1 The Marine Environment protection Committee, at its thirty-third session, adopted amendment to
the Standards for Procedures and Arrangements for the Discharge of Noxious Liquid Substances
which included restriction on the types of detergents used in tank washing as follows:
"1.8.2 When small amounts of detergents are added to water in order to facilitate tank
washing, no detergents containing pollution category A components should be used
except those components that are readily biodegradable and present in a total
concentration of less than 10%. No restrictions additional to those applicable to the
tank due to the previous cargo should apply."
2 These amendments are implemented as of 1 July 1996, chemical tankers will therefore only be
able to use those detergent products (additives to water for purposes of cleaning) evaluated and
approved by the Organization.
3 A list of cleaning additives which had been evaluated through the BCH Working Group on the
Evaluation of Safety and Pollution Hazards of Chemicals and found to meet the requirements of
paragraph 1.8.2 of the P & A Standards was attached to MEPC/Cire.305. The evaluation of other
cleaning additives continued during the first session of the Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids and
Gases, held in March 1996, and a list of the additional cleaning additives was issued under
MEPC/Circ.305/Add.1.
4 Those cleaning additives evaluated during the second and third sessions of the Sub-Committee on
Bulk Liquids and Gases held in April 1997 and July 1998 respectively are included in the annex
to this document.