In an action-packed week at its London headquarters last week, the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 52) literally moved mountains to get through a huge agenda packed with major issues which will shape the future of the tanker industry, including ballast water treatment guidelines, air emissions, reception facilities, PSSAs, ship recycling, MARPOL Annex II. Guidelines for the Approval of Ballast Water Management Systems were finalised and approved by the IMO with shipboard and laboratory trials now required as part of the approval process. This is contrary to previous approval procedures which traditionally relied on laboratory tests only.