Oil and chemical spills
Introduction
Oil occasionally gets spilt at sea. If it does not come ashore it will eventually disperse of its own accord either by evaporation or through the actions of wind and waves. Therefore, when dealing with a maritime oil spill, it may be preferable not to intervene, but to leave the oil to disperse and degrade naturally.
In circumstances where an oil spill threatens commercial, environmental or amenity interests, however, intervention may be necessary. The often turbulent nature of United Kingdom waters rules out mechanical recovery or the use of booms as a common response strategy. Turbulence does, however, promote natural and chemically assisted dispersion. Thus, an effective way to deal with an oil spill in UK waters can be to use an oil dispersant. The use of appropriate oil dispersants can, for example, protect birds and other wildlife by removing oil from the surface of the sea. However, care must be taken to ensure that this process does not contaminate fish or shellfish, or smother life on the seabed.
Oil treatment products
The Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 and the Deposits in the Sea (Exemptions) Order 1985 sets out the framework for the regulation of the use of oil spill treatment products in UK waters. Under this legislation it is a legal requirement that oil spill treatment products (for example dispersants, sorbents, surface cleaners and bioremediation products) are formally approved by the relevant licensing authority before they can be used in UK waters.
The MFA is the licensing authority for England and Wales and is also responsible for the regulation of the manufacture and use of oil spill treatment products when applied from aircraft, hovercraft, vessel, vehicle or marine structure. The Scottish Government Marine Directorate (SGMD) is the licensing authority for Scotland and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency for Northern Ireland.
In addition to formal approval, specific permission must be obtained from the licensing authority before oil treatment products are used in shallow waters. Shallow waters are defined in the Deposits in the Sea (Exemptions) Order 1985 as any area of the sea with a depth of less than 20 meters, or within waters within one mile of any such area. This includes use in tidal docks and locks, on beaches and shorelines, and on structures such as piers and breakwaters. Such use of oil treatment products is approved by the MFA on a case-by-case basis and only after thorough consideration.
The MFA has prepared a Marine Pollution Contingency Plan to enable the agency to deal effectively with a serious oil spill. The plan provides a mechanism to coordinate the MFA's response to major marine pollution incidents. With regard to a marine pollution incident the MFA has a number of responsibilities:
- to approve the use of oil spill treatment products where appropriate
- to be represented on the environment group by local MFA officers
- to brief ministers on the progress of the incident
- to commission relevant monitoring, research and environmental impact assessments.
Where the Maritime and Coastguard Agency leads the response to an oil spill from shipping, they follow the National Contingency Plan. The plan also incorporates guidance on the procedure for approval and testing of oil spill treatment products provided by the MFA for reference during an incident.