Polution Prevention International requirements for the prevention of oil pollution from ships are contained in Annex I of MARPOL, Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil. Annex I contains requirements for surveys and inspections; International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificates; discharges of oil or oily water mixtures; reception facilities; segregated or dedicated clean ballast; crude oil washing; oil record books; oil rigs; restrictions on carrying water ballast in fuel tanks; restrictions on carrying oil in forepeak tanks; retention of oil in slop tanks; monitoring, filtering and separating equipment; sludge tanks; pumping, piping and discharge arrangements; size and arrangement of cargo tanks; double-hulling of oil tankers; subdivision and stability of oil tankers; and shipboard oil pollution emergency plans.

The international provisions in Annex I of MARPOL have been incorporated into Canadian legislation in the Oil Pollution Prevention Regulations under Part XV of the Canada Shipping Act. These regulations apply the Annex I discharge provisions in Canadian coastal waters but stricter discharge provisions are applied in Canadian inland and Arctic waters (see the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act and the Arctic Shipping Pollution Prevention Regulations for requirements in Arctic waters). In inland waters, ships wishing to discharge bilge water must comply with the 5 part per million limit and must have a 5 ppm bilge alarm approved in accordance with TP 12301, Standard for 5 ppm Bilge Alarm.

Both Annex I of MARPOL and the Oil Pollution Prevention Regulations contain requirements for the double-hulling of oil tankers. Amendments to Annex I that came into force on September 1, 2002 have resulted in changes to the  regime in Canada for the phase-out of single hulled tankers contained in TP 11710, Standards for the Double Hull Construction of Oil Tankers and TP 11960, Standards and Guidelines for the Construction, Inspection and Operation of Barges that Carry Oil in Bulk. Further information is available under Phasing Out of Single-Hulled Oil Tankers.

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