This post addresses the newest discharge standards imposed by New York state. To be brief, firstly, all vessels having VGP (Vessel General Permit) and calling NY ports and/or transiting NY waters have to have ballast water treatment systems installed by the 1st of January 2012. These systems have to meet the most stringent NY's ballast water discharge standards, approximately 100 times more stringent the IMO regulation D-2 standard. Secondly, New York's condition to the VGP states that a vessel may not discharge treated or untreated graywater into New York water, or 3 n.m. of the shoreline.
The state-of-the-art in research and technology conclude that there is no certified technology currently available to meet the NY's highest discharge standards by 2012, and it is unlikely to be available to meet the New York's deadline. Therefore, for the time being, NY requires that requests for waiver extension shall be submittd no later than the 30th of June 2010, the extension requests shall be submitted toNew York Department of Environmental conservation, and shall be able to demonstrate that (*) there is a lack in supply of appropriate technology to meet the standards, vessel-specific engineering constraint or factors, beyond the owner/operator's control. (*) the absence of technology is the only reason the deadline can not be met and the Owner/Operator has exhausted all other options to comply, (*) and also, when the vessel will be made compliant with the discharge standard.
It has to be mentioned that it is prohibited to discharge graywater either treated or untreated regardless of whether water treatment technology has been installed or not. Graywater can not be discharged even if treated. Therefore the only feasible option seems to retain the graywater aboard while in NY state waters, either in an ad-hoc graywater/blackwater tank or by diverting it to a ballast water tank for later discharge at sea. Any modifications to piping system and tanks must be approved by Class and should be completed by the vessel's next scheduled drydock.
As this administration has failed to address ballast water with an adequate plan many states have had to spend huge amounts of money to defend laws need to protect their waters from international shipping. Now the President has encouraged Governor Patterson to step aside, and is supporting Senator Boxer of California, who killed the change we needed for national legislation, concerning ballast water back 2008, passed by the House 395-7. It is important that the next governor of NY will continue the courageous work Governor Patterson has done. Hopefully our next governor will realize the failure of Congress and this administrations to protect our countries water. Governor Patterson must have realized this and was not be happy with the commander and chiefs military plan to follow an international organization of business and shipping. He has been defending this with our states money despite the economy and political aspects. Those who care about this issue and believe we can not let foreign business continue to soil and destroy our countries environment for their profits, and believe we need to act now or there will be nothing left for our children should start now to address potential candidates for governor.
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