This afternoon’s “All Things Considered” program of the NPR radio broadcasted this news “EPA Unveils New Ports Emissions Plan“. It tells us that the US EPA will start requiring ocean vessels to use low sulfur fuel when they are within 230 miles from the US (and Canada) coasts, for environmental protection purposes. While I am all for clean fuel usage, the number 230 really struck me hard. So why 230 and why not 220 or 240 miles? And who puts this range of coastal waters under the US jurisdiction? Tonight I just googled it for an instant before the truth was revealed, here is the answer: 230 MILES equals 200 NAUTICAL MILES.
So basically the US is exercising its right within the 200 nautical miles of its own “Exclusive Ecnomic Zone”. Oh my goodness, I thought the definition of EEZ was not on the US government’s mind, because just days ago they sent some spy ship “surveying” topography only 75 NAUTICAL MILES off China’s coast. When the Chinese “harassed” them, they accused that the Chinese interfered with their normal operation in “international waters”. After that incident the navy even sent another escort destroyer. Before talking about anything else, perhaps a question should be asked first, were the US ships using clean fuel when it was doing business near China? How funny!
I guess the next step would be that the Chinese government demands all US spy ships (and warships) to use clean fuel when “operating” near China, this way at least the pollutants won’t cause any health problems to Chinese citizens, provided they have been polluted by themselves so much.
One last thought, the AP cleverly avoided “200 nautical miles” because EEZ can be connected to it instantly but most of the audience won’t give a damn about the conversion between 230 miles and 200 nautical miles.
How smart!
