Oil Spill Contingency Planning in Shanghai1

Abstract

ABSTRACT Shanghai, one of the world's biggest cities and seaports, is situated on the Yangtze River estuary and the Huangpu River. Significant oil spill accidents have occurred in recent years in China, and have caused the municipality great anxiety. A contingency plan, probably the first one at the local level in this country, has been developed under the initiatives of the Shanghai Harbour Superintendency Administration, supported by the local Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and other organizations. A governing body dealing with marine pollution has been established on a cooperative basis in the Shanghai Marine Safety Superintendence. The role of the contingency plan and its governing bodies, procedures and arrangements relating to the control of pollution by oil and other harmful substances, monitoring stations along the Huangpu River (one of the busiest waterways in China) pollution response teams and their training, and liability and compensation for pollution are described in this paper. Problems concerning the lack of funding and resources available, technique, and professional staff, which are generally faced by developing countries, as well as the harmonization of cooperating parties are discussed and various difficulties are tried to be overcome.