MCA Emergency Response Arrangements

Salvage & Intervention - SOSREP Function

Toby StoneHead Of Counter Pollution & Response

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

1. Introduction2. The History3. The Response4. Summary

Toby StoneHead Of Counter Pollution & Response

Maritime & Coastguard Agency

International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation

1990

Towage and Salvage

• Coastguard tugs• Dover Strait• SW Approaches• Hebrides• Pentland/Shetland• & commercial

tugs• CAST agreement

Lord Donaldson’s Review 1999

• Salvage, intervention and their Command and Control

•Shipping and Offshore Installations

•Hazardous substances including oil

•26 recommendations, 23 accepted by Government

Lord Donaldson’s Review Of Command, Control, Salvage and Intervention

Four conclusions fundamental to the report:

1) The involvement of Ministers in Operational decisions is not a practicable option;

2) The ‘Trigger’ point is when there is “a threat of significant pollution” to the UK’s pollution control zone, territorial waters or coastline;

Lord Donaldson’s Review Of Command, Control, Salvage and Intervention

3) Officers from Maritime and Coastguard Agency as a whole should play a much larger part in operations in response to a threat of significant pollution than has been the case in the past

4) Response to the threat of significant pollution from or involving an offshore installation, compatible with same from shipping casualty

The SOSREP Function

• One person to act as representative of Secretary of State

• Cannot choose to ignore a situation• Free to act without recourse to higher

authority

• “Back or sack”

Salvage - The Government’s Role

• To encourage salvage contracts• Safeguard public interest• Require salvor to clear broad plans• To formally INTERVENE if salvor not

acting in public interest• No action means tacit approval.

Intervention - Trigger point• An accident has occurred and• oil or other substances • may cause significant pollution and• the need for Intervention is urgent• First step -• A direction that plans must be submitted• Last resort -• Anything or Nothing

The Merchant Shipping Act 1995 The Merchant Shipping Act 1995

Marine Safety Act 2003Marine Safety Act 2003

TheResponse

HM Coastguard Rescue CentersInitial assimilationCPSO on callHQ Counter Pollution Support Teams Agency Enforcement Team on callSOSREP on callSurveyors on call

Phases Of Response

• 1. Search And Rescue• 2. Dealing with the casualty • 3. Counter pollution at sea• 4. Counter pollution on shore

Command & Control

Salvage led bySOSREP/CPSO

Harbour Authority

Secretary of State

Director of Operations

At sea clean up led byDDO/CPSO

Harbour Authority

Search and Rescue led byHM Coastguard

Shoreline clean up led byLocal Authority/EHS/

Harbour Authority+ MCA support

MRC MRCC/SC SRC

Chief ExecutiveMCA

SCU/OCU

The Top TwentyAtlantic Express 1979 off Tobago, West Indies 287,000ABT Summer 1991 700 nm off Angola 260,000Castillo de Bellver 1983 off Saldanha Bay, South Africa 252,000Amoco Cadiz 1978 off Brittany, France 223,000Haven 1991 Genoa, Italy 144,000Odyssey 1988 700 nm off Novia Scotia, Canada 132,000Torrey Canyon 1967 Scilly Isles, UK 119,000Urquiola 1976 La Coruna, Spain 100,000Hawaiian Patriot 1977 300 nm off Honolulu 95,000Independenta 1979 Bosphorus, Turkey 95,000Jakob Maersk 1975 Oporto, Portugal 88,000Braer 1993 Shetland Isles, UK 85,000Khark 5 1989 120 nm Atlantic Coast, Morocco 80,000Aegean Sea 1992 La Coruna, Spain 74,000Sea Empress 1996 Milford Haven, UK 72,000Katina P. 1992 off Maputo, Mozambique 72,000Assimi 1983 55 nm off Muscat, Oman 53,000Metula 1974 Magellan Straits, Chile 50,000Wafra 1971 off Cape Aghulas, South Africa 40,000Exxon Valdez 1989 Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA 37,000

State interference …..

or State intervention …..

1. Introduction2. The History3. The Response4. Summary

Toby StoneHead Of Counter Pollution & Response

Maritime & Coastguard Agency

MCA Emergency Response Arrangements

Salvage & Intervention - SOSREP Function

Toby StoneHead Of Counter Pollution & Response

Maritime and Coastguard Agency