Within 12-25 NM, which discharge is allowed?

Master the Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling (NSS) – Officer of the Deck (OOD) Phase 2 Exam with engaging flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Prepare comprehensively for your test!

Multiple Choice

Within 12-25 NM, which discharge is allowed?

Discharges are governed by MARPOL and depend on how far you are from land and how the waste has been treated. Oily bilge water that has been processed through an oil–water separator can be discharged at sea, provided the oil content in the effluent is within allowed limits (typically about 15 ppm) and the ship is en route, away from coastal restricted zones. In the 12–25 nautical mile band you’re outside the near-shore prohibition on oily water discharges, so properly treated oily waste is allowed there. Gray water and black water (sewage) have stricter restrictions and are not permitted to discharge within that zone without meeting specific treatment standards or shore disposal arrangements. Dunnage and other cargo garbage are generally prohibited for discharge closer to land and are not allowed within that band either. So the oily waste that has passed through the oil–water separator is the discharge that fits the rule in this distance range.

Discharges are governed by MARPOL and depend on how far you are from land and how the waste has been treated. Oily bilge water that has been processed through an oil–water separator can be discharged at sea, provided the oil content in the effluent is within allowed limits (typically about 15 ppm) and the ship is en route, away from coastal restricted zones. In the 12–25 nautical mile band you’re outside the near-shore prohibition on oily water discharges, so properly treated oily waste is allowed there.

Gray water and black water (sewage) have stricter restrictions and are not permitted to discharge within that zone without meeting specific treatment standards or shore disposal arrangements. Dunnage and other cargo garbage are generally prohibited for discharge closer to land and are not allowed within that band either. So the oily waste that has passed through the oil–water separator is the discharge that fits the rule in this distance range.

More practice questions