The Government is proposing amendments to the Merchant Shipping (Prevention and Control of Pollution)(Specification of Substances) Order to keep the list of substances in line with the international requirements.

A Marine Department spokesman today (Tuesday) said that the Amendment Order, to be gazetted on Friday (July 23) was of a purely technical nature.

It also gives effect to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Resolution MEPC.72(38).

"With this regard, the Director of Marine can give directions when a maritime casualty occurs which involves such substances.

"The Amendment Order is therefore an improvement to the marine environment," the spokesman added.

Under the Merchant Shipping (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Ordinance, the Director of Marine has the authority to specify any substance as "substance other than oil" by Order published in the Gazette for the application of Part III of the Ordinance.

The International Convention Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties, 1969 (the Convention) and the Protocol Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Pollution by Substances other than Oil 1973 (the Protocol) are both given effect in Hong Kong via the Merchant Shipping (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Ordinance (Cap 413) Part III.

And, the Merchant Shipping (Prevention and Control of Pollution)(Specification of Substances) Order gives effect to the annex to the Protocol and specify those substances other than oil for the application of section 6(1)(b) of Cap. 413.

The Annex to the Protocol was amended from time to time to reflect technical advancement and new chemicals regulated by the Protocol in the marine transportation.

"The Convention establishes internationally agreed rules for necessary measures to be taken on the high seas by a country threatened by a grave and imminent risk of oil pollution as a result of maritime casualty, while the Protocol is established to extend the provisions of the Convention to cover pollution resulting from substances other than oil," the spokesman said.

In addition, the Resolution MEPC.72(38) was adopted by IMO in July 1996 for the purpose of amending the annex to the Protocol and the Resolution has entered into force internationally on 19 December 1997.

Tuesday, 20 July 1999