Oil Spills:
effects and management
International Conference on Marine
Incidents Management
19-20 October 2006
Bruges
Sjon Huisman
North Sea Agency
The Netherlands
MANAGING
EFFECTS or IMPACT
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Effects
• Ecological effects: sea life; flora and fauna
at the coastline; Mari cultures
• Economic effects: loss of harvest of Mari
cultures; recreation; loss of manpower;
general trade (blocking ports)
• Emotional effects: not yet mentioned in
contingency plans.
• Political effects: e.g. Nunca Mais
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Effects (2)
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Boost in developing new equipment
Revision of existing plans and scenarios
Incentive for improvement of organisations
International discussions and meetings on
new rules
• International cooperation
(would EMSA exist: ERIKA/PRESTIGE?)
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Managing
• Three levels:
- operational level
managing response operations
- strategic/tactical level
managing the entire incident
- policy level  ministers level
governance
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What equipment,
Where to start,
Maintaining equipment,
Logistics,
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Managing
strategic/tactic
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Matters of liability,
Generic legal aspects,
Impact assessment,
Consultations with coastal authorities
(municipalities; counties),
• Response options ,
• Waste treatment,
• Claim management
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Managing
Sample analysis
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Burden of proof with authorities,
Obvious perpetrator ?
Mixture of oils and residues
Mystery slicks, where is the polluter,
Investigations
• Conflict of interest, sampling or no
sampling.
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Managing Mysteries
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Managing Mysteries
• Oil patches covering the beach, over 50
kilometres,
• No source identified,
• Seasonal effects,
• Claim management,
• FIND THE SOURCE!
(more important than anything else; press, politicians)
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Managing mysteries
• Sampling/analysis,
- poorly refined product  bunkers
- crude from Ukraine well.
• Paris MOU PSC  search
• BONN AGREEMENT  search
- Bulk carrier found with damaged fuel
tank,
- Reference samples,
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Managing mysteries
• Burden of proof,
• Preparing civil claim and
• Preparing prosecution.
• Rumanian company was liable,
• Captain and company punished
- main issue animal welfare
• No payment received
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Managing mysteries
• Similarities and differences:
- pollution impact assessment,
- response measures,
- health and safety aspects for responders
- waste treatment,
- claim management,
- evidence, prosecution,
- media attention,
- informing political level,
- claim management,
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Management at EU level
• Guideline on incident management:
- liability,
- costs management,
- claim management,
• Collective approach of P&I clubs
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