Tag: oil spill

Proposals to protect the world's oceans have been welcomed by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the principal trade association for merchant shipowners. ICS recommends that the Global Ocean Commission's (GOC) ideas should be taken seriously. The GOC wishes to see a greater level of environmental protection, especially with respect to areas of economic activity, other than shipping, that currently may not be adequately regulated. Issues addressed in its inquiry report, launched in New York last night, include preserving global fishing stocks, preventing ongoing damage to ecosystems caused by land based industry and agriculture, and preventing the acidification of the sea. ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe said: "The shipping industry is very fortunate in already having an established framework of global Conventions and rules that have been developed by the United Nations International Maritime Organization. For the most part these IMO rules are fully implemented and enforced worldwide and have directly contributed to the improvement of shipping's environmental performance. However, shipowners are global citizens who will share the GOC's concern about the vacuum that still exists with respect to wider governance and protection of the oceans." Ideas set out by the Global Ocean Commission include the establishment of a stand-alone ...

The UK P&I Club has published a new pocket guide for ship owners and operators on how to prevent improper discharges of oily water from their vessels. Such discharges - which are sometimes undertaken by crew members believing they are acting in their employer's best interests - can prove economically disastrous. The publication follows two high-profile prosecutions against ship operators in the US last year for pumping out oily bilge water, resulting in criminal convictions and fines of US$11.5 million. Both cases were brought under the US Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), which implements the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). Annex I of MARPOL requires machinery space bilge water to be processed through a functioning oily water separator before it is discharged, with an oil content meter sampling the effluent to ensure there is no more than 15 parts per million of oil. Under APPS it is a crime in US waters to bypass or trick the oily water separator or oil content meter, or to maintain an inaccurate oil record book. In the recent US cases, which involved a total of five ships, the oily water separators and oil content meters had ...

The Aktea tanker has been recontracted by EMSA as an oil spill response vessel for the Aegean Sea, following a tender held in 2013. The vessel is now back in operation since 1 April. The vessel is based in Piraeus and provides a contracted storage capacity of 3,000m3 which is distributed over ten cargo tanks. The oil spill response equipment assigned for this contract covers a full set of sweeping arms and booms, as well as a high capacity skimmer and oil slick detection system. Source: EMSAIn the onset, I was forthright with you propecia before and after has changed my subsistence. It has become much more fun, and now I have to run. Just as it is improbable to sit.

Crude oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster causes severe defects in the developing hearts of bluefin and yellowfin tunas, according to a new study by a team of NOAA and academic scientists. Oil near the Deepwater Horizon disaster spill source as seen during an aerial overflight on May 20, 2010. (Credit: NOAA) The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on the 25th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, show how the largest marine oil spill in United States history may have affected tunas and other species that spawned in oiled offshore habitats in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Atlantic bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, and other large predatory fish spawn in the northern Gulf during the spring and summer months, a time that coincided with the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010. These fish produce buoyant embryos that float near the ocean surface, potentially in harm's way as crude oil from the damaged wellhead rose from the seafloor to form large surface slicks. The new study shows that crude oil exposures adversely affect heart development in the two species of tuna and an amberjack species by slowing the heartbeat or causing an uncoordinated rhythm, which can ultimately lead ...

The 2013 GreenPort Congress clearly identified that to achieve an environmentally responsible port sector, port users need to communicate more. The 9th GreenPort Congress will therefore focus on improving the relationship between the ports, its users, customers and stakeholders, who will all be involved in the programme. Hosted by the Port of Barcelona on 15-17 October 2014, the following sessions will be included: Customers, users and stakeholders perception of a Green Port Tools for green ports to respond to stakeholders' expectations Meeting the forthcoming challenges for green ports Global versus regional regulations on shipping related aspects and impact on ports Financing opportunities for green port R&D projects The 2nd GreenPort Cruise Conference will take place the day before the GreenPort Congress, on 14 October 2014, and will address the environmental and sustainability issues facing cruise ports and terminals across the world as, with the increasing popularity of cruise holidays, ports are seeing a large increase in the size and number of passenger ships visiting.  The local infrastructure is also required to cope with the influx of huge numbers of passengers at a time. Cruise ports will learn how to avoid congestion in the cruise port, whether to choose Cold ironing ...

Clean hydrogen power that's expected to lower emissions and reduce energy consumption will be coming to the Port of Honolulu in 2015 after the completion of a new fuel cell technology demonstration, one that could lead to a commercial technology for ports worldwide. The work comes on the heels of last year's study and analysis that confirmed the viability of hydrogen fuel cells to provide auxiliary power to docked or anchored ships. Hydrogen researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have joined with several partners in the follow-up project, which will result in a portable, self-contained hydrogen fuel cell unit that can float on a barge, sit on a dock or be transported to wherever it's needed to provide electrical power. Ports have been a major source of water and air pollution in the U.S. but remained relatively unregulated until recent years. As ports have begun to expand and their impact on the environment has become more apparent, port operators face a variety of regulations. Many ports have begun to enact sustainability goals or adopt green practices, and that's where fuel cells can play a role. "No one has ever built this kind of custom unit for this purpose," said Sandia's project ...

MONALISA 2.0 had its debut in Western Norway during the ‘Green Fjord' conference in Geiranger, January 22/23, 2014. Green Fjord 2020 is the forum which is about to outline a green future for the unique UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site of ‘Western Norwegian Fjords', famous for its fantastic panoramic scenery with steep mountains and deep fjords. With a vision of ‘leaving no footprints behind', the conference gathered local, regional and international expertise on how to achieve sustainable regional development within a framework of environmental initiatives, green technologies and conservation of existing cultural values. Increasing the profile of the area and sharing the popular travel destination with many visitors from across the globe, provides both challenges and opportunities. Transport - by sea and by land - is one of them; most of the hundreds of thousands of guests visit Geiranger by cruise-ship during the summer season. Air pollution and traffic control issues were some of problems addressed by the conference. Annelise Chapman (Møreforsking AS, Norway) gave a talk where she presented MONALISA's work on Maritime Spatial Planning in the context of ‘environmental transport at sea'. The Southern Norwegian Sea, including the UNESCO world heritage area around Geiranger, is one of three ...

National Response Team leaders from across Australia have gathered in Devonport, Tasmania to undertake annual training as part of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's preparedness for oil spill response under the National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies. From Wednesday, February 12 to Friday, February 14 the team leaders from the National Response Team (NRT) will undertake safety training around aircraft and rotate in groups using equipment used in the event of an oil spill. AMSA Chief Executive Officer Graham Peachey said the training was vital in maintaining the skills of the NRT leaders in accordance with the National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and Other Noxious and Hazardous Substances. "The National Response Team provides support to the Australian and state governments in the event of a major oil pollution incident," Mr Peachey said. "We hope we are never faced with this sort of event but AMSA's role is to ensure if the worst were to happen we have highly trained people ready to respond quickly and effectively." NRT team leaders will practice using booms, dispersant spray systems, rope mops, skimmers and helicopter spray buckets, which would be used in the event of a maritime environmental emergency. ...

EMSA has issued its Annual Report on Network of stand-by oil spill response vessels. The vessels are ready to respond to oil spills at sea caused by ships as well as by offshore installations following the request of a coastal State or the European Commission. By the end of 2013, the Network comprised 18 fully equipped vessels ready for immediate mobilisation. As of 1 March 2013, with the entry into force of Regulation (EU) No 100/2013, EMSA has a new mandate to respond to marine pollution caused by oil and gas installations. As one of the actions to implement this new task, in October 2013 EMSA vessels participated for the first time in an operational exercise scenario to test response to oil pollution occurring during offshore operations in the western Black Sea. To achieve the level of performance for pollution response required by the Agency, vessels and their crews participate regularly in training, drills and operational exercises.   The number of drills and exercises carried out annually has increased significantly over the years in line with the development of the Network. The figures for 2013 are summarised in the table below. Summary of Drills and Exercises carried out in 2013 ...

Coast Guard crews are responding to a diesel fuel spill in the Damariscotta River near the village of Walpole, Maine. On January 7th watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, Maine, received a report at approximately 8:40 a.m. of a 30-foot barge that had been damaged by ice and leaked approximately 100 gallons of diesel along the Damariscotta River. Responding to the spill are crews from: Coast Guard Station Boothbay Harbor, Maine Coast Guard Sector Northern New England Maine Department of Environmental Protection South Bristol Fire Department Response teams have capped the barge's fuel vents and deployed sorbent boom and pads around an estimated area of 100 yards by 20 yards to contain the fuel. The barge is equipped with two internal diesel fuel tanks and had a maximum capacity of 200 gallons. There is no active sheening at this time. The remaining fuel is scheduled to be pumped from the barge Saturday morning. In an average year, the Coast Guard responds to approximately 250 reports of pollution in the Northeast. Source: USCG  In the outbreak, I was straightforward with you propecia before and after has changed my being. It has become much more fun, and now I have ...