Argentina – Buenos Aires

Where vessel arrive from areas where cholera is endemic it is mandatory for vessels to treat their
ballast water by chlorination through the air pipes.

Legislation may be enacted under Ordinance 12-97 Rules for the Protection of the Environment
which will designate coastal areas in which ballast water discharge may be prohibited.

Vessels should seek the latest information from agents prior to arrival.

Canada -All

The Canadian authorities have produced a guide to Canada’s ballast water control and management
regulations which seeks to, as far as is practicable, harmonize the approach to ballast water
management in Canadian waters, including the St Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes. Click here for a
copy of the guide.

St Lawrence Seaway

28th January 2008: US - The St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) have
announced a further strengthening of ballast water management practices for the 2008 season.New
proposed regulations would expand the current requirements applicable to all ocean vessels bound
for Canadian ports to include those bound for American ports and require:

• salt water ballast tank flushing at least 200 nautical miles from shore
• vessel inspection to ensure ballast tanks have a minimum salinity of 30 parts per thousand.

Ships that fail to saltwater flush may either return to the open ocean to conduct a ballast water
exchange or must retain the ballast in their on-board tanks. Non-compliant ships could be fined up
to $36,625 per incident by the SLSDC.

The public will have until January 30th to comment on the notice of proposed rulemaking. A final
rule will be published in late March, prior to the start of the 2008 navigation season.

Click here for the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation press release

Click here for the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation press release

Chile

In 1995 a requirement was introduced for ballast water exchange in deep water. Details of the
exchange should be recorded in the bridge and engine room logbooks including geographical
coordinates, amount replaced and percentage of the total ballast capacity represented. As an
alternative to exchange in tank chlorination is acceptable using 100 grams of powdered sodium
hypochlorite or 14 grams of powdered calcium hypochlorite per tonne of ballast water.

Egypt

Alexandria
Port authorities require the Master to prepare a letter requesting ballast discharge to include, the
number of tanks and quantity of ballast water to discharge and a statement that the ballast water
was changed in the Mediterranean Sea. Permission will be required prior to discharge and samples
may be taken.

Israel

Ballast water is to be exchanged in the open ocean beyond any continental shelf or fresh water
current effect. Masters will be expected to provide ships inspectors (pilots) with a completed ballast
water exchange report. Those vessels bound for Eilat must exchange outside the Red Sea where
practicable. Those bound for Mediterranean ports must exchange in the Atlantic Ocean where
practicable. Ballast water found to be unsatisfactory to be retained onboard.

New Zealand

The New Zealand authorities have produced a comprehensive guide to ballast water control for
vessels entering New Zealand. Click here for their website.

Russia

Russia Novorossiysk Black Sea

It is reported that effective 1 May 2006, as per new port regulations, de-ballasting is permitted only
if ballast has been taken from/changed in the Black Sea.

Turkey

Turkey – Ballast Water – Enhanced Monitoring and Inspection

It has come to your Managers’ attention that Turkish authorities are extending a pilot ballast waste
water management program, which was previously implemented in the Iskenderun Bay (BOTAS
Harbour Master area) situated on the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey.

This pilot program was commenced in November 2009, as a result of studies completed by the
Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Marmara Research Centre (MRC)
and Environment Institute (EI), which concluded that Turkey and other Black Sea coastal states had
experienced the deleterious consequences of the introduction of harmful organisms, transferred by
ships’ ballast water discharge.

Accordingly:

Turkish Port State Control (PSC) are starting routine inspections and will begin to collect water
samples from the ballast tanks of vessels which could not, or did not, complete a ballast water
exchange before entering port. It is said that these inspections will be conducted without causing
any undue delay and it is expected that vessels will not be detained because of ballast water
management deficiencies.

It is also required that all ships should fill in the ballast water reporting forms as provided by the
ship’s agent before entering port. The agents of the ships will upload these forms to the Turkish
Ballast Water Reporting Web System. Ships will not be permitted to enter port without declaring the
ballast water reporting forms.

Collected ballast water samples will be analyzed and, in case a threat of invasive species is
determined upon such analysis, the route of the particular vessel will be classed as a high risk route.

The Turkish maritime authorities will then determine further necessary action which may consist of
banning all vessels arriving from that high risk route, ballast exchange or further treatment of ballast
water.

It is therefore recommended that vessels arriving in Turkish waters take suitable precautions, which
may vary due to the vessel’s size, type and age, but should include, but not be limited to, the
following items:
• All deck scuppers to be plugged and secured.
• Accommodation – All drains inside the accommodation, including the galley, pantry, shower
rooms and toilets’ to be sealed closed. All associated gate valves to be closed. Fresh water supply to
be limited to designated shower rooms only with direct drainage to a sewage tank.
• Public toilet wash basins that drain directly to sea should be sealed, with the Chief Officer’s
signature on the sealing tape.
• All laundry rooms to be kept locked.
• A crew meeting should be held prior to arrival and instructions issued thereupon recorded.
• All drainage outlets (with the exception of main and auxiliary engine cooling over-boards) to be
routinely inspected for signs of discharge.
• All other over-board valves in way of the vessel’s engine room and cargo holds to be shut &
sealed, with numerical seals, which should require breaking in order to operate such valves. Records
for such seals to be maintained and made available to the port state control officer upon request.
• Ship sanitary tank discharge valve to be closed and locked.
• Sewage/sanitary system to be closed. Ship sewage tank discharge valve to be closed and locked.
• All other direct overboard lines to be closed and sealed.
• No cleaning/washing to be made in way of weather deck.
• No painting to be made on exterior decks.
• All garbage to be kept secured.

All of the above inspections and precautions should be adequately recorded in the deck log book
and made available to Turkish PSC upon request.

Members are advised to be guided accordingly and seek the assistance of their local agents for
recommendations and/or advice if in doubt.
Source: Bimco

Ukraine

Incidents of ballast water fines have occurred in the Ukraine. Typically they are imposed by
inspectors from the State Ecological Inspection for Environmental Protection of the Black Sea’s
North-West Region (SIPBS), and are being issued with demands for cash payment.

The procedure as detailed below includes testing of BW samples for the following levels:

• oil products 0.05mg/litre

• iron 0.05mg/litre
• suspended solids 0.75mg/litre or 2mg/litre depending on the regulatory source.

State requirements for the protection of the Black Sea include:

• On entry segregated ballast must be exchanged for Black Sea ballast

• Record this exchange in the oil record book and the logbook
• Declare to the agent the amount of ballast to discharge at loading berth
• On berthing the ballast water will be sampled and tested before discharge is allowed

It appears that even Black Sea ballast can fail the testing process resulting in either:

• Fines against the master and the ship or

• Leaving the berth to de-ballast outside the 12 mile zone

The cost of leaving the berth appears to invariably exceed the level of fines.

Members should ensure:

• accurate and timely entries in the oil record book;

• compliance with all SIPBS requirements regarding a change of ballast and deballasting
operations;
• correct sampling of ballast water;
• gather all “grey” water (from showers and toilets) into a separate tank.

United States of America

The situation with respect to ballast water discharge can be especially complex in the USA. Vessels
will have to comply with various Federal, State and local regulations and these can change as the
different legislative boundaries are crossed. For example a vessel using the St Lawrence Seaway to
access the Great Lakes will have to comply with Canadian State regulation, St Lawrence Seaway
regulations, US Federal regulations and the regulations of the US States bordering the Great Lakes.
Unfortunately the requirements of each regime are not always the same. A number of West Coast
states also have ballast water management requirements of their own.

Click here for a summary of the US Federal and West Coast States ballast water programs.

Click here for information on US EPA NPDES Vessel General Permits.

Click here for a FAQs sheet for Minnesota state requirements for vessel owners.

St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) have announced a further strengthening of
ballast water management practices for the 2008 season. New proposed regulations would expand
the current requirements applicable to all ocean vessels bound for Canadian ports to include those
bound for American ports and require:

• salt water ballast tank flushing at least 200 nautical miles from shore
• vessel inspection to ensure ballast tanks have a minimum salinity of 30 parts per thousand.

Ships that fail to saltwater flush may either return to the open ocean to conduct a ballast water
exchange or must retain the ballast in their on-board tanks. Non-compliant ships could be fined up
to $36,625 per incident by the SLSDC.

The public will have until January 30th to comment on the notice of proposed rulemaking. A final
rule will be published in late March 2009, prior to the start of the 2008 navigation season.

Click here for the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation press release

Click here for the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation press release