Ships’ Stacks Must Clean Up Their Emissions Under New Rules

Oceangoing ships will have to switch to cleaner fuel, reducing their sooty emissions, under new rules from the International Maritime Organization. The vessels’ current high-sulfur fuel produces fine particulates, which cause heart and respiratory disease and have been blamed for 60,000 annual deaths worldwide. Under the new rules, ship operators must reduce sulfur content in coastal areas by 63 percent as of July 2010, and by more than 95 percent by 2015. Individual countries will establish the boundaries for these restricted coastal zones. Midocean standards for sulfur content will also tighten to 5,000 parts per million, compared to the current average of 27,000 of parts per million (and allowable maximum of 45,000 ppm). The maritime organization, representing 168 countries and 300,000 ships, first approved a version of these restrictions last spring.