Please click for more information on the following news articles:
- COSCO BUSAN, Oil Spill, San Francisco, USA, 7 November 2007 (28 December 2007)
- M.S. EXPLORER, Sinking & Oil Spill, Antarctica (7 December 2007)
- ITOPF Seminar, 1 November 2007 (7 November 2007)
- Memorandum of Understanding between the International Group of Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Clubs and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (5 November 2007)
- MOU with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (8 October 2007)
- What do you know about ITOPF?(10 September 2007)
- 2007 ANNUAL REVIEW (21 August 2007)
- New Technical Adviser (23 May 2007)
- EMSA Issues Tender for At-Sea Oil Recovery Services (9 March 2007)
- New ITOPF Handbook (18 January 2007)
COSCO BUSAN, Oil Spill, San Francisco, USA, 7 November 2007
On Wednesday 7 November, the container vessel, COSCO BUSAN, en route from Oakland, California to South Korea, struck San Francisco’s Bay Bridge during heavy fog. No structural damage was caused to the bridge, but the vessel suffered a gash to the port side of its bow, resulting in a leak of about 200 tonnes of heavy fuel oil from the bunker tanks. ITOPF was requested to attend on-site by the vessel’s insurer to monitor the response activities and to take part in Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) activities anticipated as a consequence of the MoU between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the International Group of P&I Clubs.
The oil spread widely through San Francisco Bay and along coastlines to the north and south of the Bay entrance. A major response operation was launched, involving state, federal and local agencies, as well as private contractors. The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, declared a State of Emergency on 9 November. Eleven skimming vessels were initially deployed together with 20 fishing boats, which were engaged to work in shallower water. By 14 November all had been stood down, as very little floating oil remained. Private contractors working through the Unified Command deployed some 27,000 feet of protective booms and additional boom was deployed independently by county and municipal authorities and marinas. By 18 November aerial reconnaissance sorties no longer identified any areas of floating oil or sheen.
On shore, in excess of 1,000 people were deployed at the peak of operations and 2,000 volunteers were trained for beach cleaning. Of some 200 miles of shoreline initially surveyed by the SCAT teams, 63 miles were classified as either lightly or very lightly oiled, 4 miles were deemed to be moderately oiled and 2 miles were regarded as heavily oiled. Shortly after the incident some 27 beaches were closed to the public; of which 12 had been reopened by 13 December. Secondary cleaning, involving high pressure hot water spraying and rock wiping, is underway at a number of locations. There have been some instances of re-oiling of cleaned beaches, most likely due to the remobilisation of oil caught in rip-rap. By mid-December it is anticipated that most of the shoreline will be in ‘maintenance mode’ and any remaining clean-up targeted to respond to specific, localised problems. Surveys of the affected shorelines with a view to signing them off will take place after the winter, during which time natural clean-up is likely to have been effective at removing residual traces of oil.
The Governor ordered the closure of all State fisheries - which included a valuable crab fishery - in the immediate aftermath of the spill. This has now been lifted, as tests indicated that both crabs and fish were safe for consumption. In terms of wildlife, the greatest impact has been to birds. Figures released by the Unified Command show that as at 13 December, 1,803 birds have been found dead, with a further 634 dying in the rehabilitation facility; 389 have been cleaned and released, and 58 remain in the facility. The majority of the birds are scoters and grebes, but snowy plovers, marbled murlets and brown pelicans have also been affected.
NRDA Working Groups have been established to examine injuries to birds, fish, marine mammals, various shoreline habitat types, water column, eelgrass and archeological sites, as well as estimating losses to recreational use of the shoreline.
View a selection of photographs from the incident (227KB PDF)
28 December 2007
M.S. EXPLORER, Sinking & Oil Spill, Antarctica
The ice-strengthened cruise vessel, MS EXPLORER, encountered difficulties whilst passing through pack ice in the Bransfield Strait some 50 nautical miles south of King George Island, Antarctica in the early hours of 23 November. All 154 passengers and crew were successfully evacuated before the vessel sank in deep water later that afternoon. Observations of oil sheen were subsequently made by the Chilean Navy and ITOPF was requested to attend on-site by the vessel’s insurers to provide advice on pollution related issues.
The Bransfield Strait is a body of water roughly 60 nautical miles wide that lies between the South Shetland Islands to the north and the Antarctic Peninsula to the south. The islands are home to a variety of seabirds, including Antarctic terns, Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins, and several species of seal.
At the time of the incident, MS Explorer was carrying approximately 178 m3 of Marine Gas Oil (MGO) and some 24 m3 of lube oil. A trail of fragmented ‘iridescent’ or rainbow oil sheen covering approximately 2.5 km2 was observed shortly after the vessel sank during aerial surveillance sorties carried out by the Chilean Navy, INACH (Chilean Antarctic Institute) and a P&I representative using a navy helicopter. Two days later, a 5 km2 area of sheen was reported, which represents a few cubic metres of oil at most. Subsequent reports from the Chilean Navy suggest that oil sheen continues to be observed in the vicinity of the sinking location and its appearance and cover corresponds to a slow and steady release of fuel from one or more tanks onboard the vessel.
Marine Gas Oil is a light, non-persistent oil, which would be expected to dissipate naturally in a relatively short period of time (hours/days) after release, mainly through the processes of evaporation and dispersion, which are greatly enhanced by high winds and heavy seas that are typical of the region. Indeed, the MGO has been observed to spread out to a thin sheen and fragment immediately upon arriving at the sea surface before being carried a distance of just a few kilometres by wind and currents and dissipating completely. Due to the observed location of the sheen trail and its rapid dissipation it seems unlikely that any trace of oil will reach the shoreline. The Chilean Navy’s most recent reports on 28 November note that the sheen is no longer in close proximity to floating ice and to date there have been no observed environmental impacts as a result of the releases of oil.
Taking into account the non-persistent nature of Marine Gas Oil and its formation into a thin sheen that rapidly dissipates, there is no technically effective means to either recover the oil or enhance its dispersion. ITOPF are currently on site in King George Island and are conducting further aerial surveillance with the Chilean Navy to further monitor the situation.
7 December 2007
ITOPF Seminar, 1 November 2007
ITOPF held a half day seminar on Thursday 1 November at the City Presentation Centre in London to showcase its activities and raise awareness of its role in spill response and claims analysis. Drawing on the collective experience of more than 100 years, senior technical staff presented a packed programme covering the work of ITOPF, its interaction with other parties during an incident, a typical day in the life of a technical adviser and ITOPF's role in damage assessment and claims handling. The seminar closed with presentations on some recent cases, highlighting the oft-neglected subject of waste management and finishing with a short vignette on the lighter side of spill response. The seminar was well attended with 120 delegates from the shipping industry, P&I Clubs, government, spill response organisations, oil companies, law firms and universities. A drinks reception rounded off the evening, giving participants the opportunity to network and meet ITOPF staff.
View PDFs of presentations:-
The Work of ITOPF - Tosh Moller (toshmoller@itopf.com)
Links during an Incident - Hugh Parker (hughparker@itopf.com)
A Day in the Life of a Technical Adviser - Richard Johnson (richardjohnson@itopf.com)
The Role of ITOPF in Damage Assessment - Karen Purnell (karenpurnell@itopf.com)
ITOPF's Role in Claims Assessment - Tim Wadsworth (timwadsworth@itopf.com)
Recent Case Examples - Waste Management - Michael O'Brien (michaelobrien@itopf.com)
Recent Case Examples - MSC NAPOLI Vignette - Kathi Stanzel (katharinastanzel@itopf.com)
7 November 2007
Memorandum of Understanding between the International Group of Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Clubs and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
On October 16, 2007, representatives of the International Group of P&I Clubs (IGP&I) and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Washington, D.C.. This is the second time such an agreement of co-operation has been signed by ship-owner insurance and US government interests for the purpose of improving transparency and promoting collaboration in the US-specific process of natural resource damage assessment (NRDA). In the case of the first MoU, the agreement was established for a 5-year period starting in 2001. The current MoU is no longer limited in its duration.
NOAA (http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/ is a Federal Trustee under the provisions of the United States Oil Pollution Act 1990 (OPA'90). As such, it is responsible for managing a number of natural resources including anadromous fish such as salmon, sediment and water quality, commercial and recreational fisheries, marine mammals, marshes, mangroves, sea grass beds, coral reefs, and other coastal habitats. Consequently, NOAA is often nominated as the Federal Lead Agency Trustee in the damage assessment and restoration process that follows an oil pollution incident in the USA. NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration also usually provides one of the regional Scientific Support Coordinators (SSC) to give technical advice on all aspects of spill response to the Federal On-Scene Commander (FOSC).
The International Group of P&I Clubs (http://www.igpandi.org) provides reinsurance cover for some 90% of the world shipping fleet. This insurance arrangement is based on the individual Clubs (ship-owner's third party liability insurers) and a pooling arrangement between members of the International Group for major claims. NOAA and IGP&I are interested in extending the MoU to other Trustee agencies, both Federal and State, with responsibilities for managing other natural resources in the marine and coastal environments.
Although not a party to the MoU, ITOPF has a pivotal role in providing technical information and analysis to all parties involved in the restoration process and may be asked to join technical working groups should this be appropriate. ITOPF is expected to follow developments closely and to be fully aware of technical issues raised in the damage assessment or proposed restoration measures. It is to be anticipated that ITOPF participation will facilitate a co-operative approach to the process and minimise delays in implementing restoration projects.
The occasion of the formal signing of the MoU document was used to hold a 2-day joint workshop on improving co-operation and dealing with difficult technical issues. Representatives of various government agencies, environmental contractors, vessel insurers and ITOPF participated actively in the workshop which included various overview and detailed technical presentations as well as ample panel sessions, break-out group sessions and topical discussions. The main topics covered included:
- Overview of US Federal, State, and P&I Club organization and structure
- Response and NRD structure in the US
- Overview of the role of ITOPF in spill response and damage assessment
- The MOU: its history and original intent
- How P&I Clubs perceive NRD claims in the US
- "Selling the Settlement" - Meeting the needs of diverse constituents
- How can we move more quickly to restoration?
- The Use of Models in an Oil Spill Context for NRDA Injury Assessment
- Effects of Fisheries Closures on NRDA
5 November 2007
MOU with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Hugh Parker attended the International Chemical and Oil Pollution Conference & Exhibition, ICOPCE 2007, in Singapore, 24th - 25th September where he presented a talk entitled "Opportunities for Streamlining the Claims Process - The Singapore Experience.". The Conference was opened by Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, the Minister of State for Finance and Transport, and in her opening address the Minister made extensive reference to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreed between ITOPF and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). The agreement was signed by Capt Muhammad Segar, the Port Director and Hugh Parker at a signing ceremony arranged by MPA on Monday 24th September. The MoU sets out agreed rates for vessels and equipment deployed by MPA in the event of a spill from a vessel insured by the International Group of P & I Clubs (see http://www.mpa.gov.sg/circulars_and_notices/pdfs/pc07-06.pdf). When ITOPF is asked to attend a spill in Singapore waters, ITOPF's Technical Adviser would usually be invited to sit with the MPA's Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) to offer advice and assistance in relation to the particular circumstances of the incident.
These two elements of the spill response arrangements in Singapore; pre-agreed rates and arrangements to advise the national response agency, provide a useful model for other countries to consider and a good example of the government/industry cooperation envisaged in the 1990 Oil Pollution Response, Preparedness and Co-operation Convention (OPRC).
View MoU (PDF 664KB)
8 October 2007
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ITOPF?
Did you know...
Find out more...
|
2007 ANNUAL REVIEW
ITOPF has just published its latest Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 20 February 2007. If you would like to receive a copy please contact Terry Goodchild or download a PDF version from our Publications page.
21 August 2007
New Technical Adviser
Earlier this month we recruited Dr Mark Whittington as a Technical Adviser. Mark is a marine biologist with a background in fisheries, aquaculture and environmental monitoring. He has previously worked in marine consultancy in the UK and on coastal zone management projects in East Africa and the Middle East. Mark's appointment brings the total number of staff available to respond to spills to twelve.
23 May 2007
EMSA Issues Tender for At-Sea Oil Recovery Services
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has just published a new tender for at-sea oil recovery services in the Atlantic, West Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Sea areas. This is the third and final tendering round which will enable EMSA to complete the network of vessels necessary to "top-up" the efforts of coastal states responding to a large spill.
To date, the Agency has established at-sea oil recovery capacity through renewable 3 year contracts with the spill response and shipping industries in the Baltic Sea, Atlantic Coast and Mediterranean Sea areas.
The 2007 tender will establish three year renewable contracts with commercial ship-owners and/or operators and/or spill response organisations/manufacturers.
The current system, and that which is sought for the third round of contracts, is that vessels carry out their normal commercial activities until EMSA receives a request for assistance from a Member State or the European Commission to respond to a spill. At this point, they will be rapidly transformed into oil recovery vessels and made available for at-sea oil recovery activities. Vessels therefore have to be available at short notice during the whole period of the contract for pollution response activities.
For more information, please see the "Prior information notice for service contracts for at-sea oil recovery services" under the following link: http://www.emsa.europa.eu/end185d014d016.html.
9 March 2007
New ITOPF Handbook
ITOPF has just published its latest annual Handbook, which contains information and guidance for those likely to be involved in spills of oil and chemicals from ships. This year's edition contains an expanded section on the effects of oil spills and updated information on oil spill statistics, spill compensation, and ITOPF staff. Information is also provided on the fate of oil spills, clean-up techniques and the organisation 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 or download a PDF version from our Publications page.
18 January 2007