“Normal Operations of a Ship” in MARPOL: A Review of MARPOL's Travaux

The document analyzes the MARPOL negotiations to clarify what constitutes "normal operations of a ship," finding that the term was never formally defined and does not encompass industrial processes conducted onboard vessels.

• The term "normal operations of a ship" was never formally defined by the parties during the negotiation of MARPOL.
• The preparatory works indicate that "normal operations" refer to wastes resulting from a ship's movement and the presence of its crew, rather than industrial production. This includes ballast, oil, fuel, lubricants, food waste, sewage, and garbage.
• MARPOL's negotiators did not address, study, or provide receiving facilities for hazardous wastes generated by industrial or factory operations conducted onboard ships.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2012). “Normal Operations of a Ship” in MARPOL: A Review of MARPOL's Travaux. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Marpol_26Jun2012.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. “Normal Operations of a Ship” in MARPOL: A Review of MARPOL's Travaux. 2012. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Marpol_26Jun2012.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=“Normal Operations of a Ship” in MARPOL: A Review of MARPOL's Travaux |date=26 June 2012 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Marpol_26Jun2012.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2012normal, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{“Normal Operations of a Ship” in MARPOL: A Review of MARPOL's Travaux}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2012}, month = jun, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Marpol_26Jun2012.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }