Recently the Ministry of Environmental Protection and AQSIQ of China jointly released the formal document of national standard of Discharge Standard of Water Pollutants from Ships (GB 3552-2018 “Discharge Standard”) to substitute GB3552-83. The Discharge Standard is made out to suit for the requirements under both MARPOL and national laws and regulations. It will come into force as of 1st July 2018 whereas GB3552-83 will be repealed.

The Discharge Standard applies to all ships (except military ships) in territory waters and waters under the jurisdiction of China. Comparing with GB3552-83, the Discharge Standard has made the following main revisions:

i)                    Adding the discharge requirements for waste water containing noxious liquid substances;

ii)                  As for the discharge control of sewage, it adds 6 indexes to be monitored, i.e. PH value, CODCr, total chlorine, ammonia nitrogen and total phosphorus;

iii)                Lowering the discharging limit of BOD5, SS and thermotoletant coliform bacteria in the oily wastewater and sewage;

iv)                Adjusting the classification plan for garbage from ships and the discharge standard;

v)                  Ascertaining monitor methods on oily wastewater from machinery space and sewage;

vi)                Forbidding sewage discharge in Drinking Water Protection Areas of China and requiring that ships shall record down the control measures that have been taken.

According to the new Standard, it will replace Effluent Standard for Pollutants from Ship which is being effective. The MSA will be responsible for the supervision and implementation of the Standard over the ships in port areas.