Section 1 Scope

1.1.1 The purpose of this Chapter is to provide a methodology for confirming that a naval ship meets the applicable requirements of the International Maritime Organisation’s Conventions for the protection of the environment.

1.1.2 Compliance with this Chapter is optional. A ship meeting the requirements of this Chapter will be eligible for an appropriate class notation, which will be recorded in the Register Book.

1.1.3 This Chapter details the Regulations of those Conventions that are applicable to naval ships for the purposes of these Rules, and details how these are to be complied with.

1.2.1 The requirements of this Chapter are to be applied where a Certificate of Compliance or Class Notation for Pollution Prevention (POL) is requested.

1.2.2 As a minimum, compliance with the requirements of POL (I,AFS) is to be satisfied as a prerequisite for the ENV notation included in Vol 3, Pt 3, Ch 2 Environmental Protection.

1.3.1 Where all applicable Conventions are currently complied with, the notation POL will be eligible for a ‘Star’ endorsement (POL*) to indicate that the arrangements on board are in accordance with National Administration requirements. This does not necessarily denote automatic endorsement by the National Administration. The ‘Star’ endorsement indicates full compliance with all current applicable Conventions in force as applied to commercial vessels registered with a Flag Administration, based on the dates indicated in the Conventions. Characters representing all of the applicable Conventions are included in brackets, e.g. (I, IV, V, VI, AFS, BWM). Agreed Exceptions would be allowed with this notation; however, the ‘Star’ endorsement would not be assigned if an Exemption has been agreed, see Vol 1, Pt 1, Ch 2, 3.2 Tailoring – Departures from the Rules and Rule additions.

1.3.2 Where a ship is not fully compliant with all relevant requirements of the Conventions, the POL notation will be assigned without the ‘Star’ endorsement. Only those characters that represent the Conventions with which the ship currently complies will be assigned. The keel laying date will be used as the Date of Application. Agreed Exceptions would be allowed with this notation; however, a convention character would not be assigned if an Exemption has been agreed or the convention implementation dates have not been complied with.

1.3.3 The applicable convention characters are shown in Table 1.1.1 Convention characters available with POL notation.

1.4.1 Once awarded, the notation will remain assigned. However, when retrospective legislation, such as the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, comes into force, the ship will require assessment for compliance. If the convention requirements are met, the applicable convention character would be applied (e.g. IHM). If the convention requirements are not met then the ‘Star’ endorsement would be removed if currently assigned.