UK implements international oil spill rules

The new regulations give effect to several recent amendments to the global 1973/78 MARPOL Convention for the prevention of pollution from ships.

The most important of these were introduced in the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster in Alaska, and require all but the smallest new oil tankers to be fitted with double hulls or have equivalent protection against collision or grounding. These requirements will be phased in over the nex