I. NATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR INTEGRATING ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
INTO POLICY DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES
[ A | B | C
| D ]
B. Existing regulatory systems
[ B | B-1 | B-2
| | B-3 | B-4 | B-5
| B-6 | B-7 | B-8
]
5. Dumping of Wastes at Sea Act
The Dumping of Wastes at Sea Act gives the government control over the direct dumping of wastes in coastal and offshore waters. The intention of the Act is to prevent the pollution of the sea by the dumping of wastes and other material which may create hazards to human health, cause to harm living resources or marine life, damage amenities or interfere with other legitimate uses of the sea. The Act also intends to put into effect in Papua New Guinea the International Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution of 1972.
Dumpingin the context of the Act is described as any deliberate disposal into the sea of substances or articles from vessels, aircraft, marine structures or other man-made structures at sea. The definition does not include the disposal at sea of substances or articles incidental to, or derived from, the normal operation of a ship or aircraft. A permit is required to dump, subject to the provision of requisite information and the outcome of an examination of the substances to be dumped.
Part 3 of the Act deals with enforcement. The minister responsible may appoint a person as Enforcement Officer. The penalty for breaching the Act is K 500. Subsection 2 of the Act states that a penalty of K 5,000 will be applied in any case where a ship or aircraft that has been loaded in contravention of the Act, and which has been detained, is taken from the place of detention.
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