Abstract

ABSTRACT Oil spill treatment products in the UK are a key option in response scenarios. It is recognised that their appropriate usage can significantly reduce net environmental impact. However, the approval process for products in the UK is strictly regulated and all must undergo an approval process before they can be used in UK marine waters. This requires the product to pass both efficacy and toxicity assessments. The toxicity assessment comprises a ‘Sea and ‘Rocky Shore’ test and is primarily based on a toxicity comparison between mechanically dispersed oil (untreated) and oil under the same conditions but treated with the product. The premise being that the addition of product should not significantly increase the toxicity of the oil alone. The current toxicity and efficiency testing protocols have been in place for 30 years and the last review of the scheme took place in 1993. The UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are the regulatory body and have launched another review of the scheme during 2007 to establish whether the process continues to provide the most appropriate means of ensuring that safe and effective products are available to UK responders. The review will take the form of a wide ranging public consultation. Particular issues that are being considered include; the continued requirement for products to pass both toxicity assessments; the need to test dispersants as a type 2 (water-diluted) or type 3 (neat) separately; the need to approve products for specific use against different oil types, especially heavier fuel and weathered oils; the need to take into account the fact that many modern dispersants are effective at lower product:oil ratios than used in the current test process; the performance of products under different conditions of salinity and/or temperature; the need for specific test development for other product types (e.g. surface cleaners) or to make the process more efficient (e.g. combined efficacy and toxicity test). The UK Government wishes to ensure that responders have the option of selecting the best product for tackling each oil spill scenario providing that environmental protection is not compromised. It is intended that the outcome of the review will be to facilitate this even more so than at present. This paper will describe the background to the issues being considered in the review, why they may be significant and will give a preliminary overview of initial conclusions.

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