Oil Pollution (OILPOL) Convention of 1954, United States
From The Encyclopedia of Earth
September 4, 2008, 10:17 pm
The Oil Pollution Convention of 1954 was the first international treaty that attempted to protect the sea from pollution by oil tankers by prohibiting tankers to discharge oil, or any oil mixture containing more than 100 parts of oil per million, within specified prohibited zones. A prohibited zone covers an area 50 miles from the nearest land. The Convention came into effect on July 26, 1958. After its enactment, amendments periodically imposed more stringent standards. For instance, the 1971 amendment called for new guidelines for newly-built oil tankers. However, the 1973/78 MARPOL Convention made the 1954 Convention obsolete.
Further Reading
- Oil Pollution Convention, 1958 (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific)
- International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 (MARPOL Convention) (International Maritime Organization)
