Please click for more information on the following news articles:
- DR TOSH MOLLER - NEW ITOPF MANAGING DIRECTOR (1 December 2003)
- RETIREMENT OF DR IAN WHITE (19 November 2003)
- International Seminar on Spill Preparedness, Response and Compensation, Singapore, 3 December, 2003 (18 November 2003)
- STAFF CHANGES (13 November 2003)
- TASMAN SPIRIT - Update 16 October 2003 (16 October 2003)
- Staff changes (15 October 2003)
- John Archer, ITOPF Managing Director, 1979 - 1987 (5 September 2003)
- TASMAN SPIRIT - Update 27 August 2003 (2 September 2003)
- 2003 ANNUAL REVIEW NOW AVAILABLE (1 September 2003)
- TASMAN SPIRIT - Update 18 August 2003 (27 August 2003)
- TASMAN SPIRIT, Oil Spill Incident, Pakistan, 27 July 2003 (27 August 2003)
- New Technical Adviser (21 August 2003)
- ITOPF Wins Thor Heyerdahl Award 2003 (13 August 2003)
- A CHANGE AT THE HELM OF ITOPF (17 July 2003)
- PRESTIGE - Update, 30th April, 2003 (9 June 2003)
- OCEAN ORBIT JUST PUBLISHED (28 March 2003)
- Captain Mike Garnett, RN, OBE
- ITOPF Handbook 2003/2004 (11 February 2003)
DR TOSH MOLLER - NEW ITOPF MANAGING DIRECTOR
Dr Tosh Moller, one of ITOPF's Technical Team Managers, has taken over the role of Managing Director, following the retirement of Dr Ian White.
Dr Moller joined ITOPF in 1979 and is a marine biologist by training. In the course of his 24 years as a technical adviser at ITOPF he has attended some 85 pollution incidents in 35 countries, including most recently the PRESTIGE in Spain. In 1998 Dr Moller was promoted to Technical Team Manager to take a share of the responsibility for the day-to-day management of ITOPF's technical programmes and resources. Dr Moller, a citizen of Sweden, studied at Gothenburg University and at the University of Wales in Bangor, North Wales. He was awarded a PhD in 1977 and held a postdoctoral research post at Liverpool University until 1979.
1 December 2003
RETIREMENT OF DR IAN WHITE
About 140 guests gathered aboard HQS Wellington at the Thames Embankment in London on 18th November to celebrate Dr Ian White's career at ITOPF, spanning almost 27 years. It was a very happy occasion and a chance for Ian's many friends and collaborators in the maritime world to bid him farewell and wish him and his wife Mary the very best in their retirement. The photograph of current and former ITOPF staff is taken against the backdrop of a painting on board HQS Wellington of the founders of The Honourable Company of Master Mariners. On the extreme right of the picture is Mr Peter John Goulandris, who served as ITOPF's Chairman from October 1982 to October 1997. Mr Goulandris delivered a glowing tribute to Dr White, praising his technical, administrative and leadership skills.
Ian will retire at the ITOPF Board Meeting in Singapore on 1st December 2003. He started his career at ITOPF in 1977, effectively as the Federation's first Technical Adviser, having been appointed by the then Managing Director, Mr Alex Hetherington. A year later he was joined by Mr Joe Nichols to form the nucleus of the Technical Department led by Capt Mike Garnett, our former Technical Manager. In 1982 Ian was promoted to Assistant to the Managing Director and at the beginning of 1987 he succeeded Mr John Archer as Managing Director.
Since then he has overseen the expansion of the organisation's technical staff; the change of focus away from the administration of the TOVALOP voluntary oil spill compensation agreement to purely technical services; and the introduction of Associate Status for the owners of ships other than tankers. He has also taken an active interest in legislative developments within the IMO, IOPC Fund, EU and individual countries related to oil spill response arrangements and liability and compensation. Following the SEA EMPRESS accident in 1996 he was invited by the UK Government to be a member of an independent committee established to assess the environmental impact of this major oil spill. In 1998 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for "services to the environment".
Ian has served and led the Federation in exemplary fashion and we wish him well in his retirement.
19 November 2003
International Seminar on Spill Preparedness, Response and Compensation, Singapore, 3 December, 2003
ITOPF will be holding its Annual General Meeting and Board Meeting in Singapore at the beginning of December 2003. This will bring together senior representatives from the world's shipping and marine insurance industries. We are therefore taking the opportunity to organise a one-day Seminar on Wednesday, 3 December at the Shangri-La Hotel, 22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore, with the assistance of INTERTANKO.
The Seminar will address various topical issues related to preparing for and responding to accidental spills of oil and other substances from ships, as well as liability and compensation. A list of presentations is available on the attached programme. Attendance will be open to representatives of central and local government, oil companies, shipping companies, P&I Club correspondents, law firms, salvage companies, oil spill clean-up companies, environmental groups and academic institutions. Selected press representation will also be encouraged. Attendance at the Seminar will be free of charge, including a light buffet lunch.
18 November 2003
STAFF CHANGES
Camille Lecat, a Technical Adviser since June 2001, has left ITOPF in order to return to France. We wish her well in her future career.
13 November 2003
TASMAN SPIRIT - Update 16 October 2003
Shoreline Clean-up
The cleaning of Clifton Beach started in earnest early in September after the remaining cargo had been removed from the TASMAN SPIRIT and with it the risk of re-oiling by intermittent releases. Beach cleaning was undertaken by various local and government authorities, following strategies recommended by ITOPF. The main approach was a combination of manual and mechanical cleanup. Once removal of bulk oil on the surface was completed, tractors were used to plough the beach to promote surf washing and natural oil degradation and to avoid excess waste generation. The heavy surf action as a result of the monsoon throughout September facilitated extensive natural breakdown of the oil residues in the superficial sand layers on the beach.
By early October, no significant visible oil remained on the beach, no oil was visible on the sea and the main beach clean-up was deemed completed by the Karachi authorities. The surface sand of Clifton Beach is back to pre-spill condition but there are still residual problems with deeply buried layers of lightly oiled sand at some locations. This reveals the depths to which the sediments were disturbed during the south-west monsoon at the time of the spillage. No practical clean-up response is feasible on these more deeply buried layers without generating potentially huge volumes of waste and causing unnecessary damage to the beach. Consequently, they are being left to natural processes. The need for any further clean-up is likely to be reviewed at the start of the next monsoon season.
Waste Disposal
A total of some 2,500 tonnes of oily waste has been collected, mainly of oily sand. All the recovered wastes have been taken to a landfill site north of Karachi, where the oil is being chemically stabilized with quicklime. Stabilized oily sand may be used in road construction at the landfill site, whilst the treated oily debris and garbage is intended for disposal in the landfill.
ITOPF Staff
With the beach cleanup completed, Dr Brian Dicks returned to London on 12 October. ITOPF will undertake future on-site visits as necessary.
Click here to view some photographs from the incident.
16 October 2003
TASMAN SPIRIT - Press Release
In the light of recent press articles, ITOPF has issued a press release on the TASMAN SPIRIT incident.
Click here to view the press release in pdf format (72 kb).
15 October 2003
TASMAN SPIRIT - Update 4 September 2003
Following the structural collapse on 22 August, the condition of the TASMAN SPIRIT continues to deteriorate. On 29 August a further substantial release of oil was reported. The overall condition of the casualty continued to cause concern on the 30th with the aft section developing a dangerous list of up to 17°. The salvors managed to reduce the list and cargo transfer recommenced on 31 August. The bulk of the oil cargo has now been removed and a special hydraulic pump (TK-80), flown in from Europe, is being used to skim the tanks and remove as much of the oil cargo, bunkers and lubricants as possible. Currently, some 1800 m³ of oil remains on board, 200 m³ of which is IFO 180 contained in the port bunker tank.
Extent of Pollution
ITOPF and the KPT carried out an over-flight on 1st September. Very little oil was observed to be washing out from the casualty except at high tide, and oil that was released generally dispersed before reaching the shoreline. Sheens were still visible around Oyster Island, in the surf zone of Clifton Beach as well as in the Harbour channel. Some quantities of black oil were present in the harbour, and sheen was observed in Chinna Creek. It was also noticed that some swash lines of black oil had deposited over a 1-km band on the sandy stretch of Manora Point (at the western side of the harbour).
Response Measures
Following the release of oil on 29 August, the C130 aircraft was flown again and 5,800 litres of dispersant applied close to the casualty and 1-2 miles off the DHA Reclamation Area. A total of 31 tonnes of dispersant have now been applied from the air. The aircraft and crew remain on standby pending the removal of the remaining oil from the vessel.
In the harbour, KPT have sprayed a total quantity of 6 tonnes of dispersant from tugs, but no such activity has taken place since 29 August.
Skimming operations continue in the Boat Basin within Karachi Port, but are being hampered by the large quantities of floating debris present. Recovery rates range from 0.5 m³ to 2 m³ per day. The amount of oil on Clifton Beach is gradually reducing through natural wave action and the rise and fall of the tide. A concerted effort to clean the beach is being planned for the next few days, using a large clean-up crew and manual recovery methods.
ITOPF On-Site
Mr Hugh Parker and Ms Camille Lecat are currently on site.
5 September 2003
Staff changes
Mr Stéphane Grenon joined ITOPF as a Technical Adviser at the beginning of September. Stéphane has a degree in microbiology and a graduate diploma in ecotoxicology. Before joining ITOPF, he spent 11 years with the Canadian Ministry for the Environment (Environment Canada), the last 6 years as an environmental emergency responder dealing with oil spills and hazardous material related incidents. Stéphane is fluent in both English and French.
Caryn Anderson will be leaving ITOPF in the middle of September to return to her native Australia, where she has accepted a position with the Port of Townsville.
2 September 2003
John Archer, ITOPF Managing Director, 1979 - 1987
We were sad to learn of John Archer's death at the end of August, aged 82 years. John joined ITOPF as Managing Director in 1979 following a distinguished career in the UK Civil Service. Whilst at the Department of Trade he frequently led the UK delegation at IMO meetings, where he was widely respected for his technical knowledge, informed interventions and drafting skills. He came to ITOPF at a crucial time in the organisation's development and was instrumental in enhancing its international reputation for professional excellence. He recognised the benefits of good PR and changed the image of the organisation and its publications. The Technical Information Papers that he encouraged the technical staff to produce in the 1980s are still in use around the world today.
1 September 2003
TASMAN SPIRIT - Update 27 August 2003
Lightering operations have been continuing onboard the TASMAN SPIRIT. By 21 August about 26,000 tonnes of cargo and most of the heavy fuel oil bunkers had been removed. However, on 22 August a further structural collapse occurred onboard and salvage operations were again suspended. This led to a significant quantity of oil - estimated at 100-200 tonnes - being released.
Lightering operations were due to resume on 23 August, but were thwarted when the lightering vessel sustained damage in the heavy swell at the grounding location. On 24 August two bunkering barges were deployed and some 650 tonnes of oil were offloaded. It has been estimated that about 9,500 tonnes of crude oil remains to be offloaded.
Extent of Pollution
During an overflight on 20 August oil was observed further west than previously noted, some 3.5 nautical miles from the western entrance of Karachi Harbour and 2.5 nm offshore. Oil had also lightly contaminated a sandy beach in this area. Generally, however, levels of oiling have decreased markedly along the coast. Given the light character of the crude and the high mixing energy generated by the incessant heavy swell, it is likely that most of the oil released has dispersed naturally. From Clifton Beach to the Defence Housing Association (DHA) reclaimed land area there remains substantial areas of heavy iridescent sheen in the surf zone where the oil appears to be associated with sediment.
Response Measures
Following the release of oil on 22 August the ADDS Pack was flown again and 4.2 tonnes of dispersant applied. Two additional sorties were conducted on 23 & 24 August and a further 5 tonnes applied, bringing the cumulative total to date to some 25 tonnes. With quantities of oil reducing, the aircraft were stood down on 24 August, but remain on standby pending the removal of the final 9500 tonnes of crude oil from the aft section of the tanker.
Skimming operations at natural collection points inside Karachi harbour were terminated on 23 August and equipment is being demobilized from these sites. OSRL report that 143 m3 have been recovered from collection points inside the port.
The affected shoreline has been divided into three sections which are being cleaned by the KPT, city government and DHA, with managerial assistance from OSRL. Typically between 50-60 personnel have been deployed in each section with additional support of between 15-20 members of the City Fire Brigade. Disposal options for the oily waste are still being reviewed.
ITOPF On-Site
Mr Hugh Parker is currently on site.
27 August 2003
2003 ANNUAL REVIEW NOW AVAILABLE
ITOPF has just published its 34th Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 20 February 2003. If you would like to receive a copy please contact Terry Goodchild.
27 August 2003
TASMAN SPIRIT - Update 18 August 2003
Significant quantities of oil were spilled when the TASMAN SPIRIT broke up during the evening of 13 August. In total, about 27,000 tonnes of cargo have been lost from the ship, some 25,500 tonnes have been removed during lightering operations and a further 14,500 tonnes remain on board, according to reports from the shipowner's casualty representative and the Karachi Port Trust (KPT). Salvage experts were able to reboard the vessel on 15 August and lightering operations resumed on 17 August. The port remains open and operational.
Shoreline Contamination
ITOPF and the shipowner's casualty representative carried out a helicopter survey on 14 August. Clifton Beach, a popular spot with locals, has been heavily oiled over a length of about 6km, representing about 300m³ of oil. Oil has also stranded on a sand beach at the end of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) reclamation area. Inside the port, significant rainbow sheens and some black oil remains in the Upper Harbour. Some mangroves within the port area have also been affected.
Response Measures
Following a survey of the port by ITOPF, Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) and the KPT, booms were deployed in strategic places to allow for oil to be concentrated and recovered. Boats equipped with dispersant spray arms were stationed behind the booms to treat the oil and reduce the chances of it escaping into mangrove and mudflat areas.
Aerial spraying of dispersant began on 15 August. About 5 m³ of Corexit 9527 was used during the first sortie. The amount of oil on the sea surface was considerably reduced following this operation. Further sorties were made on 16 and 17 August. In total, some 16,000 litres of dispersant has been sprayed. The ADDS Pack (Airborne Dispersant Delivery System) has now been placed on standby at the Naval base, as there is no longer sufficient oil on the water's surface for its use to be effective. The KPT are continuing to use a harbour tug to spray dispersant (Superdispersant 25, provided by the UK government) inside the port area.
On the shoreline, OSRL are organizing the cleanup supported by personnel from the KPT and DHA. On 16 and 17 August some 20 tonnes of oil was recovered using two disc skimmers. Cleanup of Clifton Beach began on 17 August with about 50 personnel from the DHA. This number is expected to increase possibly tenfold by the end of the week. The DHA and KPT are attempting to identify options for disposal of collected oil and debris.
Public Health Issues
Oil vapour concentrations along the affected shoreline are high and causing discomfort. As a precaution, schools and colleges in the vicinity, are remaining closed for a further week.
ITOPF Attendance
Dr Karen Purnell remains on site and will be relieved by Hugh Parker on 22 August.
Click here to view photographs from the incident.
Click here to view a map of the spill site (as at 15 August 2003)
21 August 2003
TASMAN SPIRIT, Oil Spill Incident, Pakistan, 27 July 2003
The oil tanker TASMAN SPIRIT grounded off the port of Karachi, Pakistan, on 27 July 2003. The vessel was carrying a cargo of 67,000 tonnes of Iranian crude oil intended for the national refinery in Karachi when the incident occurred. A number of tanks were breached and oil began leaking from the vessel intermittently and at a relatively modest rate.
ITOPF was notified of the spill by the vessel's P&I insurer and the Karachi Port Trust on the morning it occurred. First reports did not indicate a serious pollution incident and ITOPF was initially required to remain on standby and monitor the situation from London. As the situation deteriorated, ITOPF's presence in Karachi was requested by the P&I Club on behalf of the tanker owner and Dr Karen Purnell arrived on site on 10 August. At this stage a total of 13,000 tonnes of oil had been removed from the damaged tanks by lightering operations, but oil continued to spill periodically as attempts to plug leaks failed and other operational difficulties arose.
The prevailing swell and safety concerns hampered subsequent lightering and salvage efforts and the tanker began to break up on 13 August at which time the lightering operation was suspended. As a result of further ruptures in forward tanks, the rate of oil leakage increased.
Resources at Risk
There are popular beaches in the vicinity of Karachi. To the south of the grounding site, salt ponds and well-developed mangrove forests are present. The Karachi coastline and nearshore waters are also a rich source of fishing. Within the port of Karachi there are shipyard facilities and sea water intakes potentially sensitive to oil contamination.
Shoreline Contamination
ITOPF has carried out repeated surveys of the port areas, the neighbouring Oyster Islands, and sandy beaches in and around Karachi. Mangrove areas have also been examined. A continuous film of rainbow sheen containing several thicker patches and ribbons of black oil was observed inside the harbour. Bands of oil were also observed on the hulls of a number of container vessels and other merchant ships in the vicinity and the harbour wall was stained in places. Overall, the impact of spilled oil has been moderate, partly reflecting the fact that the crude oil in question is light with a pronounced tendency to evaporate and disperse naturally.
Response Measures
Booms and tugs spraying dispersants were deployed by the Karachi Port Trust during the initial stages of the incident, but owing to the heavy sea swell and damage caused to some of the response vessels, these measures were of limited effect. As the seriousness of the incident escalated and on the advice of ITOPF, the P&I Club and the tanker owner mobilized response equipment and personnel from Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) in Southampton, UK to supplement the resources available to the Karachi Port Trust. A range of equipment and specialist oil spill response personnel have been dispatched from OSRL and from East Asia Response Ltd in Singapore so as to improve the capability for dealing with oil affecting coastal waters and shorelines. The main strategy agreed with Pakistan authorities for meeting the threat of a sudden major release of oil from the casualty is the aerial application of dispersant.
13 August 2003
New Technical Adviser
Dr Natalia Martini has recently joined ITOPF as a Technical Adviser. Natalia has a PhD in Marine Biology and an MSc in European Studies. She has previously worked as an External Consultant for the Italian Ministry for the Environment, where she advised and assisted with EU environmental policy development, and has collaborated on a marine ecology project at Oxford University. In addition to her native Italian, Natalia is fluent in English, French and Spanish. Natalia's appointment brings the total number of ITOPF staff to 23, 11 of whom are available to respond to spills. We expect to be joined by another new Technical Adviser in the Autumn.
17 July 2003
ITOPF Wins Thor Heyerdahl Award 2003
ITOPF is honoured to have won the prestigious Thor Heyerdahl International Maritime Environmental Award for 2003. Launched in 1999 by explorer Thor Heyerdahl and the Norwegian Shipowners' Association, the Award recognises organisations or individuals who have provided outstanding services for the benefit of the marine environment. Other current sponsors of the Award are Det Norske Veritas, Gard Services and Assuranceforeningen Skuld.
At a ceremony in Oslo City Hall on 3 June, Mr Terje J K Andersen, President of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association and Chairman of The Awarding Committee, praised the role that ITOPF plays in providing advice and assistance, without charge, to government authorities all over the world in dealing with accidental spills of oil and other substances from ships. He stated that ITOPF is "a brilliant example of knowledge management and knowledge sharing".
Dr Ian White accepted the Award - a cheque for USD100,000, a sculpture by artist Nico Widerberg and a Diploma - on behalf of ITOPF from Mrs Jacqueline Beer Heyerdahl. He expressed his gratitude to The Awarding Committee for recognising ITOPF's achievements over the past 35 years in helping to protect the marine environment and its users from the damaging effects of accidental spills of oil, chemicals and other substances from ships. "This Award", he added, "recognises the amazing foresight of the tanker owners who founded ITOPF in 1968 and the continuing commitment of the shipping and marine insurance industry to support an organisation dedicated to improving preparedness and response to ship-source spills around the world in an independent manner." He paid particular tribute to all of ITOPF's highly motivated staff, past and present, who through their combined efforts and dedication had established the organisation's international reputation.
It is planned to use to the USD100,000 to fund research and educational activities that in turn will benefit the marine environment.
9 June 2003
A CHANGE AT THE HELM OF ITOPF
ITOPF's Managing Director, Dr Ian White, is to retire in December 2003. He will be succeeded by Dr Tosh Moller, currently one of ITOPF's Technical Team Managers.
ITOPF's Chairman, Dr Helmut Sohmen, paid tribute to Dr White saying, "We are indebted to Dr White for his truly outstanding contribution to ITOPF over 26 years, the last 16 years as Managing Director. Supported by the organisation's highly qualified and committed staff he has helped to establish ITOPF as the maritime industry's primary source of objective technical advice, expertise and information world-wide on effective response to ship-source pollution. In appointing Dr Moller as his successor the Board is confident that the organisation will continue to go from strength to strength in its pursuit of protecting the marine environment and its users from the adverse effects of oil and chemical spills from ships."
Dr White joined ITOPF in 1977 and succeeded Mr John Archer as ITOPF's Managing Director in 1987. Since then he has overseen the expansion of the organisation's technical staff; the change of focus away from the administration of the TOVALOP voluntary oil spill compensation agreement to purely technical services; and the introduction of Associate Status for the owners of ships other than tankers. He has also taken an active interest in legislative developments within the IMO, IOPC Fund, EU and individual countries related to oil spill response arrangements and liability and compensation. For his services to help protect the environment, and as a valued adviser to governments and industry organisations, Dr White was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998.
Dr Tosh Moller, who joined ITOPF in 1979, is a marine biologist. In the course of his 24 years as a technical adviser at ITOPF he has attended some 85 pollution incidents in 35 countries, including most recently the PRESTIGE in Spain. In 1998 Dr Moller was promoted to Technical Team Manager to take a share of the responsibility for the day-to-day management of ITOPF's technical programmes and resources.
Dr Moller, a citizen of Sweden, studied at Gothenburg University and at the University of Wales in Bangor, North Wales. He was awarded a PhD in 1977 and held a postdoctoral research post at Liverpool University until 1979.
PRESTIGE - Update, 30th April, 2003
Clean-up Operations
Spanish government authorities report that there have been no observations of black oil surfacing from the PRESTIGE since late February, although thin sheen has occasionally been reported.
Offshore operations using specialised anti-pollution vessels ceased to be effective once the oil had been at sea for a few weeks. As the oil emulsified and weathered on the sea surface it became increasingly difficult and finally impossible to pump and even most of the heavy-duty oil recovery equipment failed. By the beginning of January, only a handful of the vessels were able to successfully recover any significant quantities of oil. In addition to increasing viscosity, floating oil fragmented into countless patches of ever-decreasing size. This caused problems with detection from the air and hence the guidance of vessels to locate recoverable oil. As mentioned in earlier reports, offshore tuna boats and trawlers, mussel farming vessels with grabs and small fishing boats were also used along different parts of the Spanish and French coasts.
Early in the response, shoreline cleanup was primarily undertaken manually by military units, fishery associations and civilian volunteers. A number of pumping stations using portable pumps and vacuum trucks were put in operation on the foreshore where bulk oil had collected in accessible points. As the oil weathered, pumping became increasingly difficult. As an alternative, various ways of mechanical recovery using bucket grabs and front end loaders were used to collect thick oil accumulations immediately nearshore in addition to the numerous small fishing vessels offshore.
Later in the response, beach cleaning machines were used when small fragments of oil and tarballs repeatedly stranded on long stretches of sandy shorelines along the northern coast of Spain and the French Aquitaine region. In other places sand was sieved through screens to remove oil fragments. Natural cleaning through the scouring action of the sea during winter storms has also taken place and its effects can only now begin to be judged as the weather improves. However secondary cleaning is already being undertaken by means of pressure washing in affected areas that are accessible to the public
In France, most of the shorelines affected are composed of relatively hard-packed sand, which are relatively easy to clean, both manually and mechanically
Impact of the Spill
Most of the fishing bans have now been lifted. In Galicia, the worst affected region, fisheries exclusion zones were put in place shortly after the incident banning virtually all fishing along about 90% of the coastline and extending 8 miles offshore. These bans have caused widespread economic impact to some 13 000 shellfish harvesters and the owners of some 6 000 inshore fishing vessels. The fishing bans did not cover aquaculture, even though this sector has also been affected by pollution. A number of important fish farms are located in heavily polluted areas, although most took measures to prevent oil entering the rearing tanks so that they could continue to operate. However, despite these efforts stocks were destroyed at one of the smaller farms on the order of the health authorities.
The major aquaculture activity in Galicia is the rearing of mussels on rafts. However, no mussel rafts in the main cultivation areas appear to have been directly affected by oil.
The rearing of molluscs in intertidal areas is not subject to closures, but some areas have been physically oiled and owners have reported that depuration plants are refusing to accept their products.
A number of depuration plants and aquariums, which rely on a regular supply of clean seawater, have closed either as result of actual or perceived contamination of their intakes or due to limited supplies of marine products arising from the fishing bans.
Waste
As in most large incidents, the volume of waste for storage and disposal far exceeds the quantities of oil actually spilled. In Spain to date, some 54,000 tonnes of liquid waste (oil/water mixtures) has been collected offshore and 63,000 tonnes of solid waste has been collected onshore.
In France about 1,500 tonnes of liquid waste was recovered by fishing vessels, whilst some 15,000 tonnes of solid waste has been collected from the shorelines.
Click here to view photographs of the cleanup.
2 May 2003
OCEAN ORBIT JUST PUBLISHED
Figures just published by ITOPF in the latest issue of its OCEAN ORBIT newsletter reveal a dramatic decrease in the number of accidental oil spills from tankers since the 1970s. With widespread publicity and condemnation surrounding major spills such as the PRESTIGE, it is easy to overlook the enormous improvements in tanker safety and pollution prevention that have already been made through the combined efforts of government and industry. Even allowing for the PRESTIGE, the annual amount of oil spilt by tankers for the present decade is well below the average figure for the 1990s, as reported by the US National Research Council. Natural seeps and man-made inputs down rivers and from urban run-off are now far more significant than ship-source inputs in terms of the total quantity of petroleum entering the marine environment annually.
Worldwide statistics are, however, no consolation to those whose coastlines and livelihoods are affected by shipping accidents and there can be no disputing the seriousness of the PRESTIGE spill. As with the NAKHODKA (Japan, 1997) and the ERIKA (France, 1999) the oil involved is heavy fuel oil. This highly viscous product does not easily break down and dissipate naturally, even when wave action is severe. Its highly persistent nature therefore means that it can travel long distances, threatening coastlines and sensitive resources many hundreds of miles from the original spill site. OCEAN ORBIT provides a status report on the PRESTIGE incident and looks at two other cases with which ITOPF was involved last year, the first involving a spill of hazardous and noxious substances in South Africa and the second a crude oil spill following a terrorist attack on a tanker in Yemen. These are just a sample of the incidents attended by ITOPF in the last 18 months. Its Technical Advisers are on permanent standby to travel anywhere in the world at a few hours' notice to assist with the response to accidental spills of oil or chemicals from ships. Another article in OCEAN ORBIT provides an insight into the life of an ITOPF Technical Adviser and explains what the job entails.
For a free copy of OCEAN ORBIT please contact Terry Goodchild at ITOPF.
28 March 2003
Captain Mike Garnett, RN, OBE
The news of Mike Garnett's death on 24th February 2003 from leukaemia was met with incredulity amongst those of us who knew Mike, his energy, his stamina and joie de vivre. His recovery from earlier bouts of serious illness fitted our perception of him as being well-nigh indestructible. We miss his irrepressible good spirits, laughter and the sense of fun that he brought to the serious business of oil spill response.
Mike Garnett's career as an oil spill responder started when, as a Captain in the Royal Navy, he was assigned the daunting task of dealing with the massive coastal pollution created by the TORREY CANYON spill off Cornwall in March, 1967. The confidence of his superiors was well-placed and Mike succeeded in fashioning a successful response operation out of the scant resources available, an achievement for which he was awarded the O.B.E.
Mike joined ITOPF in 1973 and brought with him the management skills and leadership qualities that had served him so well in his naval career. He became Technical Manager in 1975 and soon set about creating a technical department for providing impartial advice on oil spill response matters. He clearly recognised the limits of his own abilities and gathered around him people with complementary strengths. Mike inspired great loyalty and it is no coincidence that so many of his band of collaborators have retained their commitment to the cause of promoting effective oil spill response which he was the first to articulate.
There followed several years of consolidation and gradual expansion of ITOPF's technical department to meet the increasing demand from the oil and shipping industries for specialist advice in the event of marine oil spills. Mike travelled widely and contributed greatly to the establishment of the Federation's core functions. The continuing development and enduring reputation of ITOPF after Mike's retirement in 1987 is testament to the success and relevance of the formula he conceived and devised. VMT.
Our thoughts are with Mike's wife Judy and sons Mark and Jonathan. For any donations in Mike's memory, the family have nominated The Renal Unit General Trust Fund 13474, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth PL6 8DH, Devon, United Kingdom.
ITOPF Handbook 2003/2004
ITOPF has just published its seventh annual Handbook. First produced in 1997, the ITOPF Handbook contains a wealth of valuable information and guidance for those likely to be involved in spills of oil and chemicals from ships. It contains updated information on oil spill compensation, oil spill statistics and ITOPF staff, and includes sections on the fate and effects of oil spills, clean-up techniques and the organization of spill response and planning. Copies of the ITOPF Handbook are available free to ITOPF Members and Associates, as well as to closely related groups. Single copies are also available to others on request - contact Terry Goodchild. 11 February 2003