S.L. 499.12 Art. 65General operational resources, administrative and procedural requirements.

(1) Without prejudice to any other provisions contained in these regulations, the owner and Master of a bunker barge shall ensure that all bunker supply operations are undertaken in full compliance with all the requirements laid down in the Relevant

Instruments, which include:

(a) during every bunkering operation within any port area, containment booms of such a size and range as to effectively contain any oil spill potential to such an operation, shall be properly and effectively deployed;

(b) when such operations are undertaken at an 'open face' wharf or jetty, additional containment booms of adequate size and range shall be deployed alongside such wharf or jetty, by the bunker barge, so as to effectively prevent any ingress of any potential oil spill;

(c) when a bunkering operation is carried out within a port, adequate "Fence" booms shall be effectively deployed fore and aft, between the barge and receiving ship, to contain any possible oil-spill;

(d) any oil-spill or accidental equipment failure which may increase the normal pollution hazards of any operation, shall be immediately reported to the Authority;

(e) during every bunkering operation, the bunker barge shall have aboard adequate supplies of approved absorbent materials and oil dispersants readily and immediately available; but oil dispersants shall only be deployed with the permission of the Authority, taking into account the circumstances of each case;

(f) a motor-propelled boat shall be carried on board the bunker barge equipped with sufficient supplies of oil dispersant and efficient means of applying same, for the purpose of providing effective "first-aid" pollution control;

(g) the boat described in paragraph (f) shall be capable of being swiftly and readily launched at any time during bunkering operations and both the craft, its propulsion machinery and oil dispersant equipment must be maintained at the highest levels of preparedness;

(h) all bunker barge cargo transfer equipment and hoses, navigational, safety, and pollution prevention/control equipment, shall always be maintained in good working order and the Master and crew properly trained in their effective use and deployment;

(i) all hoses and other appliances used for bunkering operations, the operational practices conducted with them and the certification required for them, shall be in strict accordance with the requirements of regulation 35(1) to (6) and (8) and (9);

(j) at all times during bunker operations within any port, adequate types and quantities of spill-removal skimmers approved by the Authority, sufficient to effectively remove any potential bunker operation-generated spill shall be provided by the bunker barge owner and properly maintained in readiness for immediate use as required;

(k) at all times during bunker operations within any port area, temporary portable emergency spill storage tanks of adequate types and capacities approved by the Authority, must be provided by the bunker barge owner and properly maintained in readiness for immediate use as required;

(l) all mechanical pollution prevention/control equipment and operational ancillaries, such as pumps, compressors, hydraulic power packs and motivating units must be tested at regular intervals not exceeding three months;

(m) effective and planned maintenance schemes, approved by the Authority, must be prepared and properly implemented by the bunker barge owner to ensure that all pollution prevention/control equipment is continuously and effectively maintained in good working order. Such schemes must include a checklist aide-memoire for use of all personnel concerned with the usage and maintenance of such equipment and systems;

(n) the planned maintenance schemes, specified in paragraph (m), and both routine and exceptional maintenance data shall be recorded in detail and kept readily available for inspection by the Authority;

(o) any pollution prevention/control degradeable media, referred to in this regulation, shall be regularly operationally tested at not less than biannual intervals, to establish their continued effectiveness: Provided that, five years from the date of manufacture of such media, testing of representative samples shall be conducted annually at laboratory facilities recognised by the Authority, for the purpose of obtaining a certificate that such media continue to be effective for their intended purpose;

(p) a bunker barge owner shall ensure that an adequate number of personnel are fully trained by organisations recognised by the Authority in the effective handling, usage and application of all pollution prevention/ control equipment and media, so as to ensure full and effective pollution prevention/control coverage at all times during bunker operations;

(q) a bunker barge owner shall also ensure that such personnel, referred to in paragraph (p), undertake refresher courses at intervals recommended by such organisations;

(r) a bunker barge owner shall prepare effective pollution prevention/control contingency plans covering the most environmentally hazardous incidents that can occur during bunker supply operations to other ships, or reception of bunker stocks at a bunker terminal;

(s) plans, referred to in paragraph (r), must take into account both the resources of the bunker barge owner and those of the local related emergency services and their cooperation;

(t) a bunker barge owner shall conduct, at least biannually, pollution-response drills, approved by the Authority, utilising his own resources and personnel, making actual usage of or testing all equipment, facilities and systems by both designated and alternate personnel;

(u) each bunker barge owner shall also participate in all joint pollution-response manoeuvres which may be organised by the Authority from time to time in conjunction with other concerned agencies and services;

(v) the Authority may suspend or refuse renewal of a bunker barge licence authorisation if any of the following equipment aboard a bunkering barge are missing, inoperative, or inadequate, until such time as such deficiencies are rectified to the satisfaction of the Authority:

(i) Compass;

(ii) Radar;

(iii) Echo Sounder;

(iv) Rudder Angle Indicator;

(v) Daylight Signalling Lamp;

(vi) Barometer;

(vii) Thermometer;

(viii) Inclinometer;

(ix) Binoculars;

(x) all charts available for the waters of Malta;

(xi) at least two properly maintained high or low pressure fenders adequate for the intended operations;

(xii) two electrical generators, each of sufficient rated output to supply all the bunker barge’s operational requirements, must be in working order throughout any period when bunkering operations are being undertaken;

(xiii) any items specified in paragraph (h).

(2) Such deployments and provisions as are required under subregulation (1) shall be recorded in detail for inspection by the Authority.