A B757-200 WAS DISPATCHED WITH A CTR TANK FUEL BOOST PUMP INOP DEFERRED PER THE MEL BUT THE PROCS ON USE OF CTR TANK FUEL WERE CONFLICTING AND UNCLR.

Narrative

ON JAN/XY/99; I RELEASED ACR XYZ DCA-DFW. THE ACFT HAD A PLACARD UNDER MEL 33-4A CTR TANK FUEL PUMP OPTION #1 TANK FUEL USABLE; AS OPPOSED TO MEL 33-4B OPTION #2 CTR TANK FUEL UNUSABLE. THE QUESTION THIS MEL BRINGS UP IS; IS THE CTR TANK FUEL USABLE FUEL AND THEREFORE ABLE TO BE PLANNED WITH FUEL OR NOT. THE MEL TITLE AND MAIN BODY WOULD TEND TO INDICATE YES YOU CAN PUT AND USE FUEL IN THE CTR TANK AS LONG AS THE FUEL IN THE WING TANKS IS SUFFICIENT TO REACH A SUITABLE ARPT AT ANY TIME. TO DETERMINE THIS I LOOKED AT THE AMOUNT OF FUEL REQUIRED TO GET FROM THE ORIGIN TO DEST WHICH WAS LESS THAN THE AMOUNT WHICH THE WING TANKS HOLD. THE OTHER CRITERIA IS TO REDUCE THE MAX ZERO FUEL WT EQUAL TO THE WT OF ANY FUEL IN THE CTR FUEL TANK FOR WHICH I TELEPHONED THE LOAD CTL AGENT AND INFORMED THEM OF THIS; ADDED REMARKS TO THE DISPATCH RELEASE AND LOOKED AT THE LOAD PLAN (WBDC) AFTER RELEASE DISSEMINATION TO MAKE SURE THE MZFW; MAX ZERO FUEL WT; WAS REDUCED AND IT WAS. THE DISCREPANCY IS WITH THE BOX ADDED TO THE MEL LABELED DISPATCHER RESPONSIBILITIES WHICH SAYS TO ENSURE RELEASE FUEL DOES NOT REQUIRE USE OF TANK AND FUEL IN MAIN TANKS IS SUFFICIENT TO REACH A SUITABLE ARPT. ADVISE LOAD AGENT THAT MZFW; MAX ZERO FUEL WT; MUST BE REDUCED BY THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE CTR TANK. THE DISPATCHER WHO RELIEVED ME ON JAN/XY/99; ALSO RELIEVED ME ON THE MORNING OF JAN/XZ/99; AND INFORMED ME THAT ANOTHER DISPATCHER WHO HAD THE SAME ACFT SCHEDULED ON A FLT HE WAS PLANNING POINTED OUT THE FACT HE THOUGHT THE FLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLANNED WITHOUT USING THE CTR FUEL TANK. HE ALSO POINTED OUT THIS SPECIFIC MEL IS UNDER REVIEW BY THOSE WITH THE AUTH TO MAKE THE NECESSARY CHANGES TO THE MEL; OR CLARIFY THE INTENT. UNTIL I HEAR WHAT THIS INTERP IS THE CONSERVATIVE WAY TO APPLY THIS MEL IS TO PLAN WITHOUT THE USE OF THE CTR FUEL TANK.