Tag: oil spill preparedness

 Stronger rules and enforcement to protect beaches and marine environment are needed in the wake of new information that more than 360 oil spills have occurred in New Zealand waters since the 2011 Rena disaster, Green Party environment spokesperson Eugenie Sage stated.“With summer just around the corner, we need better ways of protecting the beaches and seas that are so important to Kiwi ways of life,” Green Party environment spokesperson Eugenie Sage said.“Every New Zealander has a birthright to swim in clean water, lie on clean sand, and catch fish that are safe to eat.“The fact that people and vessels have spilled nearly four tonnes of oil and fuel into New Zealand’s coastal waters, in 363 spills in the last four years, shows that the current system isn’t working. Stronger rules, enforcement, and response capability are needed.“The Green Party has a plan to protect beaches and the marine environment. Our plan includes through introducing compulsory shipping lanes like Norway and the UK have to reduce the risk of collision, improving Maritime New Zealand’s oil spill preparedness and response capability, holding people who spill oil financially accountable, and stopping risky deep sea oil drilling," said Ms Sage. Source: Green Party In the start, I was ...

From 29 September to 2 October 2015, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) Academy will host technical experts from 10 ASEAN member States who will gather for the first time for a Regional Workshop on the Development of a Regional Spill Contingency Plan for ASEAN. The workshop is jointly organised by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the MPA Academy.During the workshop, participants will discuss regional spill strategies and draft the contingency plan for the region. This is a significant step following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the ASEAN Oil Spill Response Action Plan last year. It signifies the close cooperation among the ASEAN member States in oil spill preparedness and response.During the four-day workshop, MPA Academy will also share its own contingency plan to respond to oil spills as well as hazardous and noxious substances. The MPA Academy will also host a visit to the Port Operations Control Centre (POCC). The POCC is equipped with a Vessel Traffic Information System capable of monitoring and tracking up to 10,000 vessels and integrating data from various sources. The POCC is also an important venue which acts as the main Emergency ...

 The U.S. Coast Guard's National Pollution Funds Center (NPFC) has responsibility for disbursements from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (Fund).The Fund enables the Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to respond to oil spills. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) authorizes the Fund to pay for certain damage claims and oil removal costs. The federal government may subsequently seek reimbursement of these costs from responsible parties.Damage claimsGAO found that for fiscal years 2011 through 2013, internal controls were designed and implemented to reasonably assure that damage claim expenses were appropriately disbursed from the Fund.Oil removalGAO identified several internal control deficiencies, which demonstrated that NPFC was unable to reasonably assure that oil removal disbursements were appropriately disbursed from the Fund. GAO's statistical tests of oil removal disbursements less than or equal to $500,000 identified design and implementation control deficiencies involving invoices that lacked required certifications, high visibility spills that were not identified, and missing supporting documentation for some costs. Also, GAO identified other issues, including that NPFC lacked policies and procedures for tracking and reconciling cash advances to EPA.NPFC has established a system of internal controls for the designation and billing, as appropriate, of responsible parties. For ...

 A two-day bilateral exercise between the Congo and Gabon to test the lines of communication in case of a trans-boundary oil spill incident is concluding in Pointe-Noire, the Congo and Libreville, Gabon (14-15 September). The exercise, which was conducted in real-time with a prearranged script, simulated an oil spill incident impacting the Gabonese and Congolese coastlines. The objective was to identify gaps in oil spill contingency plans in both countries and help improve communication procedures between the two countries in the case of a real trans-boundary oil spill incident. The exercise also sought to encourage the sharing of technical information to better coordinate the response as well as to initiate discussions on topics such as mutual aid and allocation of resources. This exercise was organised within the framework of the Global Initiative for West, Central and Southern Africa (GI WACAF Project​), a partnership between IMO and IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues. The event gathered delegates from different ministries and agencies as well as representatives from the Oil & Gas industry. The Department of Environmental Affairs of Gabon and the Ministry of Transport, Aviation and Shipping of the Congo hosted the exercise simultaneously.Source and ...

 Two members ​of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement's (BSEE) Oil Spill Preparedness Division ​recently ​traveled to communities along the Arctic to verify and inspect oil spill response equipment staged to support ongoing oil exploration in the Chukchi Sea.Along with several members ​of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the team traveled to Wainwright and Prudhoe Bay, to verify equipment preparedness and inspect required items in Shell’s approved Chukchi and Beaufort Sea Regional Exploration Program Oil Spill Response Plans.The equipment is owned and/or operated by Alaska Clean Seas, and Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation Arctic Response Services, two of Shell’s oil spill removal organizations listed in the company’s plans. The joint inspection team verified that the equipment was available and maintained as detailed in the plans, following inspections of specified equipment, maintenance records, and equipment operability.The inspections are a continuation of BSEE’s commitment and comprehensive effort to ensure safe and environmentally responsible offshore oil and gas development in the Arctic. As federal regulators, BSEE enforces operator compliance with regulations regarding oil spill response equipment preparedness and conducts inspections and exercises, to validate the tactics, logistics, resource availability, and personnel proficiency identified and relied upon in the approved oil spill response plan ...

(Image Credit: Source: http://www.alassia.gr/) Canada has concluded an independent review of the environmental response operation to the fuel spill in English Bay in April, and 25 recommendations have been made to improve future response efforts. On Wednesday April 8, 2015 the sailing vessel Hali observed a sheen of oil in English Bay and reported it to the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). The CCG managed the response and clean-up operation with support from key partners, including Western Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC), other federal departments, other levels of government and non-governmental organizations. Although the Captain and representatives for the M/V Marathassa initially denied responsibility, it was subsequently determined in the early morning of April 9, 2015 that the M/V Marathassa had discharged an unknown quantity of intermediate fuel oil (suspected to be IFO 380) into English Bay on April 8. This was an operational discharge of persistent fuel oil with very high consequences. Port Metro Vancouver (PMV) is a large, multi-user commercial gateway with on average 20large deep-sea vessels at anchorage or terminals at any given time, representing an important economic hub for Vancouver and Western Canada. As such, it is essential that oil spills are prevented and/or cleaned up quickly and ...

  BSEE staff in the Oil Spill Preparedness Division (OSPD) led a workshop July 30 for the offshore oil and gas industry community at the Gulf of Mexico regional office in New Orleans. The workshop, with an attendance of 90, focused on the new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for activities involving offshore oil spill response planning and preparation. BSEE preparedness analysts explained the SOPS and answered questions pertaining to federal regulations found in 30 CFR 254. This is the first workshop open to operators, contractors, and the public since the new SOPs took effect. Workshop attendees also discussed submission of oil spill response plans, spill response training and exercises, and equipment preparedness. The new SOPs were developed to strengthen uniformity and consistency in BSEE’s oil spill preparedness activities throughout the nation. The OSPD Manual including the SOPs can be viewed and downloaded below: Source and Image Credit: BSEEIn the start, I was outspoken with you propecia before and after has changed my life. It has become much more fun, and now I have to run. Just as it is improbable to sit.

  Preparedness Analysts with BSEE’s Oil Spill Preparedness Division boarded the Louisiana Responder at Fort Jackson, Louisiana on July 14 to test the response readiness of Anadarko Petroleum Corp. While conducting an equipment verification, the team witnessed the testing of a skimmer and other associated equipment, stored in Buras, Louisiana, on the Mississippi River. Subsequent response equipment, stored at Marine Spill Response Corp. in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, was also verified. The objective of equipment verification is to assure operators have access to necessary resources outlined in their oil spill response plans and to confirm that specialized equipment is in acceptable operating condition and is being properly maintained. Source and Image Credit: BSEEIn the beginning, I was forthright with you propecia before and after has changed my being. It has become much more fun, and now I have to run. Just as it is incredible to sit.

  Dr. Deserié Soliz and Alton Bates of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement's (BSEE) Oil Spill Preparedness Division conducted a Government Initiated Unannounced Exercise (GIUE) on LLOG Exploration Company in Covington, Louisiana. As the Exercise Designer and Controller, Dr. Soliz delivered a scenario that required LLOG to respond to a simulated oil spill from a drilling facility located in Mississippi Canyon in the Gulf of Mexico. BSEE planned and executed the exercise in close coordination with oil spill response professionals from BSEE District Operations Support, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office. This exercise provided an opportunity for joint cooperation, partnership and governmental efficiency between federal and state organizations that have mutual responsibilities for regulating the offshore industry. Government Initiated Unannounced Exercises are designed to give BSEE the opportunity to evaluate, on a no-notice basis, the response preparedness posture of the offshore exploration and production community. In this particular exercise, BSEE and its interagency partners focused on a number of objectives, including the operator’s ability to make timely notifications to emergency officials, mobilize and organize staff to respond to the spill, plan for and implement shoreline protection and oil ...

  The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport, announced the launch of the Area Response Planning pilot project and related Community Participation Funding Program in a speech to the Vancouver Board of Trade on the role of transportation and the environment in Canada’s economic future. Area Response Planning is one of Canada’s measures under the World-Class Tanker Safety System that aims to further strengthen Canada’s marine safety system. It supports ship-source spill preparedness and response, tailored to a particular geographic area, in collaboration with local communities, Aboriginal groups, industry and all levels of government. The pilot areas include: the southern portion of British Columbia, including Vancouver Harbour; Saint John and the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick; Port Hawkesbury and the Strait of Canso, Nova Scotia; and St. Lawrence River (Montreal to Anticosti Island), Quebec. Collaboration is integral to the Area Response Planning pilot. In concert with this initiative, Transport Canada’s Community Participation Funding Program will support the participation of local communities and Aboriginal groups in the pilot project. The Program will provide up to $2.1 million starting in fall 2015 and ending in 2017 to eligible recipients. During her speech and the preceding roundtable discussion with guests, Minister Raitt also ...