfied:

  .1 the tanker is not within a special area;
  .2 the tanker is more than 50 nautical miles from the nearest land;
  .3 the tanker is proceeding en route;
  .4 the instantaneous rate of discharge of oil content does not exceed 30 litres per nautical mile;
  .5 the total quantity of oil discharged into the sea does not exceed for tankers delivered on or before 31 December 1979, as defined in regulation 1.28.1, 1/15,000 of the total quantity of the particular cargo of which the residue formed a part, and for tankers delivered after 31 December 1979, as defined in regulation 1.28.2, 1/30,000 of the total quantity of the particular cargo of which the residue formed a part; and

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  .6 the tanker has in operation an oil discharge monitoring and control system and a slop tank arrangement as required by regulations 29 and 31 of this Annex.

2 The provisions of paragraph 1 of this regulation shall not apply to the discharge of clean or segregated ballast.

B Discharges in special areas

3 Subject to the provisions of paragraph 4 of this regulation, any discharge into the sea of oil or oily mixture from the cargo area of an oil tanker shall be prohibited while in a special area.*

4 The provisions of paragraph 3 of this regulation shall not apply to the discharge of clean or segregated ballast.

5 Nothing in this regulation shall prohibit a ship on a voyage only part of which is in a special area from discharging outside the special area in accordance with paragraph 1 of this regulation.

C Requirements for oil tankers of less than 150 gross tonnage

6 The requirements of regulations 29, 31 and 32 of this Annex shall not apply to oil tankers of less than 150 gross tonnage, for which the control of discharge of oil under this regulation shall be effected by the retention of oil on board with subsequent discharge of all contaminated washings to reception facilities. The total quantity of oil and water used for washing and returned to a storage tank shall be discharged to reception facilities unless adequate arrangements are made to ensure that any effluent which is allowed to be discharged into the sea is effectively monitored to ensure that the provisions of this regulation are complied with.

D General requirements

7 Whenever visible traces of oil are observed on or below the surface of the water in the immediate vicinity of a ship or its wake, the Governments of Parties to the present Convention should, to the extent they are reasonably able to do so, promptly investigate the facts bearing on the issue of whether there has been a violation of the provisions of this regulation. The investigation should include, in particular, the wind and sea conditions, the track and speed of the ship, other possible sources of the visible traces in the vicinity, and any relevant oil discharge records.

8 No discharge into the sea shall contain chemicals or other substances in quantities or concentrations which are hazardous to the marine environment or chemicals or other substances introduced for the purpose of circumventing the conditions of discharge specified in this regulation.

9 The oil residues which cannot be discharged into the sea in compliance with paragraphs 1 and 3 of this regulation shall be retained on board for subsequent discharge to reception facilities.

* Refer to regulation 38.6.