Provision of Ship Generated Waste Reception Service (WRS)

Introduction

As a member country of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973/78, Sri Lanka through section 21 of the Marine Pollution Prevention Act no 35 of 2008, has given the mandate to MEPA to provide a waste reception facility to ships. MEPA provides this facility through the registered service providers who provide waste reception facilities to ships that arrive at Sri Lankan ports. Section 21 and 51 of Marine Pollution Prevention Act No. 35 of 2008 entrusted the Marine Environment Protection Authority to deal with this ship-generated waste issues. In accordance with these provisions, regulations were published in the Gazette No. 1996/27 on 06 December 2016 as the Marine Environmental Protection (Waste Reception Facilities) Regulations 2016. Accordingly, the waste reception service for the ship-generated waste is provided at all commercial ports of Sri Lanka.

Objectives

Prevent, minimize, or control the disposal of ship generated waste into the marineenvironment.
Fulfill the obligatory requirements of the international convention of MARPOL 73/78.
Provide adequate waste reception service to ships without causing undue delay to the ships.
Ensure the standards of Sri Lankan ports to international level and sustainability of maritime industries.
Ensure the ship waste disposal operations meet national standards.
Generate additional income to the government.

Validity period of WRS annual registration

One calendar year from the effective date of registration.

Terms and conditions

All terms and conditions of the annual registration of service providers are published in the Gazette No. 1996/27 on 06 December 2016 as the Marine Environmental Protection (Waste Reception Facilities) Regulations 2016.

Procedure for Annual Registering of Service Providers

Following documents should be submitted and conditions should be fulfilled by a Service Provider:

A copy of the certificate of incorporation issued by the Registrar General of Companies under the Companies Act, No. 07 of 2007.
A copy of the license obtained for the purpose of operating within a port for the appropriate category issued by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority under the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Act, No. 51 of 1979.
A copy of the clearance letter issued by the Sri Lanka Customs Department for the purpose of collecting junk from ships.
A copy of the Scheduled Waste Management License issued by the Central Environmental Authority under the National Environment Act, No. 47 of 1980 for the purpose of carrying out the collection, storage, transportation, and disposal of hazardous oily waste.
A copy of the permit for solid waste disposal issued by the respective local government authority or any other agency approved by the Authority.
A copy of the permit for sewage disposal issued by the respective Local Government Authority or any other agency approved by the Authority.
A copy of the hose testing certificate in respect of oil removing hoses issued by an ISO certified hose testing company.
Particulars relating to the personnel engaged in reception operations.
Particulars relating to the safety equipment which are available for the use of people engaged in Reception operations.
Particulars relating to the combating equipment which are available to be used for the mitigation of accidental spillages.
A copy of the report of testing and inspection of metallic tanks for transportation of hazardous material.

All companies which seek to remove ship-generated waste from ships calling at Sri Lankan ports should apply for the waste reception annual registration.

Type of Waste categories

An applicant shall apply for a registry, one or more following types of waste category/categories.

Type of Port Apply for Registry

An applicant shall apply for one or more of the following port/ports type/types

The application should be submitted within the period notified by the paper advertisement.

Application Procedure

Step 1: Submitting the Application

Service provider annual registration application is published in schedule II of the Marine Environment Protection (waste reception facilities) Regulations 2016. The application form could be obtained from the MEPA headquarters or district office of Galle, Hambantota, and Trincomalee within the period declared for calling applications by the paper advertisement. A duly filled application shall be submitted to the headquarters or relevant district office of the MEPA. The applicant must provide all the particulars requested in the application form and submit with the relevant copies of supporting documents for the category/ categories of waste applicant requested for registration. Application fee Rs 1500.00

Step 2: Evaluation of the Application

MEPA will evaluate the application and rest of the submitted documents and will inform documentary gaps and lapses to be fulfilled before carryout the field inspection. After completing this stage, then the application will proceed to step 3.

Step 3: Field Inspection

The inspection team of MEPA will carry out the field inspection in order to assess and ensure the details furnished in the application are fulfilling the regulatory requirements.

Step 4: Inspection Report and Approval

The inspection team will prepare an inspection report, if there are any regulatory requirements to be fulfilled, the applicant will be informed and after completing them, step 3 will proceed again. When all the regulatory requirements recommended in the applicant’s inspection report are completed, the registration will be approved and proceed to step 5.

Step 5: Informing the annual registration fee and deposit

Once the approval is granted, the applicant will be informed of the registration fee for the type of waste category and the ports that he/she applied for. The fee for annual registration is as per schedule III of the Marine Environment Protection (waste reception facilities) Regulation 2016. In addition to the registration fee, applicants should deposit Rs. 300 000.00 if the registration includes waste oil category and if not Rs.25 000.00 and maintain it during the year in which the permit is valid.

Step 6: Renewing the registration

The permit is valid for one calendar year and the re-registration application should be submitted after the relevant advertisement is published for the next year’s registration and should follow the procedure same as above mentioned steps. All the registered service providers are registered to WRS e-service with separate usernames and passwords. Application for ship waste removal permits, permit fee and charges for removal of waste oil deducted from the deposit, account balances, and all the relevant details of ship waste removal jobs could be checked by the service provider through an online system.

Procedure of Ship Generated waste Removal

Mandatory advanced notification form for waste delivery to port reception facilities for ships entering the ports of Sri Lanka

All vessels entering Sri Lankan ports must notify the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), at least 24hrs in advance of their arrival, of the amounts of waste they are carrying and intended to discharge in the Port. This should be done by completing the Marine Environment Protection Authority Advance Notification Form for Waste delivery to the port reception facility and submitting it via an online system. Link: http://www.eservices.mepa.gov.lk/advancenotification/loadAdvanceNotification.action An advance notification form must be completed in every voyage a vessel visits Sri Lankan ports.

Waste Delivery Request

Ships (or agents acting on their behalf) must send the amount of waste they intend to land to the MEPA up to 24 hours in advance of their arrival by logging onto Link: http://www.eservices.mepa.gov.lk/advancenotification/loadWasteDisposalRequest.action and filling in the online waste disposal request form for the MEPA.

Issuing Permit for Ship Generated Waste Removal Operation

A registered service provider named by the ship’s waste delivery request shall apply for the waste reception permit for that particular ship.

Removal of Ship waste and issue Waste Delivery Certificate to Ship

With the approvals of relevant agencies, the Service Provider may remove the waste that is requested by the ship under the supervision of MEPA officials and accordingly, MEPA will issue a waste delivery certificate to the ship.

Waste Transport and Dispose

All the waste oil bowsers must first be transported to the MEPA port office for sampling, and after complete sampling, Service Provider must transport waste oil bowsers/ other types of waste loaded vehicles with the relevant agencies’ approvals from Sri Lanka Ports Authority premises to final destinations approved by the MEPA.