a

Special Report

Marine
environment
Protecting the world’s waters
by Carolyn E. Junemann and Koichi Yoshida the standardization of design, construc-
tion, structural elements, outfitting parts,

Throughout the life-cycle of a ship – from the time the keel is laid, equipment, methods and technology used
in shipbuilding and marine operations. It
through its operating lifetime to its ultimate recycling – it interacts also understands marine environmental
with the natural environment. How it does so and its effect depend matters associated with shipbuilding and
the operation of : sea-going ships ; vessels
mainly on how it is built, operated and disposed of or recycled.
for inland navigation ; offshore structures ;
Working closely with the maritime industry, ISO is developing Inter- ship-to-shore interfaces ; and all other marine
national Standards to minimize ships’ impacts on the environment. structures subject to International Maritime
Organization (IMO) requirements.
This work is done through ISO tech- SC 2 focuses on the standardization of
nical committee ISO/TC 8, Ships and marine pollution abatement materials, equip-
marine technology, and its subcommittee This work has never ment and technologies, and environmental
SC 2, Marine environment protection. been more relevant. matters related to ship building, operation
ISO/TC 8 has a thorough knowledge of and recycling. Together, they constitute a
winning team for the marine environment.

Environmental impacts
NOx SOx PM Green house gases
Figure 1 illustrates a wide range of
potential sources of ship-related environ-
mental impacts. ISO/TC 8/SC 2 is active
Ship recycling in addressing areas such as :
• Radiation of underwater sound from
ships into the marine ecosystem
Ballast
water • Managing and handling ship-generated
garbage
Anti-fouling • Unintentional (or intentional) spills of
Underwater system, VOC oil/chemicals into the sea
noise Garbage, waste Oil / Chemical • Effects of hull anti-foulants on the
and wash-water (Fuel/cargo) environment
• Discharge of ballast water containing
Figure 1 : Environmental areas of interest. non-indigenous aquatic species

18 ISO Focus + April 2012

• Emissions of oxides of nitrogen and/or ISO/TC 8 has consultative status because committee, for an International Standard
sulphur, particulate matter and green- of its considerable technical expertise and to measure underwater sound.
house gases its ability to enhance IMO’s work. The The standard will help organizations
• Environmental impacts linked to ship committee often develops industry standards such as research institutes to implement a
recycling. that complement IMO conventions. SC 2 uniform measurement methodology in order
directs its efforts towards implementing to obtain reliable data to back-up scientific
SC 2 is also considering new work on the challenging aspects of environmental research on the impact of underwater sound
ballast water sampling, air emissions and regulations. on the marine ecosystem.
energy efficiency.
Port waste
Cooperation with IMO For the marine community,
the relationship between Many ports and terminals, or their
For the marine community, the relation- owners, have invested much in achieving
ship between ISO/TC 8 and IMO is very ISO/TC 8 and IMO certification to ISO 14001 (environmental
important. is very important. management systems). ISO 16304, Ships and
A specialized agency of the United marine technology – Marine environment
Nations, IMO has 169 member states and protection – Arrangement and manage-
three associate members. Since 1959, IMO’s The following examples of SC 2 work ment of port waste reception facilities, is
main task has been to develop and maintain in progress illustrate the complementarity being developed to complement the use of
a comprehensive regulatory framework of this relationship. ISO 14001 in ports.
for shipping. In addition to extending the principles
IMO’s remit today includes safety, envi- Underwater sound of ISO 14001 to port waste management,
ronmental concerns, legal matters, technical ISO 16304 will provide a global standard
cooperation, maritime security and the effi- Noise radiated from ships can be harm-
that any port, harbour, terminal or marina
ciency of shipping. Its specialized committees ful to the marine environment. ISO 16554,
can apply to the planning, development
and subcommittees update or develop and Ships and marine technology – Marine
and operation of its port reception facilities
adopt new regulations. Meetings are attended environment protection – Measurement and
(PRF). ISO 16304 will address :
by maritime experts from member govern- reporting of underwater sound radiated
ments, together with those from inter- and from merchant ships, is being developed • The development of a waste manage-
non-governmental organizations, which have to respond to the demand, noted by IMO ment strategy
an observer or consultative role. and its marine environment protection • PRF design

ISO Focus + April 2012 19

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Special Report

• Port waste management plan (PWMP)

development, implementation and
compliance
• PRF and PWMP operation
• PRF management and accountability.

Anti-fouling systems
The harmful effects of organotin com-
pounds used as biocides (historically in
anti-fouling paint) on marine organisms and
human health have been of global concern.
To prevent the continued use of these com-
pounds, IMO has enacted a legally-binding
international framework regulating the use
of anti-fouling systems containing harmful
substances. The International Convention
on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling
Systems on Ships (the AFS Convention)
was adopted in 2001 and entered into force
in September 2008.
SC 2 is developing ISO 13073-1, Ships Oil booms – Design criteria, to specify the basic
and marine technology – Risk assessment design, general function, designations and
Booms are temporary floating barriers marking of oil booms. The standard will
on anti-fouling systems on ships – Part 1 :
used to contain oil spills in order to limit also provide guidance on the boom capac-
Marine environmental risk assessment
damage, particularly to shorelines and ity ratings, dimensions, materials, design
method for biocidally active substances
other resources, and speed up recovery. and performance that must be provided
used for anti-fouling systems on ships. The
They concentrate the oil in thick surface by manufacturers. ISO 17325-1 will help
standard specifies a risk assessment method
layers that are easier to pick by skimmers manufacturers and users to select booms
to protect the marine environment from the
and other collection methods. by technical criteria.
potential negative impacts of biocidally
active substances that are intentionally
used in anti-fouling. Ongoing challenge
SC 2 helps implement
challenging aspects Today more than ever the world is
increasingly conscious of the impact that
of environmental
human activities are having on our environ-
regulations. ment. The work of SC 2 has never been
more relevant. As technology evolves and
use of the oceans continues to increase,
SC 2 is also developing ISO 17325-1, SC 2 will continue to develop practical
Ships and marine technology – Marine International Standards to take care of
environment protection – Part 1 : Oil booms our planet. 

About the authors

Dr. Carolyn Dr. Koichi Yoshida

E. Junemann joined the Research
serves as Secreta- Institute of Marine
riat of ISO/TC 8, Engineering in
Ships and marine 1976. In 2001,
technology, SC 2, he moved to the
Marine environ- National Maritime
ment protection. Research Institute
She is a graduate to become Director
of the State University of New York of the International Cooperation Center.
Maritime College and Tulane University For 10 years he chaired IMO’s fire pro-
School of Public Health. tection subcommittee and now chairs the
organization’s greenhouse gas working
group. He is also Chair of ISO/TC 8/SC 2.

20 ISO Focus + April 2012