A Seafarer’s Guide

This offers a general guide to some of the United States’ environmental laws that cover your and your fellow crew members’ actions while working aboard a vessel. The Center for Seafarers’ Rights at the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) publishes this and other materials on environmental issues to equip you with information on your rights while employed and to help you inform other seafarers. We encourage questions, comments and suggestions from readers.

Some provisions of these laws may have changed since publication. The following summary of portions of U.S. laws and regulations does not replace either the full text of the laws or the advice of qualified counsel.

U.S. Environmental Laws

In the last few years, seafarers entering United States waters have encountered vigorous and frequent investigations and prosecutions of environmental crimes and related offenses. These prosecutions usually involve a charge of deliberate discharge of oil by someone (or multiple people) aboard the vessel. More often, officials bring charges against persons who tried to cover up the action through false record book entries.

A variety of reasons can lead to the belief that violating a law might not be a bad idea: saving time, saving money for the company, or saving a job (because of an order from a superior). But generally a violation has the opposite effect, leading to large fines for the company and seafarers, long trials and possible jail time.

While most seafarers behave honorably throughout the course of their employment, it is critical for all seafarers to understand the importance of protecting the marine environment, the United States’ laws that govern pollution offenses and the consequences of violating those laws. Seafarers may also find themselves serving as witnesses in pollution cases, possibly having to stay in the U.S. until they can give their testimony.

Several important statutes in the United States regulate marine pollution. The U.S. has ratified a number of international conventions you may already be familiar with, such as MARPOL¹. Other laws exist that you may not know of but still need to follow while in U.S. waters.

Seafarers encounter many different types of waste during the course of their work, all of which they must dispose of according to national and international laws and regulations. For further information, SCI’s The Importance of Protecting the Marine Environment explains more about the types of pollution and the ways pollution from shipping impacts the environment.

¹ MARPOL is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships. It specifies standards for stowing, handling, shipping, and transferring pollutant cargoes, as well as standards for discharging of ship-generated wastes. Annexes to the MARPOL Convention set out regulations covering the various sources of ship-generated pollution. Annex I and II are mandatory for all signatories to MARPOL. Annexes III, IV and V are considered optional. The five annexes are: Annex I — Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil; Annex II — Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances (NLS); Annex III — Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances in Packaged Forms; Annex IV — Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Sewage; and Annex V — Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage.

About These Guides

These materials produced in cooperation with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Reporting an Incident

To report a pollution incident involving your vessel, you should contact the National Response Center.

The National Response Center (NRC) is the sole federal point of contact for reporting oil and chemical spills.

To report a spill, contact the NRC via their toll-free number +1 800-424-8802 or complete an online spill-report form at http://www.nrc.uscg.mil. The NRC website contains additional information on reporting requirements and procedures.

For those without 800 access, please contact them at +1 202-267-2675. The NRC operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

We hope this is a helpful general guide for you and your shipmates to protect the environment while promoting a safe and efficient workplace. Remember, the actions of you and your fellow crew members can have a lasting impact—it’s critical that communication on board is clear and constant.

To contact the Center for Seafarers’ Rights, please email us at csr@seamenschurch.org or call +1 973-589-5828.

Douglas B. Stevenson, Director

Resources

Click the links below to download PDFs of the print brochures.

Understanding U.S. Pollution Laws: A Seafarers' Guide

Understanding The Consequences of Violating Environmental Laws: A Seafarers' Guide

Understanding The Importance of Protecting the Marine Environment: A Seafarers' Guide

Click the link below to download an accompanying PowerPoint presentation designed to help shipping companies explain their environmental policies and practices.

"Bridging the Gap" PowerPoint Presentation