According to the amendment, requirements will be established for both bunkering and transhipment of petroleum and petroleum products at sea, on lakes Peipus and Pskov, and the Narva River, to ensure better protection of the aquatic environment from possible pollution and to avoid endangering human lives during pollution. Compared to the current procedure, the draft regulation includes the requirements that derive from the recommendations of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM). “Currently, treatment of petroleum products is regulated by the procedure approved by the Government regulation in 1996,” Olev Luhtein, adviser at the Marine Environment Department of the Ministry of the Environment noted. “Preparation of a new regulation was necessary due to the fact that, compared to 1996, bunkering at sea has become popular worldwide to provide ships with fuel, as well as the transhipment of petroleum and petroleum products in bulk from one ship to another at sea,” he specified. The draft provides that before bunkering, the captains of both ships shall sign a standard filled checklist in a language that is understandable to both ships, i.e., either in Estonian or English. It also establishes the procedure of communication between the bunker ship and the receiving ship, as well as requirements for hoses and other equipment used in the bunkering procedure. An order to start bunkering is given by a competent management member of the receiving ship who will also manage the entire bunkering process, is responsible for its management and has to have a constant overview of the filling level of all tanks on the ship. Transhipment of petroleum and petroleum products in bulk from one ship to another has to be in accordance with the guidelines provided by the International Maritime Bureau and the Oil Companies International Marine Forum. Transhipment may be started only when at least one ship is steadily anchored, and it is not allowed in icy waters. |
