Maersk supports low-sulfur coastal areas

Maersk supports low-sulfur coastal areas    Maersk Line said Wednesday it supports a proposal by the U.S. and Canadian governments to establish an emission control area (ECA) in which ships must burn low-sulfur fuel.
   The Danish line also urged the International Maritime Organization to act promptly on the proposal during its July meeting.
   'We view the actions taken by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Canadian authorities as the next logical step in addressing a vital issue facing our industry. As I have said before, shipping is an international business. As an international organization, we look forward to the continued leadership of the IMO in addressing these proposed standards on a global scale,' said John Clancey, Maersk Inc. chairman.
   The two countries in March said they want the IMO to create a 200-nautical-mile (230-mile) ECA or buffer zone within which ships would have to comply with the most stringent air pollution standards adopted by the United Nations agency last October when it amended Annex VI of the International Convention on the Pollution from Ships. Two ECAs exist in Europe in the Baltic and North seas.
   Under Annex, VI, the sulfur content in fuel will be stepped down from 4.5 percent to 0.5 percent globally by 2020. In ECAs, sulfur content of fuel is already limited to 1.5 percent and would step down to 0.1 percent or 1,000 parts per million by 2015. The EPA said by designating U.S. coastal waters an ECA, particulate matter and sulfur oxide pollutants would be cut by more than 85 percent.