Environmental Compliance and Sustainability The College of William and Mary Thomas Jefferson Program in Public Policy Policy Research Seminar 2012 Tom Innes, Wei Qiang, Melanie Walter Acknowledgements Many thanks to Mr. Joe Nash and Blueseed for involving us in this highly innovative, exciting project. It has been a fantastic learning experience. Thanks are also in order for Professor Sarah Stafford, The College of William and Mary, and the Thomas Jefferson Program in Public Policy for making this research project possible. Special thanks for the extensive research and drafting done by our excellent undergraduate research assistant, Joseph Kane. 2 Executive Summary Blueseed has clearly demonstrated their appeal to investors and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. The lines are forming to come aboard the conceptual Googleplex of the Sea; however, many decisions remain before Blueseed casts off. Which environmental laws are applicable to a vessel anchored over 12 nautical miles1 from San Francisco? How will Blueseed demonstrate sustainability to a global audience of investors? How will several hundred thousand gallons of waste be completely diverted from the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary? Perhaps most important, will the local community greet Blueseed with a warm welcome to the Monterrey Bay region? Our team investigated these Questions and consolidated our findings on the following pages in these categories: International & Environmental Law Summaries, Global Reporting Initiative, Systems Compliance, and Community Outreach. The report is divided into these four sections and includes further information or Questions raised for Blueseed. Our intention for the report was not to be a solution for lawyers, administrators, or engineers, but a perspective- framing document to guide the early process of site preparation, organizational development, and vessel outfitting. Blueseed’s location poses several uniQue challenges in both the Legal and Systems Compliance categories. We have noted the red flags, posed the relevant legal Questions, and recommended an innovative waste management strategy. Through the Global Reporting Initiative, Blueseed will be able to measure and compare its non-financial achievements in pursuit of regulatory commpliance and responsible business leadership. Proactive governance that is mindful of stewardship and sustainability will demonstrate Blueseed’s authenticity and dedication to stakeholders. Every decision or action, from conceptual planning to vessel launch, strengthens (or weakens) Community Outreach, and impacts Blueseed’s viability. Our recommendations guide Blueseed in the direction most likely to result in it being an effective, sustainable member of the Monterrey Bay community. 1 1 nautical mile = 1.15 miles. 3 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ 2 Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 3 International & Environmental Law Summaries ............................................................................. 5 National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) ................................................................................... 5 Convention on the Continental Shelf (1958) .............................................................................. 9 Convention on the High Seas (1958) ........................................................................................ 10 Convention on the Territorial Sea & Contiguous Zone (1958) ................................................. 11 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships ..................................... 13 Monterrey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Rules and Regulations ......................................... 16 International Convention for the Safety of Life At Sea ............................................................. 18 UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) ...................................................................... 20 Global Reporting Initiative ............................................................................................................ 21 Global Reporting Initiative - Background Brief ......................................................................... 21 Global Reporting Initiative- Is GRI Right for Blueseed? ............................................................ 24 Implementing GRI ..................................................................................................................... 28 Systems Compliance ..................................................................................................................... 31 Floating Production Storage & Offloading Vessel .................................................................... 31 Blackwater Treatment .............................................................................................................. 32 Graywater Treatment ............................................................................................................... 32 Solid Waste Treatment ............................................................................................................. 33 Combined Heat & Power Generation ....................................................................................... 34 Further Information .................................................................................................................. 35 Community Outreach ................................................................................................................... 36 Reasons for Community Outreach ........................................................................................... 37 Support the Blueseed Project ................................................................................................... 37 Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary ............................................................................... 37 Scripps Institution of Oceanography ........................................................................................ 38 Stanford: Hopkins Marine Station and Woods Institute of the Environment .......................... 39 Naval Postgraduate School ....................................................................................................... 39 Monterey Institute for International Studies ........................................................................... 40 California Coastal Commission ................................................................................................. 41 For Further Information ........................................................................................................... 42 4 International & Environmental Law Summaries National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) P.L. 106-513, 16 U.S.C. § 1431 Relevant Provisions: • NMSA does not apply to a person who is not a citizen, national, or resident alien of the United States, unless it is codifying a generally recognized principles of international law; an agreement between the United States and the foreign state of which the person is a citizen; or an agreement between the United States and the flag state of a foreign vessel, or if the person is a crewmember of the vessel. • § 308: Grants authority to issue regulations for each sanctuary, including specifying the types of activities that can and cannot occur within the sanctuary. • § 922: o Where necessary to prevent or minimize the destruction of, loss of, or injury to a Sanctuary resource or Quality, or minimize the imminent risk of such destruction, loss, or injury, any and all such activities are subject to immediate temporary regulation, including prohibition. o Under section 312 of the Act, any person who destroys, causes the loss of, or injures any Sanctuary resource is liable to the United States for response costs and damages resulting from such destruction, loss or injury, and any vessel used to destroy, cause the loss of, or injure any Sanctuary resource is liable in rem to the United States for response costs and damages resulting from such destruction, loss or injury. • a) A person may conduct an activity prohibited by subparts F through O, if conducted in accordance with the scope, purpose, terms and conditions of a permit issued under this section and subparts F through O, as appropriate. • Except as may be permitted by the Director, the following activities are prohibited and thus are unlawful for any person to conduct or to cause to be conducted within the Sanctuary: 5 o (a) Anchoring in any manner, stopping, remaining, or drifting without power at any time; o (g) Lowering, laying, positioning or raising any type of seabed cable or cable- laying device; o (i) Discharging waster material into the water in violation of any Federal statute or regulation. • § Subpart M (Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary): o (i) Prohibited Activities: Discharging or depositing from within or into the Sanctuary, other than from a cruise ship, any material or other matter, except: For a vessel less than 300 gross registered tons (GRT), or a vessel 300 GRT or greater without sufficient holding tank capacity to hold sewage while within the Sanctuary, clean effluent generated incidental to vessel use by an operable Type I or II marine sanitation device (U.S. Coast Guard classification) approved in accordance with section 312 of the Federal Water Pollution Control