No. H051/06For release June 16, 2006
OTTAWA — Transport Canada today announced proposed regulations that will
update and augment the current program to prevent shippers from polluting waters
under Canadian jurisdiction.
"We all have a responsibility to protect our waters from marine pollution, and
Transport Canada takes its role seriously," said Lawrence Cannon, Minister of
Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. "These proposed regulations will
promote the elimination of deliberate, negligent or accidental discharge of
pollutants from ships into Canada's marine environment."
The proposed regulations are a compilation of existing requirements under the
Canada Shipping Act. They also introduce various new requirements that are
necessary for Canada to conclude its adoption of all the optional provisions of
the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and to
adopt the Anti-Fouling Systems Convention.
In addition to current requirements, the proposed regulations include:
Requiring new oily water filtering equipment and bilge alarms to meet stricter
approval standards;
Requiring any vessel fitted with a toilet to have a holding tank or an
approved marine sanitation device for the treatment of sewage, to keep records
of operations involving sewage and to obtain receipts for discharges to shore
pump-out stations;
Adding cargo sweepings and residues from non-toxic bulk cargoes to the
definition of 'garbage' and specifying the requirements for record-keeping for
garbage-related operations on commercial carriers;
Requiring ships to be inspected and certified for compliance with provisions
for air emissions, limiting emissions of nitrogen oxide from new diesel engines,
banning the release of ozone-depleting substances, banning the burning of
specified substances in ships' incinerators, and specifying the quality of fuel
that can be burned by ships; and
Banning the use of organotins in anti-fouling systems on ships, and requiring
ships' anti-fouling systems to be inspected and certified.
The proposed changes will be published in the Canada Gazette Part I on
June 17, 2006.
Following publication in the Canada Gazette Part I, there is a 90-day
period for the public to respond. After consideration of the comments, the
regulations will be finalized and published in the Canada Gazette Part II.
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Contacts:
Natalie Sarafian
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities, Ottawa
(613) 991-0700
Kirsten Goodnough
Communications
Transport Canada, Ottawa
(613) 993-0055
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.
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