Clean Ships, Clean Ports, Clean Oceans: Controlling Garbage and Plastic Wastes at Sea (1995)

Chapter: Offshore Platforms, Rigs, Supply Vessels, and Their Shore Bases

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Suggested Citation: "Offshore Platforms, Rigs, Supply Vessels, and Their Shore Bases." National Research Council. 1995. Clean Ships, Clean Ports, Clean Oceans: Controlling Garbage and Plastic Wastes at Sea. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4769.
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V compliance programs that can serve as models for the private sector. Each service should develop, in coordination with the other agencies, an internal strategy for compliance, and each service should articulate that strategy and end reliance on temporary coping mechanisms. The Navy should continue to develop a separate scheme for its auxiliary fleet. All strategies should emphasize source reduction and the provision of adequate garbage reception facilities at home ports. Zero-discharge capability should be achieved for vessels that take short trips or transit special areas.

Offshore Platforms, Rigs, Supply Vessels, and Their Shore Bases

Objective: Achieve zero discharge at sea

With storage space on offshore oil and gas platforms and a continuous stream of supply boats able to shuttle garbage to shore, this sector should be able to refrain from contributing to the marine debris problem once several key problems are addressed.

First, steps should be taken to minimize losses of supplies and waste materials that fall off platforms in harsh conditions and contribute to the marine debris problem. In addition, the Coast Guard should examine garbage logs during its occasional inspections of platforms. These records also could be examined by the Minerals Management Service (MMS) as part of its routine rig inspections. The Coast Guard could pursue an MOU with the MMS as a mechanism for enabling the latter to enforce Annex V on oil platforms.

Objective: Assure comprehensive garbage management system, including adequate port reception facilities

Although the MMS oversees offshore platforms, the other segments of the industry—supply boats and shore bases—are not regulated as tightly. These weak links in the garbage management system need to be strengthened.

Supply boats and shore bases should be monitored in some fashion to assure proper garbage handling. Boats could be boarded by the Coast Guard, and their

Objectives for Offshore Industry

  • Achieve zero discharge at sea

  • Assure comprehensive garbage management system, including adequate port reception facilities

  • Assure that seagoing and management personnel are provided with appropriate Annex V information, education, and training
Page 233 Cite Bookmark
Suggested Citation: "Offshore Platforms, Rigs, Supply Vessels, and Their Shore Bases." National Research Council. 1995. Clean Ships, Clean Ports, Clean Oceans: Controlling Garbage and Plastic Wastes at Sea. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4769.
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