518 VETOES

Senate Bill No. 51—Discharge of Bilge and Oily Waters

AN ACT to add new Section 40A to Article 66C of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1957 Edition), title "Natural Resources", sub-
title "In General", sub-heading "Water Pollution Control Commis-
sion", to follow immediately after Section 40 thereof, providing for
the affixing of seals to the valves of the

[See page image for strike through]

waters from vessels.

April 6, 1962.

Honorable George W. Delia
President of the Senate
State House
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. President:

In accordance with the provisions of Article 2, Section 17, of the
Maryland Constitution I have today vetoed Senate Bill 51, and am
returning this Bill along with my veto message.

The Bill would attempt to curb the pollution of the waters of our
State by making it mandatory that bilge pumps on all ships entering
the waters of our State be sealed to prevent the discharge of oil.

Objections to the Bill have been registered by many organizations
connected with the shipping industry, including the Maryland Port
Authority, as well as the Department of Tidewater Fisheries, which
Department was charged with enforcing the provisions of the Bill.

Their objections are summarized in the following excerpts from a
letter I received from the Maryland Port Authority:

1. Compliance with the proposed law would place an undue hard-
ship on vessels engaged in international trade between Baltimore and
other world ports. Ship operating efficiency and safety require taking
on and discharging of water ballast in keeping with weather condi-
tions, cargo aboard, and other factors.

2. Sealing of bilge pumps is believed to be not practical inasmuch
as the bilge pump system on some vessels is an intricate part of the
ship's overall water system.

3. While the seals could be distributed by members of the Mary-
land Pilots Association on such vessels as they board, there is no pro-
vision for placing the seals aboard the large number of ships that do
not take on pilots to transverse the Bay, nor is there any provision
for sealing pumps of the many smaller craft, such as self-propelling
oil barges, that operate within the Bay.

4. This measure, if enacted, would cause considerable confusion
among ship operators. To our knowledge, no such law applies in any
other water areas of the United States nor abroad.

5. One of the principal objectives of the Maryland Port Authority
is to make the Port of Baltimore as attractive as possible to the
operator of ships in world trade. The restrictions called for in