Responding to Pollution by Oil and other Harmful Substances Response to spills of oil and other...

Responding to Pollution by Oil and other Harmful Substances

Response to spills of oil and other harmful substances

• Escape of 100 tons of a light oil

• Spill 2 km2

• 90 tons within an area of 1 km2

• 20 tons will evaporate in 24 hours

• Rest of oil might emulsify increasing the quantity to 280 tons

• If this quantity comes ashore around 1,000 to 3,000 tons of oily waste

will be collected

Importance of prevention of oil pollution

Response to oil spills

Importance of prevention of oil pollution


Historical background

Oil was known to human since ancient times.

Primitive humans observed flames coming out of the land, especially in the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea regions.

Egyptians used asphalt for mummifying the dead.

Ancient Greek doctors Hippocrates and Galinos considered it as a valuable medicine.

The infamous “water fire” of the Byzantines must have had oil as its main content.


• Crude oil is mainly made up of hydrocarbons with a molecular weight varying from that of methane to those of heavy molecules containing more than 80 carbon atoms.

• It contains oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen compounds as well as traces of metals.

• Its behavior and impact on the marine environment depend on the composition of the oil and the environmental conditions

• Based on specific gravity, we classify oil into:

- Light oils

- Intermediate to heavy oils

- Heavy oils, including residual oils and marine fuel oils.

The complex composition of crude oil and its products


Behavior of oil into the sea – Critical factors

• Specific gravity

• Boiling point

• Viscosity

• Pour point

• Flash point

• Solubility

• Asphaltenes content


Behavior of oil into the sea


• The most important process that removes oil from the sea surface.

• The higher the boiling point, the faster and more extensive the evaporation

• Crude oil may lose up to 40% of its volume in the firs 48 hours.

• Heavy fuel oils contain few volatile compounds and usually show a low degree of evaporation

Evaporation



Evaporation of 7 tons HFO (380 cSt) in summer season



Evaporation of 7 tons of crude oil in winter season



Evaporation of 70 tons of diesel oil

Evaporation of gasoline



Emulsification

(Water-in-Oil Emulsion)



Emulsification (Water-in-Oil Emulsion)



Movement of a slick on the surface of the sea



2 hours simulation of a 350 tons oil spill

Light Crude oil Heavy Fuel oil


Movement of a slick on the surface of the sea


Permissible oil discharges from E/R


SPILL PREPARDNESS

AND RESPONSE

- ΜΑRPOL 73/78

- OPRC’90/HNS 2000


SOPEP, All ships

Oil

SMPEP, Tankers carrying noxious liquid substances

NLS

Spill Contingency Plans


Basic Elements

Reporting procedure

List of Authorities that must be notified in case of a pollution incident

Actions to be taken by the ship’s crew for mitigating or limiting pollution

Procedures for the coordination of the response operation in cooperation with national and local authorities

Training – Drills

Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan


Steps to control the discharge - Priority actions

1. The Master’s priority will be to ensure the safety of personnel and the ship, and to take action to prevent escalation of the incident.

2. Prior to considering remedial action, the Master will need to obtain detailed information on the damage sustained by the ship.

3. Having assessed the damage sustained by the ship, the Master will be in position to decide what action should be taken to prevent or minimize further discharge



Mitigating Activities

When the safety of both the ship and personnel has been addressed, the Master can initiate mitigating activities, having the overall responsibility for continuous monitoring and assessment of the situation and act respectively.

Assessment and monitoring requirements

Personnel protection issues (protective equipment and threats to health and safety)

Containment and other response techniques (e.g. dispersing, absorbing, neutralization)

Isolation procedures

Decontamination of personnel



Transfer of Bunker / Cargo Lightening

Should the ship sustain extensive structural damage, it may be necessary to transfer all or part of the bunker oils to another ship/barge.

The Plan should provide guidance on procedures to be followed for ship-to-ship transfer of cargo.

It should also address the need for co-coordinating this activity with the Coastal state, as such operation may be subject to the coastal state’s jurisdiction.



HELMEPA Ship’s Manual


Oil Booms

Common spill response methods


Skimmers



Chemical dispersants



Transport of Dangerous Cargoes – Marine Pollutants

Response to spills by other harmful substances

Transport of HNS substances


Transport of chemicals in packaged form

• Mont Blanc Accident, 1917


Hazards from the carriage of bulk chemicals


X Major Hazard (13%, 70 substances)

Y Hazard (65%, > 320 substances)

Z Minor Hazard (22%, > 110 substances)

OS No hazards

NLS Categorization


Permissible discharges of tank washings and dirty ballast


Properties assessed in classifying an NLS cargo


Behavior of spills


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Behavior Impacts Response


SMPEP vs SOPEP

SMPEP shall include all the casualties referred in SOPEP plus:

• spills by noxious liquid substances, and

• response practices in relation to:

dangerous reactions of cargoes carried on the vessel, dangerous cargo releases, loss of tank environmental control, and cargo contamination that might lead to a hazardous

condition


Accidental release of a rapidly evaporating and flammable cargo


Thank you for your attention!

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