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The U.S.Environmental Protection Agency has held a public meeting to discuss its plans to roll out a proposed law requiring ships to adhere to tougher emissions controls within 230 miles of the U.S. and Canadian coastline following a public meeting in Long Beach last week.

During the meeting, held on Thursday, the EPA went through its plans to put strict limits on the sale of marine fuel with more than 1,000 parts per million sulphur, stiffer emissions controls on all newly manufactured marine engines in U.S.-registered ships from 2011 and to designate a North American Emission Control Area (ECA).

Under the program, the EPA is proposing a 230-mile buffer zone around the nation’s coastline in order to limit ships from emitting harmful emissions into the air near coastal communities.

The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) announced its submission of an ECA application to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) at the end of March this year.

Large ships that operate in ECAs would face stricter emissions standards designed to reduce the threat they pose to human health and the environment. These standards would aim to cut sulphur in fuel by 98 percent, particulate matter emissions by 85 percent, and nitrogen oxide emissions by 80 percent from the current global requirements.

To achieve these reductions, ships will be required to use fuel with no more than 1,000 parts per million sulphur from 2015, and new ships would have to use advanced emission control technologies from 2016.

EPA rulemakers believe the creation of a North American ECA would save up to 8,300 American and Canadian lives every year by 2020.

"When fully implemented, the regulation will provide maximum public health benefits at the earliest possible date while maintaining competitive parity for the maritime industry," said T.L. Garrett, vice president of the Pacific Maritime Shipping Association.