- Email: [email protected]
Sweden
Marine Pollution Bulletin
The report warns that unless urgent action is taken industrial pollution and the activities of large Japanese fishing companies will endanger the livelihood of millions of people. The shoreline of Japan has been dramatically altered by land reclamation and coastal industries. Wastes from coastal factories have destroyed the rich Japanese fishing grounds, and forced the country's fishing fleets into Asian waters. There they have been accused of 'exporting pollution' because they have no strict control laws to adhere to.
New concepts in aquatic toxicology and hazard assessment will be discussed and planners hope to provide opportunities for persons interested in aquatic toxicology, environmental chemistry and fate modelling, and hazard assessment. ASTM expect to produce a special technical publication on the proceedings. Further details can be obtained from Symposium CoChairman W. E. Bishop, The Proctor & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio (513/763-6200).
New Oil Threat from Tanio Dumping on the High Seas At the last moment, the 96th US Congress reauthorized the Ocean Dumping Act. An important feature of the reauthorization is a provision to phase out the dumping of harmful industrial waste by the end of 1981. This is significant in light of the recently passed Superfund legislation which deals with disposal of such hazardous wastes on land and navigable waters of the US. Without the phase-out provision, industry might have been prone to dump hazardous materials in the oceans beyond the 12mile limit covered by the Superfund. In effect, the provision will prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing permits for ocean dumping of those wastes it has listed as hazardous.
New Regulation for Tanker Crew Training New proposals have been announced by the US Coast Guard and Department of Transportation dealing with the qualifications of personnel involved in the handling and transfer of oil. Current regulations do not set out requirements for tankermen aboard ships unless they handle flammable or combustible products. The USCG also sets out no special training for persons who handle oil as most merchant marine officers automatically receive tankerman certification. The proposed regulations state that there must be formalized training for merchant marine personnel involved in the handling or transfer of oil even if they have tankerman certification. The USCG have proposed the regulations under the authority of the Port and Tanker Act of 1978, and cite the role of human error and lack of awareness in many fatal accidents as the reason. They claim the regulations would reduce the number of tanker-related accidents as well as the volume of oil spilled in such incidents.
Toxicology Symposium The Sixth Symposium on Aquatic Toxicology is to be held in Kansas City, Missouri, USA on 13-14 October 1981. Calls have been made for papers for the symposium from the sponsors, Committee E-47 on biological effects and Environmental Fate of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and a sub-committee on Toxic Effects on Aquatic Organisms. 74
In March 1980 the Tanio (18 340 tons) broke up and sank in the English Channel 56 km north of Roscoff. An estimated 7000 tons of heavy fuel oil escaped polluting 20 km of the Brittany coast in the vicinity of Perros-Guirec and Sept Isles. It was hoped at the time that the remaining 10 000 tons of oil contained in the sunken bow section of the tanker could be recovered thereby preventing further pollution. According to recent reports the salvage operation is now well behind schedule because of bad weather. Only 300 tons of oil have so far been recovered and there is now a serious danger of leakages, threatening the shores of the English Channel and its wintering and breeding seabird populations.
Round-the-World News Arabian Gulf About 5500 tons of crude oil were spilled west of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, when the Liberian tanker Fortune grounded and damaged its hull. The tanker was en route to Taiwan carrying more than 95 000 tons of Kuwait crude oil, when it touched bottom sustaining three holes in the bow and a 20-50m long crack. Spillage stopped five days later and a tug, tanker and gas generators helped with offloading operations. The environmental impact of the spill is not yet known.
Sweden The Swedish cargo ship Eva Oden grounded off Gothenburg damaging its fuel tanks and spilling between 150 and 250 tons of bunker oil. A spokesman for the Swedish Water and Air Pollution Research Institute (IVL) said that strong winds resulted in the oil collecting in bays and lagoons. Fifty workers began to clean up the oil but strong winds prevented the use of booms and skimmers. IVL scientists studying the environmental impact of the spill reported some oiled birds.
Hong Kong Nearly 600 Hong Kong fishermen have been detained by authorities recently after breaking a fishing ban imposed to protect marine life and seashore environment. The trawlers, most of them shrimp catching, have been arrested in their hundreds since the beginning of the ban
The report warns that unless urgent action is taken industrial pollution and the activities of large Japanese fishing companies will endanger the livelihood of millions of people. The shoreline of Japan has been dramatically altered by land reclamation and coastal industries. Wastes from coastal factories have destroyed the rich Japanese fishing grounds, and forced the country's fishing fleets into Asian waters. There they have been accused of 'exporting pollution' because they have no strict control laws to adhere to.
New concepts in aquatic toxicology and hazard assessment will be discussed and planners hope to provide opportunities for persons interested in aquatic toxicology, environmental chemistry and fate modelling, and hazard assessment. ASTM expect to produce a special technical publication on the proceedings. Further details can be obtained from Symposium CoChairman W. E. Bishop, The Proctor & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio (513/763-6200).
New Oil Threat from Tanio Dumping on the High Seas At the last moment, the 96th US Congress reauthorized the Ocean Dumping Act. An important feature of the reauthorization is a provision to phase out the dumping of harmful industrial waste by the end of 1981. This is significant in light of the recently passed Superfund legislation which deals with disposal of such hazardous wastes on land and navigable waters of the US. Without the phase-out provision, industry might have been prone to dump hazardous materials in the oceans beyond the 12mile limit covered by the Superfund. In effect, the provision will prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing permits for ocean dumping of those wastes it has listed as hazardous.
New Regulation for Tanker Crew Training New proposals have been announced by the US Coast Guard and Department of Transportation dealing with the qualifications of personnel involved in the handling and transfer of oil. Current regulations do not set out requirements for tankermen aboard ships unless they handle flammable or combustible products. The USCG also sets out no special training for persons who handle oil as most merchant marine officers automatically receive tankerman certification. The proposed regulations state that there must be formalized training for merchant marine personnel involved in the handling or transfer of oil even if they have tankerman certification. The USCG have proposed the regulations under the authority of the Port and Tanker Act of 1978, and cite the role of human error and lack of awareness in many fatal accidents as the reason. They claim the regulations would reduce the number of tanker-related accidents as well as the volume of oil spilled in such incidents.
Toxicology Symposium The Sixth Symposium on Aquatic Toxicology is to be held in Kansas City, Missouri, USA on 13-14 October 1981. Calls have been made for papers for the symposium from the sponsors, Committee E-47 on biological effects and Environmental Fate of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and a sub-committee on Toxic Effects on Aquatic Organisms. 74
In March 1980 the Tanio (18 340 tons) broke up and sank in the English Channel 56 km north of Roscoff. An estimated 7000 tons of heavy fuel oil escaped polluting 20 km of the Brittany coast in the vicinity of Perros-Guirec and Sept Isles. It was hoped at the time that the remaining 10 000 tons of oil contained in the sunken bow section of the tanker could be recovered thereby preventing further pollution. According to recent reports the salvage operation is now well behind schedule because of bad weather. Only 300 tons of oil have so far been recovered and there is now a serious danger of leakages, threatening the shores of the English Channel and its wintering and breeding seabird populations.
Round-the-World News Arabian Gulf About 5500 tons of crude oil were spilled west of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, when the Liberian tanker Fortune grounded and damaged its hull. The tanker was en route to Taiwan carrying more than 95 000 tons of Kuwait crude oil, when it touched bottom sustaining three holes in the bow and a 20-50m long crack. Spillage stopped five days later and a tug, tanker and gas generators helped with offloading operations. The environmental impact of the spill is not yet known.
Sweden The Swedish cargo ship Eva Oden grounded off Gothenburg damaging its fuel tanks and spilling between 150 and 250 tons of bunker oil. A spokesman for the Swedish Water and Air Pollution Research Institute (IVL) said that strong winds resulted in the oil collecting in bays and lagoons. Fifty workers began to clean up the oil but strong winds prevented the use of booms and skimmers. IVL scientists studying the environmental impact of the spill reported some oiled birds.
Hong Kong Nearly 600 Hong Kong fishermen have been detained by authorities recently after breaking a fishing ban imposed to protect marine life and seashore environment. The trawlers, most of them shrimp catching, have been arrested in their hundreds since the beginning of the ban