ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 gives an overview of the different impacts of shipping on the environment, and of international and US domestic laws to prevent or reduce these, as well as to provide compensation or damages when they occur. It describes the framework of international law and practice which applies to many aspects of the subject, while summarising the parts played by regional, national and other domestic laws. The bulk of the chapter provides an account of how marine environmental laws have developed in response to major incidents as well as to other concerns as ships have grown in size and sophistication. This ‘book within a book’ offers both a point of reference for readers wishing to explore the background to specific laws and practices discussed in later chapters, and a narrative for those seeking a broader understanding of the subject as a whole in its modern global and geopolitical setting.
