From 2024, inland vessels will be prohibited from discharging toxic fumes into the open air while sailing. Minister Harbers (Infrastructure & Water Management) will introduce a national ban on “degassing while sailing” no later than 1 July 2024, he writes to the Chamber. The ban will apply to many more substances than the minister originally intended.
With this, the minister is responding to the call from provinces, sector organizations and the House of Representatives to quickly introduce a ban. Provinces have been calling for a ban for ten years, and last March the House pushed for a ban in response to reports in NRC and Broadcasting Flevoland. The minister has said so far that it was impossible to anticipate other countries. He’s coming back to that now.
In 2017, the countries along the Rhine agreed to jointly introduce a ban on degassing while sailing. France and Switzerland have not yet ratified that treaty, so other countries waited to implement the ban.
Researchers from Erasmus University concluded earlier this year that the Netherlands does not have to wait for other countries at all. The Netherlands may even have an obligation to prohibit degassing in order to protect public health. Minister Harbers is doing that now.
Most provinces have had a ban on degassing while sailing for several years, but in practice these bans are a dead letter
Most provinces have had a ban on degassing while sailing for several years, but in practice these bans are a dead letter. The minister is also banning many more substances than originally planned. According to the treaty, four types of substances would initially be banned, including the carcinogenic benzene and gasoline. Two years later, another three groups of substances would follow, such as mixtures of petroleum with benzene. This would give companies time to prepare for a total ban.
Protection for Data Subjects
Koninklijke Binnenvaart Nederland, the trade association for inland shipping, asked to ban the degassing of all substances at once, in order to protect the health of ship personnel, riverside residents and the environment. Skippers do not want to vent, but they are forced by their clients. They want a clean tank when the ship comes ashore, but refuse to pay for cleaning at a degassing installation. With the current ban, oil and raw material companies are obliged to pay for the safe disposal of the substances.
However, there is not yet a total ban: a group of thirteen types of substances will only be banned in a few years. Nevertheless, Rob Leussink, director of Koninklijke Binnenvaart Nederland, is “very pleased” with the ban. “We will work to get a ban on the other substances as well.”
The secretary of the industry association of degassing companies Bob Busser also calls the ban a “very important step”. Until now, companies have been reluctant to invest in installations that allow ships to discharge their toxic fumes in a controlled manner. Without a ban it was too risky for them to invest in expensive installations. “We were waiting for this,” says Busser.
Most provinces have had a ban on degassing while sailing for several years, but in practice these bans are a dead letter. Provinces don’t have boats and staff to enforce their own bans. There is also a national ban on the degassing of some substances in densely populated areas, but that ban is also difficult to monitor. The ban that will take effect next year is easier to enforce, because it applies throughout the country. The minister writes that the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate will be actively enforcing from July 2024.