Welcome to the Marine Environmental Protection Alliance (MEPA), a dedicated coalition of individuals and organizations united by a shared commitment to the health and future of the world’s marine environments and our collective responsibility to protect it.
A number of international scholars, professors of law, and environmental attorneys believe there should be no need for regulation because the use of scrubbers is contradictory to various laws, regulations, and Agreements already in place. Additionally, many contend that the regulation is in strict violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea’s (UNCLOS). Article 192 of UNCLOS obligates States to “protect and preserve the marine environment”; Article 195, establishes a “duty not to transfer damage or hazards or transform one type of pollution into another.”; and Article 196 makes it clear that “States shall take all measures necessary to prevent, reduce and control pollution of the marine environment resulting from the use of technologies under their jurisdiction...which may cause significant and harmful changes thereto.”
Read the Relevant UN Agreements/Conventions
Court examples to support this scholarly view include a 2023 lawsuit against the EPA for failure to finalize standards to protect U.S. waterways from harmful vessel discharges, including those from cruise ships that utilize scrubbers.
In 2024 the investigative arm of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, created by the U.S. Canada-Mexico trade agreement, concluded there is evidence that Canada is failing to stop the release of millions of tonnes of contaminated water from scrubbers, despite existing laws that are meant to prevent it.
Indirectly related to the use of scrubbers, a coalition of NGOs are suing the EU Commission for their ruling that will allow the aviation and shipping industries to be eligible for green financing based on what the NGOs assert is weak criteria, given that these industries can be eligible while running entirely on fossil fuels.
Read Our Recent Article Here.
While the IMO also allows and encourages states to “independently certify alternative compliance mechanisms,” this is an unfortunate contradiction, and in direct opposition for many states, specifically due to their binding obligation to UNCLOS. In addition to the UNCLOS Conventions, the following “protections ”for the world’s oceans are also in place. The question is...why are these Agreements not being honored as they relate to the use of ship scrubbers?
Large ships have historically been powered by the cheapest fuels from the bottom of the petroleum barrel, which is laden with ash and so viscous it must be heated on board before it can be used. These heavy fuel oils are so toxic that they are heavily restricted in use and may be universally banned on land in the near future, yet their waste is permitted to flow into the ocean through the installation of ship scrubbers.
There are currently 45 counties in more than 90 Jurisdictions that have enacted scrubber discharge bans and restrictions, and 86% of these measures are bans, not mere restrictions. Although these efforts are a monumental step in the right direction, the global restrictions apply only to the dumping of scrubber waste within their territorial seas and not to the use of scrubbers themselves. Given this global trend, the IMO must take action and remove the loophole it created.
Ultimately, the solution is quite simple. New scrubber installations should be banned worldwide, shipping companies should be required to use low-sulphur fuels or other emerging technology, and the loophole that allowed the use of scrubbers should be closed. Without a global prohibition, we can expect more and more ships to take advantage of the cost savings of installing scrubbers while causing further, irreparable harm to air and sea.
After nearly five years, there is enough scientific data to support the outdated scrubber technology and proof of the damaging global impact they have already caused. By not implementing a full and total ban, the IMO is directly violating the environmental issues they claim to have been trying to address from the start. The closing chapter here must read "Oceans Saved” not “Oceans Doomed.”
Join us in our efforts to demand a total ban on ship scrubbers. Contact Us Today!
With renewables generating more electricity than fossil fuels for the first time in 2024, the UK sets the example.
While the cost of scrubber installations decreases, the ocean is paying the price.
Europe’s container ships are emitting as much pollution as they did six years ago. Why?
.png){kind=small}
We are always open to collaborating with passionate individuals and organizations who share our visions and hopes for the future survival of our ocean.
LET'S WORK TOGETHER.
.png){kind=small}
To manage cookies in your browser, follow the instructions for your browser:
.png)
.png)
