The International Conference on Tanker Safety and Pollution
Prevention (TSPP Conference) convened by the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) in February 1978 adopted, inter alia, the Protocol
of 1978 relating to the International Convention for the Prevention
of Pollution from Ships, 1973, which modified the 1973 Convention
(MARPOL 73/78). MARPOL 73/78 requires certain oil tankers to operate
with dedicated clean ballast tanks (Regulation
13(9) and (10) of Annex 1). An oil tanker operating with dedicated
clean ballast tanks must have adequate tank capacity dedicated solely
to the carriage of clean ballast and the arrangements and operational
procedures of the dedicated clean ballast tanks must comply with the
requirements of the Administration which are based on the Specifications
for Oil Tankers with Dedicated Clean Ballast Tanks adopted by the
Conference in resolution 14 and as may be revised by the Organization
(Regulation 13A of Annex
I of MARPOL 73/78).
The Conference requested the Organization to review and
revise the Specifications, as necessary, in order that the revised
Specifications should reflect the latest technology and practices
which might be developed by the time of entry into force of the Protocol.
The task of reviewing and revising the Specifications was
carried out as a matter of urgency by the Marine Environment Protection
Committee (MEPC) of the Organization at its thirteenth and fourteenth
sessions. In the course of its work, the MEPC found that there was
a need not only to revise certain provisions of the Specifications
but also to agree on interpretation of some of the provisions.
The Assembly of the Organization, at its twelfth session,
received and examined the recommendation made by the MEPC on this
matter and, by its resolution A.495(XII) of 19 November 1981, adopted
the revised Specifications for Oil Tankers with Dedicated Clean Ballast
Tanks together with agreed interpretations of certain of the provisions
of the revised Specifications. As stated in the resolution, the revised
Specifications supersede the Specifications contained in the Annex
to resolution 14 of the TSPP Conference.
The attention of Governments is drawn to the fact that the
Assembly urged them to establish, in time for the entry into force
of MARPOL 73/78, requirements for the dedicated clean ballast tank
arrangements based on the revised Specifications, and urged further
that such requirements should not impose requirements over and above
those laid down in the revised Specifications.