Oil Pollution Response Research Articles

THE IPIECA OIL SPILL WORKING GROUP 20:20 VISION REFLECTIONS AND PROJECTIONS ON OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY

ABSTRACT The International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) Oil Spill Working Group (OSWG) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Its mission has been, through education, training and awareness initiatives, to enhance the state of preparedness and response to marine oil spill incidents in priority coastal locations around the world. Its programme is carried out in close cooperation with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and operates within the context of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC), 1990. The OSWG is made up of oil spill managers and specialists from IPIECA member companies and associations, supported by invited representatives from other organisations in the oil spill response community. It aims to ensure that the full range of industry interests is adequately reflected in its work programme. Coordination between these industry-based organisations and the IMO remains an essential ingredient in the success of the OSWG programme This paper reviews the main activities and achievements of the IPIECA OSWG over the last 20 years and attempt to illustrate and measure the impact of its work on global oil spill preparedness. We then hypothesize as to how the work of the IPIECA OSWG might develop over the next 20 years, which could serve as future strategic/planning guidance.

Developing an International Oil Spill Policy Strategy for the U.S.

ABSTRACT As called for under the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation, 1990 (OPRC), “Parties to the OPRC convention are required to establish measures for dealing with pollution incidents, either nationally or in co-operation with other countries.” As a signatory to OPRC the U.S. Government (USG) has pledged to assist other countries in the development of their own oil spill response capabilities and while USG has many agreements that meet the guidelines of assisting other countries, there is no formal engagement strategy for developing further agreements, no agency championing this effort, and there are many still requiring assistance. However, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) is uniquely positioned to perform the role of drafting an engagement strategy and working with the global community to assist those countries that have yet to develop an adequate oil spill response system of their own due to the lack of resources, expertise or both. There are many hurdles to enabling USCG to assume the OPRC assistance banner that have been previously addressed (Adams, IOSC 2001), which this paper will not seek to readdress. However, if USG does decide to move forward with an integrated policy there remains the need to develop an adequate engagement strategy. This strategy is necessary to ensure the limited resources available for foreign assistance are expended in the most cost effective, ethical and responsible manner possible. There are three alternative strategies I will analyze in an effort to determine the best suited for implementation of this policy. These three strategies are based primarily on 1) environmental need, 2) geographical proximity, and 3) political/economic interests. The goal of this strategy is to effectively implement the oil spill assistance policy alluded to previously in support of the U.S.'s pledge under OPRC. This paper will analyze the success of each strategy making a recommendation on which one USG should pursue.

The Development of Technology in Response to Changing Legislation1

ABSTRACT As environmental control and awareness increases globally, it is becoming progressively more important to be able to use existing oil pollution response technology in the most cost effective manner. In 1999 the Department of Trade and Industry, who govern offshore operations in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf, set some prescriptive guidelines regarding response capabilities. These guidelines set mandatory response times, to include surveillance and achievable oil quantity combat rates. The operators affected by these guidelines turned to their respective tier 2 and 3 response service providers and it became obvious that these guidelines were not achievable at that time. This poster will provide a case study of how two large oil spill response organisations joined forces to provide their customers with a solution to a potential “operation halting” problem. This solution involved the utilisation of current response equipment and the development of new equipment and operating procedures.

A Practical Answer to OPRC in the United Kingdom1

ABSTRACT The Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation Convention (OPRC 90) came into effect in 1990. Since this date, 52 of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) member states have signed to the convention, and recently the United Kingdom has developed legislation to implement the intent of the convention in that country. The convention requires a number of steps to enhance the preparedness of a country for an oil spill incident. The primary requirements are a focal point within the country, a national contingency plan, cooperation—notification between countries and response resources in-country. The United Kingdom developed legislation, the Merchant Shipping (Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation Convention) Regulations, which became effective on August 15, 1998, although there was a grace period of 1 year before becoming effective on August 15, 1999. This placed a requirement on ports, harbors, and oil-handling facilities to prepare and submit a oil spill response contingency plan to the U.K. government. Within the plan, there is a requirement for the port, harbor, or oil-handling facility to either have in-house or contracted “Tier II” resources. A number of lessons can be drawn from the experience of OPRC 90 implementation in the United Kingdom, and there are lessons for the ports, the Tier II provider, and also for the regulator. The ports themselves had additional requirements placed on their already stretched resources. Industry needed to understand the potential market and plan their investment accordingly. The government agencies, again with limited resources, were tasked with the development of compliance guidelines and administering their internal review. The consultation process with statutory consultees proved a bottleneck in the planning process.

Applying the “Polluters Pays Principle” to Fund Oil Spill Preparedness in the North East Atlantic1

ABSTRACT Under Article 6 of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-Operation (OPRC 1990), states individually or in cooperation with industry or others states shall maintain prepositioned oil spill combating equipment. Furthermore, the preamble of the OPRC 1990 and the HNS-OPRC Protocol 2000 reinforce that the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) should be taken into account as a general principle of international environmental law. With a few exceptions, most of the countries have transferred the costs of preparedness measures to the general taxpayer and have made no attempts to allocate this cost directly to the shipping industry in accordance with PPP. In the North East Atlantic (N??) countries (France, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco), as well as in the majority of countries, the financial costs for maintaining a minimum state of preparedness represent a considerable burden to these governments. Despite this fact, no attempts have been made to transfer this burden to the potential polluter. Based on the inquiries made into the extent to which the PPP presently is being applied to oil spill preparedness, this paper examines the aspects related to the general application of the PPP in the N?? countries.

U.S. NEED FOR AN INTEGRATED INTERNATIONAL OIL SPILL RESPONSE POLICY1

ABSTRACT The United States has several international oil pollution response agreements for which the U.S. Coast Guard serves as lead agency for implementation. However, the United States does not have an integrated plan for implementing these agreements, the criteria to use in determining what level of cooperation is needed, or a strategy for prioritizing which countries with which to engage to forge new agreements. This paper outlines a strategy for international engagement that allows the United States to participate in response-related expertise exchange to ensure appropriate capabilities are available for spills that threaten U.S. interests. Obstacles to developing and implementing the strategy and ways to overcome them also are identified.

Global Initiative

ABSTRACT The Global Initiative (GI) is defined as an umbrella for various mechanisms by which the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and industry, through the International Petroleum Industry Environment Conservation Association (IPIECA), co-operate to support national and regional implementation of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response, and Co-operation 1990 (OPRC Convention) and to enhance oil spill preparedness and response capacity through the mobilisation of external assistance and industry support at the national level. The overall aim of GI is to improve and sustain the capability of developing countries to protect their marine and coastal resources at risk from an oil spill incident from any sources, through the implementation of the OPRC Convention. A key feature of the project is the emphasis on promoting industry/government co-operation through the mobilisation of existing and planned industry marine environmental protection expertise and resources. As initially envisaged the project has a global orientation: it directly encourages the ratification of the OPRC Convention and the relevant international liability and compensation conventions and promotes their effective implementation; project activities are undertaken at nationall regional levels to ensure that the weaknesses and gaps peculiar to a certain region are taken care of by moulding the package of training and resource building to address national and regional needs.

DEVELOPING A GLOBAL TRAINING PROGRAM FOR BEING PREPARED TO RESPOND TO MARINE POLLUTION SPILLS1

ABSTRACT On May 13, 1995, the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation, 1990 (OPRC) of the International Maritime Organization (1MO) came into force. The main objectives of the OPRC are to facilitate international cooperation and mutual assistance in preparing for and responding to major oil pollution incidents and to encourage states to develop and maintain the capability to deal with oil pollution emergencies. The functions assigned to the Oil Pollution Coordination Center located in IMO's Marine Environment Division include providing information services, education and training, technical services, and technical assistance to states. The OPRC convention obliges governments to establish a program of exercises for oil pollution response organizations and training of relevant personnel. It also called on IMO to develop a comprehensive training program in cooperation with interested governments and industry. This paper discusses the progress achieved in the development of the training program, which consists of the IMO model courses on marine pollution preparedness and response, and gives an overview of its implementation strategy.

NEW ZEALAND: “DOWN UNDER” OIL SPILL CONTINGENCY PLANNING1

ABSTRACT New Zealand has embarked upon a new direction in marine oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response. The new direction was driven by a parliamentary review of the Marine Pollution Act that found New Zealand ill prepared to respond to a marine oil spill. The new program put together four key components that depended on government and industry cooperation in a user-pays environment. First, the Marine Pollution Act of 1974 was reformatted into a new Maritime Transport Act (MTA), which brought into focus broad policy guidelines. Second, Marine Protection Rules now provide detailed ongoing program information that changes with updates to industry practice and technology. Third, a Crown entity, the Maritime Safety Authority, was established as the main engine of change. Lastly, oil pollution response was redistributed from the central government into a four-tiered response mechanism. The tiers start with commercial facilities and ships, progress to regional government and then to the national government, and ultimately provide an avenue for international assistance.

USING GIS TO AID IN SPILL PREVENTION, PREPAREDNESS, AND RESPONSE

ABSTRACT This poster presentation demonstrates how geographic information systems (GISs) are being employed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Oil Pollution Response and Prevention Center (OPRPC) and regional oil program offices to assist in preventing, preparing for, and responding to oil spills within the United States. Over the past 2 years, EPA's OPRPC has played a key role in facilitating the exchange of spatial data within EPA as well as with various federal, state, and local organizations. Significant advancements have been made in collecting, analyzing, managing, and sharing spatial data, and many opportunities for additional coordination lie ahead.

Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC) to Enter into Force

A short overview of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC) which will come into force on 13 May 1995. The purposes of the Convention and its main features are described.

IMO-OPRC INFORMATION SYSTEM1

ABSTRACT To facilitate response activities of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and its member states with respect to oil pollution in the Persian Gulf, the IMO Oil Pollution Co-ordination Centre (OPCC) was established in February 1991. During such operations and other relevant activities, it was recognized that databases on national contact points and the type of assistance member states could offer would be valuable and should be developed. In addition, the OPCC has developed other databases and utilized them when the OPCC responds to oil pollution emergencies and provides general advice concerning oil pollution preparedness and response to member states. These activities are related to some of the requirements assigned to IMO under the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation, 1990 (the OPRC Convention). The convention will enter into force on May 13, 1995.

IMO'S STRATEGY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OPRC CONVENTION1

ABSTRACT The International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC) will enter into force May 13, 1995, less than five years after its adoption by a global diplomatic conference convened by the International Maritime Organization in December 1990. However, since then IMO has actively pursued a strategy for implementing the OPRC Convention in close cooperation with interested governments and industry. The primary objective of this strategy is to enhance the capacity of countries to effectively carry out the requirements of the convention and strengthen IMO's ability to assist countries in this process. The strategy is realized by action taken by IMO's OPRC standing working group, in which government and industry experts participate, and by IMO staff, experts, and consultants as part of a technical cooperation program for the protection of the marine environment.

RESEARCH ON MARINE POLLUTION, PREVENTION, AND RESPONSE IN SHENZHEN, CHINA1

ABSTRACT Shenzhen is situated near Hong Kong. About ten years ago, two harbors, Shekou and Yantian, located in the west and east of Shenzhen respectively, were under construction. Harbors and facilities have been planned by industries, while environmental concerns have been more or less neglected. A “Report of Research on the Feasibility of a Marine Pollution Prevention System for Seaports in Shenzhen” was discussed in May 1993 in Shenzhen. This paper describes the main elements of that program, including an oil spill monitoring and control system, contingency planning for oil spill response, and cooperation among industries and government in dealing with marine pollution. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how concern for the environment should be established from the beginning in constructing a seaport. Finally, the end of this paper presents lessons learned, concerning the financial support of oil pollution response facilities, management problems and their countermeasures, implementation of international conventions on marine pollution prevention, and the importance of port state control. These lessons may be helpful for developing countries in planning their seaports to achieve better environmental protection.

STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OPRC CONVENTION AND RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE OPPR CONFERENCE1

ABSTRACT Participants in the 1991 Oil Spill Conference were informed of the outcome of the IMO Conference on International Cooperation on Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response, in particular the adoption of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation, 1990 (OPRC). Although 27 States signed it, the OPRC stipulates that it will enter into force or become binding one year after 15 States have accepted or ratified it. Although the OPRC, therefore, is not yet in force, IMO Member States, the Secretary-General of IMO, Mr. William O'Neil, and IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) have taken concrete actions to facilitate early implementation. In November 1991 the Secretary-General established a coordination center in the Marine Environment Division of IMO to carry out functions assigned to IMO under the OPRC (information services, education and training, technical services, and technical assistance). In March 1992 the MEPC established an OPRC Working Group, in which government and industry experts and representatives of environmental organizations participate, to deal with matters related to implementation of the OPRC. Among the important topics which will be included in the program of the OPRC Working Group through 1992–1993 are links between MARPOL Regulation 26 and OPRC articles 3 and 6 and development of guidelines for the preparation of oil pollution emergency plans for offshore units and seaports; update of IMO's Manual on Oil Pollution, Section II—Contingency Planning; development of guidelines or recommendations on facilitating the movement of response equipment and personnel and the use of response resources during marine pollution incidents; development of research and development clearinghouse functions; development of model training courses and an OPRC training plan; and consideration of ways to expand the scope of the OPRC to include hazardous and noxious substances.

IMPLEMENTING THE OPRC—TRANSLATING DIPLOMATIC CONCEPTS INTO REALITY

ABSTRACT The International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation, 1990 (OPRC) was successfully negotiated at a diplomatic conference in November 1990. While the convention has been ratified by only two countries to date, some of the basic provisions have already been put to the test. The most notable example was the international effort in support of the government of Saudi Arabia during the massive release of oil into the Persian Gulf in 1991. The means of translating the requirements of a new convention into a viable system has always been a challenge for individual governments. The OPRC raises particularly difficult issues in its implementation because it represents the “internationalization” of preparedness and response to massive oil spills. The difficulty lies in the fact that these issues have traditionally been the purview of individual states or, at most, of regional associations of states with similar economic standing. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) ...

OIL SPILL CONTINGENCY PLANNING IN THE IVORY COAST

ABSTRACT The administrative center in charge of handling oil spill pollution situations on the Ivory Coast, West Africa, is named Centre Ivoirien Antipollution (CIAPOL). Its organizational structure has been reshuffled recently. CIAPOL now has three divisions: a laboratory division, a division for cleaning up oil and chemical pollution at sea, and an administrative division. The risk for oil pollution is known: within the past ten years five spills have been reported. All of these have been connected to operations relating to the refinery in Abidjan. More than 2,000 ships call at the port of Abidjan every year. Minor oil slicks are found almost permanently in the harbor and the lagoons around the harbor. Lumps of tar are rather common on the beaches all along the country's coast. This paper focuses on the background investigation in sensitive areas and risk analysis that led to a revision of the oil spill contingency plan, Plan Pollumar, and the recent purchase of oil spill cleanup equipment. The creation of a regional oil pollution response center at CIAPOL for all of the countries in West Africa, is proposed.

Development of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response

ABSTRACT The International Oil Pollution Prevention and Response (OPPR) Convention represents current international efforts to improve capabilities to prepare for and respond to catastrophic oil spills. Initiated by the United States, it is being negotiated by the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Major components of the proposal include the establishment of an International Marine Pollution Information Center located at IMO headquarters, National Response Centers in each coastal state, and oil spill response contingency plans for ships. Other proposed articles include prepositioning of oil response equipment in high-risk areas, a research and development program for response techniques, and international cooperation during responses to catastrophic oil spills. Several problems have complicated negotiations of the OPPR Convention. First, severe time constraints have been placed on the negotiators, with the final conference1 to consider the OPPR scheduled for November 1990. Second, the United States suffers from a lack of credibility in the IMO, since the Senate has not yet ratified previous initiatives, the 1984 protocols to the 1969 International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, and the 1971 Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage. Finally, the IMO's financial troubles have placed the concept of the International Information Center in jeopardy. In spite of these obstacles, a clear majority of countries are willing to support the document, realizing that it fills a gap in marine oil pollution prevention and response. The OPPR Convention will likely be carried through to adoption by the November conference. This paper traces the development of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Response and Prevention. It summarizes the background and initial proposals of the Convention, and then discusses the problems that arose during negotiations. Finally, it describes the present status of the Convention and offers a projection of its future direction.

Outcome of the IMO Conference on International Co-Operation on Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response1

ABSTRACT In October 1989, the Assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the IMO to convene a diplomatic conference to consider the adoption of an international treaty instrument on oil pollution preparedness and response. This resolution was adopted in the wake of the Exxon Valdez disaster, which had occurred only six months previously and which focused the world's attention on the severe environmental consequences of a major oil spill and the need for an adequate and timely response to such an incident. In November 1990, the IMO convened a diplomatic Conference on International Co-operation on Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response. This paper discusses in depth the outcome of this conference, in particular the provisions of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation, 1990 (OPRC Convention) and related resolutions and recommendations adopted by the Conference. This international convention fills a gap in the international framework of treaties dealing with marine pollution. Although there are, in many regions of the world, regional agreements and arrangements for responding to marine pollution emergencies, until now there has been no global framework for cooperation and mutual assistance in this field. Also, the effectiveness of many of these regional agreements and arrangements is entirely dependent on the capacity and resources of the states participating in them. For those regions of the world where such resources and expertise are not readily available, this convention will play a particularly important role in facilitating international cooperation at the global level, as well as in reinforcing regional arrangements and national oil pollution preparedness and response strategies. The convention makes provision, among other things, for oil pollution emergency plans for ships, offshore platforms, and sea ports; oil pollution reporting procedures; establishment of national and regional systems for preparedness and response; the facilitation of international cooperation and mutual assistance; exchange of information; and promotion of research and development, and technical cooperation and training. The convention also enhances the IMO's role in the promotion of international cooperation in combating oil pollution and assigns to the IMO a number of functions related to the implementation of the convention, notably with respect to information collection and dissemination and advisory and training services in the field of oil pollution preparedness and response.

International Cooperation in Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT Effective response to a major marine oil spill occasionally calls for specialized equipment, personnel, and expertise that is beyond the capability of the country or company concerned. In recognition of this fact, a new International Convention on International Cooperation in Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response has been developed under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization. There is already considerable potential for international cooperation through existing regional conventions and agreements, and other less formal arrangements. This cooperation involves governmental agencies, the oil and shipping industries, commercial companies, insurers, intergovernmental organizations, and international industry organizations. This will be illustrated by reference to two recent major oil spills in Europe where this international cooperation proved very successful. The first involved the cleanup of some 15,000 metric tons of heavy crude oil that impacted the holiday island of Porto Santo in the Madeiran archipelago. Cooperation among the Portuguese government, The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation, the tanker's oil pollution insurer, the Commission of the European Communities, and the governments of France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom resulted in the rapid provision of specialized equipment and associated personnel to deal with the major shoreline contamination. The second incident, involving a spill of waste oil from a tanker in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Sweden, resulted in the rapid mobilization of cleanup resources from Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the U.S.S.R. under the terms of the Helsinki Convention. During favorable weather conditions, the combined forces of the five countries were successful in recovering a high percentage of the oil at sea, with the result that the contamination of shorelines was minimal.