The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization will amend the “Regulation on Waste Collection from the Vessels and Waste Control” and the yachts, boats and vessels will be equipped by a “Tracking System of Sewage Water” under this new practise.
According to the statement of Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, the waste management of vessels in Turkey is maintained by the Regulation on Waste Collection from the Vessels and Waste Control under the control of the Ministry.
The waste is collected separately from vessels without being mixed into the sea and stored in separate tanks in reception facilities. Wastes collected in reception facilities (bilge water, sludge, slop) are largely used as additional fuel for energy recovery and those cannot be used as a fuel are disposed of at the final incineration plants.
The shore facilities collect the waste and wastewater from the loads carried by the vessels, the solid waste and the waste from equipment to prevent air pollution under the regulation and the sea is prevented to be polluted.
The Ministry will amend the “Regulation on Waste Collection from the Vessels and Waste Control”. Revising the regulation, the Ministry broached the draft regulation to the public.
The regulation will also enable the management of wastes from vessels in inland waterways, lakes, and rivers and it will also be able to collect waste from the support vessels, platforms, ships and similar structures that are used for drilling activities.
According to the draft regulation, the waste will be removed from the reception plant without establishing a waste commission.
It will be tracked online and instantly
Under the regulation, the waste water tanks of the oil tankers below 150 gross tons and other vessels under 400 gross tons, as well as the vessels such as yachts and boats,will be equipped with “Tracking System of Sewage Water (PSTS)” within the principles to be determined by the Ministry.
PSTS will track online and instantly. In the event of an unexpected change in the waste water tanks of the vessels, included in the scope, these vessels will be subject to legal action.
The vessels with waste water treatment devices will be able to discharge their waste water into sea in designated locations after performing the necessary treatment pursuant to the criteria set forth in the Annex IV of the Marpol Convention.
The established dedicated teams will strictly follow the vessel waste. The vessels will be prevented to discharge into sea from their waste water tanks. Vessels with a waste tank load of over 80 percent are not permitted to sail.
PSTS, as set forth in the draft regulation, covers nearly 70,000 yachts and boats across the country. The system will also help to manage waste generated at lakes and rivers by installing sensors on vessels.
