Pollution from ships is also affected by the fuel they use. Provisions of Annex VI

Annex VI of the Convention, which was adopted in 1997 but did not enter into force until 2005, addresses the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships. Implementing Legislation (P.L. 110-280)

The United States is a party to MARPOL 73/78 and most of its annexes, but did not enact legislation to implement Annex VI until the summer of 2008. The House passed H.R. The President signed the bill July 21, 2008 ( P.L. The Annex VI standards apply to: any oceangoing vessel that is registered in the United States; ships of any registry in ports, shipyards, terminals, or the internal waters of the United States; ships of any registry bound for or departing from the United States, while they are located in the navigable waters of the United States or designated emission control areas; and ships bearing the flag of any country that has ratified Annex VI traveling through U.S. waters or designated emission control areas, even if they are not bound for or departing from a U.S. destination. Thus, 2009 has seen several developments that will strengthen emission standards for ships and expand the use of cleaner fuels. On July 1, 2009, EPA proposed regulations that will strengthen emission standards for new C3 marine engines and will implement the low sulfur fuel requirements that apply in ECAs starting in 2015. This prohibition applies only to the period covered by the appropriation, i.e., FY2010. 111-316 ), states that EPA has received comments detailing significant negative economic impacts for carriers that operate Category 3 engine vessels exclusively within the Great Lakes, and the report adds:
Because of these economic impacts, EPA should include waiver provisions similar to those in other EPA rules in the final rule—one to waive the 10,000 ppm sulfur standard for Great Lakes Category 3 diesel engine vessels that burn residual fuel if EPA determines that 10,000 ppm residual fuel is not available; and one to waive fuel requirements for an owner/operator of a Great Lakes Category 3 diesel engine vessel based upon a showing of serious economic hardship. Greenhouse Gases

Ships are also an important source of greenhouse gas (GHG) pollutants. Nevertheless, it is possible without changes in technology or fuels to achieve significant GHG emission reductions, and shipping companies have begun to implement slow steaming policies to reduce their emissions. A detailed discussion of options (in the context of Navy ships) is provided in CRS Report RL33360, Navy Ship Propulsion Technologies: Options for Reducing Oil Use—Background for Congress , by [author name scrubbed] 

	Conclusion

As pollution from cars, trucks, and land-based stationary sources has been more tightly controlled over the last 40 years, the contribution of ships and port operations to air pollution in port cities has become more important. Simultaneously, foreign trade has grown dramatically, adding to the burden of pollution from these sources. Controlling these sources of pollution is complicated by the fact that most oceangoing ships are registered in foreign countries. EPA and state and local agencies (particularly those in California) have also begun to address pollution from ships using the Clean Air Act and comparable state authorities. Because ships and port operations are now such significant sources of air pollution, and because of the importance of shipping to the national and world economy, implementation of the emissions regulations for ships and ports, including the cleaner fuels requirements, may continue to be of interest to Congress. But this is likely to be just the start of Congressional attention to air pollution from ships.
This report provides information regarding pollution from ships and port facilities; discusses some of the measures being implemented and considered by local, state, and federal regulatory agencies; discusses the efforts to strengthen Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL); and describes legislation in Congress to control emissions from ships, as well as efforts in Congress to address the applicability of proposed EPA regulations to ships on the Great Lakes.
As pollution from cars, trucks, and land-based stationary sources has been more tightly controlled over the last 40 years, the contribution of ships and port operations to air pollution in port cities has become more important. In the same period, foreign trade has grown dramatically; thus, pollution from shipping and port operations is growing as a percentage of total emissions. In many cities, ships are now among the largest sources of air pollution. As Congress and the Administration turn their attention to climate change, there is also a growing recognition that marine vessels are an important source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Controlling these sources of both conventional and greenhouse gas pollutants is complicated by the fact that most ocean-going ships are not registered in the United States and may not even purchase the fuel they are using here. Thus, controlling such pollution would seem to lend itself to an international approach. Such efforts have been slow to yield results: in 1997, the United States and most countries signed an international agreement known as MARPOL Annex VI, setting extremely modest controls on air pollution from ships, but the agreement did not enter into force until 2005, and the United States did not enact legislation to implement it until July 21, 2008 (P.L. 110-280). Negotiations to strengthen Annex VI accelerated in 2008, however, and amendments that will strengthen its provisions have received preliminary approval. Discussions regarding GHG emissions have also begun, although without results to date.
While awaiting congressional action and international agreement, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), port cities, and states have begun to act on their own. This report discusses a number of these efforts, including EPA measures that will require cleaner fuels and will greatly strengthen emission standards, and measures being implemented in California to reduce pollution from ships and ports.
In the current Congress, greenhouse gas emissions from ships are addressed in H.R. 2454, the Waxman-Markey climate change bill. As passed by the House, the bill would direct EPA to establish emission standards for nonroad vehicles and engines (a category that includes ships), by December 31, 2012.
In other action, Congress added a provision to the FY2010 EPA appropriation (P.L. 111-88) that prohibits FY2010 funds being used to implement cleaner fuel requirements as they apply to Great Lakes ships. Accompanying report language directs EPA to develop provisions to establish waivers of the low sulfur fuel requirements for Great Lakes ships if the fuel is not available or in cases of serious economic hardship.