MEPC 55/23 

 

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ANNEX 4 

RESOLUTION MEPC.152(55) 

Adopted on 13 October 2006 

GUIDELINES FOR SEDIMENT RECEPTION FACILITIES (G1) 

THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION COMMITTEE, 

RECALLING Article 38(a) of the Convention on the International Maritime 

Organization concerning the functions of the Marine Environment Protection Committee 

conferred upon it by the international conventions for the prevention and control of marine 

pollution, 

RECALLING ALSO that the International Conference on Ballast Water Management for 

Ships held in February 2004 adopted the International Convention for the Control and 

Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (the Ballast Water Management 

Convention) together with four Conference resolutions, 

NOTING that Regulation A-2 of the Ballast Water Management Convention requires that 

discharge of ballast water shall only be conducted through Ballast Water Management in 

accordance with the provisions of the Annex to the Convention, 

NOTING FURTHER that Article 5 of the Ballast Water Management Convention 

provides that, each Party undertakes to ensure that, in ports and terminals designated by that 

Party where cleaning or repair of ballast tanks occurs, adequate facilities are provided for the 

reception of sediments, taking into account the Guidelines developed by the Organization, 

NOTING ALSO that resolution 1 adopted by the International Conference on Ballast 

Water Management for Ships invited the Organization to develop these Guidelines as a matter of 

urgency, 

HAVING CONSIDERED, at its fifty-fifth session, the draft Guidelines for sediment 

reception facilities (G1) developed by the Ballast Water Working Group, and the 

recommendation made by the Sub-Committee on Flag State Implementation at its fourteenth 

session, 

1. ADOPTS the Guidelines for sediment reception facilities (G1) as set out in the Annex to 

this resolution; 

2. INVITES Governments to apply these Guidelines as soon as possible, or when the 

Convention becomes applicable to them; and 

3. AGREES to keep these Guidelines under review. 
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ANNEX 

GUIDELINES FOR SEDIMENT RECEPTION FACILITIES (G1) 

1 INTRODUCTION 

Purpose 

1.1 The purpose of these guidelines is to provide guidance for the provision of facilities for 

the reception of sediments that are provided in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention. The 

guidance is also intended to encourage a worldwide uniform interface between such facilities and 

the ships without prescribing dedicated shoreside reception plants. 

Application 

1.2 These guidelines apply to sediment reception facilities referred to in the International 

Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments 

(the Convention), Article 5 and Regulation B-5. 

1.3 These guidelines do not apply to sediment from tanks other than ballast water tanks. 

1.4 It is recognized that some countries, areas or ports have requirements or regulations 

relating to the disposal of waste materials including waste material from ships which may 

include sediment from ships ballast water tanks. These guidelines are not intended in any way to 

replace or adversely impact any local or national requirements or regulations concerning the 

disposal and/or treatment of sediment from ships ballast water tanks. 

2 DEFINITIONS 

2.1 For the purposes of these guidelines, the definitions in the Convention apply and:

.1 “Ballast Water Tank” means any tank, hold or space used for the carriage of 

ballast water as defined in Article 1 of the Convention. 

3 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECEPTION FACILITIES 

3.1 Article 5 of the Convention requires that: “reception facilities shall operate without 

causing undue delay to ships and shall provide for the safe disposal of such sediments that does 

not impair or damage their environment, human health, property or resources or those of 

other States.” 

3.2 A facility should provide the resources to enable, as far as practicable, their use by all 

ships wishing to discharge sediment from ballast water tanks. 

3.3 Each Party shall report to the Organization and, where appropriate, make available to 

other Parties, information on the availability and location of any reception facilities for the 

environmentally safe disposal of sediments. 
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4 PROVISION OF SEDIMENT RECEPTION FACILITIES 

4.1 When considering the requirements of these facilities many factors will have to be taken 

into account, these should include but not be limited to: 

.1 regional, national and local legislation which will affect the facility and related to 

the items below; 

.2 site selection; 

.3 collection, handling and transport of sediment; 

.4 sampling, testing and analysis of sediment; 

.5 storage of sediment and storage conditions; 

.6 estimated required capacity (volume/weight) including moisture content of the 

sediment the facility will handle; 

.7 environmental benefits and costs; 

.8 proximity of available sites to local ballast tank cleaning and repair facilities; 

.9 effect on the environment in construction and operation of the facility; 

.10 training of facility staff; 

.11 equipment required to off load sediment from ships, such as cranes; 

.12 human health; 

.13 safety; 

.14 maintenance; 

.15 operational limitations; and 

.16 waterway access, approaches and traffic management. 

5 TREATMENT, HANDLING AND DISPOSAL OF RECEIVED SEDIMENT 

5.1 Disposal, handling and treatment measures applied to the sediment shall avoid unwanted 

side effects that may create a risk to or damage to the Party’s environment, human health, 

property or resources or those of other States. 

5.2 Personnel involved in the handling of sediment should be aware of the possible risk to 

human health associated with sediment from ships ballast water tanks. Personnel should be 

adequately trained and be provided with suitable personal protective clothing and equipment. 

6 CAPABILITIES OF A RECEPTION FACILITY 

6.1 Reception facilities should be designed, taking into account the ship types that may be 

anticipated to use them and consideration should be given to the requirements for ballast tank 

cleaning that may take place and of repair facilities in the area(s) the reception facility serves. 

6.2 Details of the capabilities and any capacity limitations of reception process (facilities and 

equipments) should be made available to ships wishing to use the facility. The details made 

available to ships should include but not be limited to: 

.1 maximum capacity (volume or weight) of sediment; 

.2 maximum volume or weight that can be handled at any one time; 

.3 packaging and labelling requirements; 

.4 hours of operation; 

.5 ports, berths, areas where access to the facility is available; 
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.6 ship-to-shore transfer details; 

.7 if ship or shore crew are required for the transfer; 

.8 contact details for the facility; 

.9 how to request use of the facility including any notice period and what 

information is required from the ship; 

.10 all applicable fees; and 

.11 other relevant information. 

7 TRAINING 

7.1 Personnel in charge of and those employed in the provision of a sediment reception 

facility including the treatment and disposal of sediment, should have received adequate 

instruction. Frequent training should include but not be limited to: 

.1 the purpose and principles of the Convention; 

.2 the risks to the environment and human health; 

.3 risk associated with the handling of sediment including both general safety and 

human health risks; 

.4 safety; 

.5 adequate knowledge of the equipment involved; 

.6 a sufficient understanding of ships using the facility, and any operational 

constraints; 

.7 the ship/port communication interface; and 

.8 an understanding of local disposal controls. 

7.2 The training should be organized by the manager or the operator of the reception facility 

and delivered by suitably qualified professionals. 

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