1.1 This specification covers the design, manufacture, installation, performance, and operation of a shipboard oil pollution abatement system (OPAS) that collects, transfers, and processes all the oily waste generated from incidental operation of machinery spaces. This specification applies to commercial and public vessels and is intended for use by designers, manufacturers, purchasers, installers, and operators of shipboard OPAS to determine the requirements for system design, equipment manufacture, equipment purchase, system integration and installation, and system in-service operation. This specification and its supplementary sections may be tailored to meet the specific user’s needs to cover from OPAS new construction to retrofitting of individual OPAS equipment.

1.2 OPAS is comprised of drain tanks, bilge suctions, transfer pumps, Oily Bilge Water Holding Tanks, Oil Residue (sludge) Tanks, 15 ppm Bilge Separator systems, 15 ppm Bilge Alarm, automatic stopping device, and deck connections. The 15 ppm Bilge Separator is considered to be applicable for use to separate oily bilge water and ballast water from fuel oil tanks. Treatment of ballast water is addressed in other regulations/standards and is not addressed herein.

1.3 This specification covers the system from the point of entering the OPAS until the oil-water mixture is treated, the clean water meeting the applicable discharge limits is discharged overboard, and the separated oil is contained for on shore disposal or further treatment. It also includes concepts for minimizing oily waste generation. This specification is intended to augment the existing regulations, provide the user options to meet their specific needs, and should not be considered a replacement for overriding regulation.

1.4 It is recognized that the development and testing of high capacity separating equipment designed for dealing with effluent from cargo tanks on tankers pose special problems and such equipment is not required to be tested under International Maritime Organization (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) resolution MEPC.107 (49) nor is it covered in this specification

1.5 There are means to reduce the volume of bilge or process oily waste, or both, that are not considered 15 ppm Bilge Separators systems. Examples include incinerators, evaporators, combinations thereof, and other technologies. Such processes may require addressing all potential issues with the system such as toxicology and emissions to atmosphere. Such means or processes, or both, are out of scope of this specification.

1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.