- Email: [email protected]
Artificial reefs for flood defence
Marine PollutionBulletin faced by such Governments and to devise ways of overcoming them. It is expected that the sub-committee will establish three working groups to consider matters that are regarded as especially important. They are: • the development of guidelines for flag State administrations: these will cover such matters as the delegation of authority to classification societies; the training of staff assigned to implementing IMO measures; and the establishment of minimum standards for classification societies and others acting on behalf of flag States, • port State activities: although the chief responsibility for implementing IMO standards rests with flag States, port State authorities have the right to inspect foreignflag ships visiting their ports to make sure that they meet IMO convention requirements. If deficiencies are found, ships can be prevented from sailing until they are corrected. In some areas port States have formed regional agreements which have proved very effective in co-ordinating port State control measures. IMO is anxious to extend these measures to other areas, • casualty statistics: although IMO has a Steering Group on Casualty Statistics, its ability to make the best possible use of the information available has been hindered by financial difficulties. It is hoped that proper statistical analysis will in future help IMO to identify issues before they become a major problem and to adopt the best possible counter-measures.
New Regulations Improve Access To Environmental Information The Environmental Information Regulations 1992, which implement the EC Directive on freedom of access to environmental information, came into force on 1 January 1993. The Regulations place duties on all public authorities with responsibilities for the environment to make available to anyone on request the environmental information they hold. Requests must be dealt with within two months of receipt. The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responsibilities for the environment in six areas of its work and will make environmental information available in these areas, which are: • control of major industrial accident hazard sites • pesticides • new substances • genetically modified organisms • onshore and cross country pipelines • polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls The Regulations allow exceptions to making environmental information available, for example, on grounds of national and public security, commercial confidentiality, personal privacy, internal communications, matters which are subjudice or information which has been voluntarily supplied. HSE will not normally release information if such restrictions apply. 118
Canadian Technology Maps British Coast The National Rivers Authority (England and Wales) has commissioned a Canadian firm, Borstad Associates, to map water quality and pollution along the entire coast of England and Wales. Using unique remote sensing techniques, Borstad Associates of Sidney, British Columbia, images chlorophyll and sediment in the water along the coastline, using a portable high technology scanner mounted in a small aircraft flying at 10 000 feet. A separate instrument in the aircraft maps patterns in water temperature. The National Rivers Authority will use these images to detect and monitor pollution that might arise from municipal and industrial discharges into the ocean. The programme will cover the coast four times a year to distinguish pollution from the natural seasonal patterns of water colour. Dr Gary A Borstad has been developing economical, airborne remote-sensing since 1978, working closely with Dr Jim F R Gower of the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Gower and Borstad have perfected methods of measuring subtle details of ocean colour and relating these to the amount and growth rate of phytoplankton (the microscopic algae which are the base of the ocean food web). The Borstad Associates instrument is called a Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager, and is made by Itres Research Inc in Calgary, Alberta. When analyzed using Borstad software, the digital images of the coast are converted to accurate maps of chlorophyll, sediment and pollution plumes. Borstad Associates have also developed similar survey and analysis methods for fish schools, oil slicks, intertidal vegetation, wetlands, forests, coral reefs and mangroves.
Artificial Reefs For Flood Defence A £5.8m contract has been awarded to the UK company Balfour Beattie Engineering Ltd to construct artificial reefs for flood defence of eastern England. The reefs are to be constructed between Happisburgh and Winterton on the Norfolk coast and have been commissioned by the Anglian Region of the UK National Rivers Authority. The project, which includes the construction of four reefs 250 metres long by 45 metres wide, is to be carried out some 250 metres off the coast. The work will be undertaken during the Summer of 1993 and dictated by tidal conditions. After preparation work to the seabed has been carried out, a one metre layer of 100 mm to 500 mm rock, followed by a core of rocks varying from one to three tonnes, will be laid on a fascine and geotextile mattress. This will then be armoured with eight to sixteen tonne rocks laid to a depth of three metres. The 250 000 tonnes of rock which are required for
Volume 26/Number 3/March 1993
the contract are to be imported from Scandinavia by barge and placed using specialist marine equipment. The project also includes the installation of navigation beacons on circular piles. In order to meet the programme requirements, a 24-hour working day, seven days a week will be required.
News-in-Brief North Sea An oil leak and a fire on the same day caused two major oilfields in the North Sea to evacuate a number of their crew to safety. British Petroleum's Thistle platform was shut down after an oil and gas leak occurred in the crude pumping area. The 50 barrels of oil which leaked were reported to be dispersing naturally through wave action. Eightytwo of their personnel had been moved off the field during the shutdown. Meanwhile, a fire had occurred in the engine room of the West Alpha semi-submersible which was carrying out exploratory drilling for Elf Norway southeast of the Norwegian Frigg platform. Over half the crew were evacuated but automatic extinguishers sprayed water over the fire and the damage was limited. The rig is to be towed back to a Norwegian port for repair.
Italy A decision will be made in February by Northern Italian ports whether to bar oil tankers from the Venice Lagoon. Two ports Ravenna and Trieste would become responsible for receiving and handling the diverted oil and the necessary changes could be made within three years. The ministerial committee which made the decision included the Transport Minister, Oiancarlo Tesini and the Prime Minister, Giuliano Amato. The cost of the project would be in the region of Lire 235bn as a pipeline would have to be completed between Trieste and Porto Marghera. It is hoped that a ban on
tankers over 15 years old could come into effect much sooner.
Spain The latest analysis of the Aegean Sea oil spill shows that in spite of the size of the spill, the area is recovering quickly. The pollution has been limited and the S30m loss reserve appears to be adequate. The coast clean-up is good and is expected to be complete before the tourist season starts. The deteriorating weather should also help in the clean-up work. Fishing has also resumed along the coast.
Estonia Estonia asked Finland for assistance when an Estonian tanker Kihnu ran aground about four miles outside Tallin on 16 January. It was carrying 700 tonnes of fuel oil and 400 tonnes of diesel oil. Two tanks were leaking oil but the leak was quickly stopped. A Finnish oil fighting vessel was on the scene within two days but the leak was thought to have been small.
Japan A powerful earthquake registering 7.5 on the Richter scale shook areas of central and Northern Japan in midJanuary and at Kushior port, one area of damage where tanks which ruptured and spilled thousands of gallons of asphalt into the sea. There is report of damage to marine life and fears that shores may be polluted. The Akatsu Maru, a plutonium carrying Japanese ship was the cause of a number of demonstrations from small boats as it was escorted into Tokai port 125 km northeast of Tokyo. The 1.7 ton cargo had been carried in secret on a two-month journey from Cherbourg (see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 26, 4). The Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp president Takao Ishiwatari responded by reassuring the protesters that they would be more open about making public such information in the future.
119
New Regulations Improve Access To Environmental Information The Environmental Information Regulations 1992, which implement the EC Directive on freedom of access to environmental information, came into force on 1 January 1993. The Regulations place duties on all public authorities with responsibilities for the environment to make available to anyone on request the environmental information they hold. Requests must be dealt with within two months of receipt. The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responsibilities for the environment in six areas of its work and will make environmental information available in these areas, which are: • control of major industrial accident hazard sites • pesticides • new substances • genetically modified organisms • onshore and cross country pipelines • polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls The Regulations allow exceptions to making environmental information available, for example, on grounds of national and public security, commercial confidentiality, personal privacy, internal communications, matters which are subjudice or information which has been voluntarily supplied. HSE will not normally release information if such restrictions apply. 118
Canadian Technology Maps British Coast The National Rivers Authority (England and Wales) has commissioned a Canadian firm, Borstad Associates, to map water quality and pollution along the entire coast of England and Wales. Using unique remote sensing techniques, Borstad Associates of Sidney, British Columbia, images chlorophyll and sediment in the water along the coastline, using a portable high technology scanner mounted in a small aircraft flying at 10 000 feet. A separate instrument in the aircraft maps patterns in water temperature. The National Rivers Authority will use these images to detect and monitor pollution that might arise from municipal and industrial discharges into the ocean. The programme will cover the coast four times a year to distinguish pollution from the natural seasonal patterns of water colour. Dr Gary A Borstad has been developing economical, airborne remote-sensing since 1978, working closely with Dr Jim F R Gower of the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Gower and Borstad have perfected methods of measuring subtle details of ocean colour and relating these to the amount and growth rate of phytoplankton (the microscopic algae which are the base of the ocean food web). The Borstad Associates instrument is called a Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager, and is made by Itres Research Inc in Calgary, Alberta. When analyzed using Borstad software, the digital images of the coast are converted to accurate maps of chlorophyll, sediment and pollution plumes. Borstad Associates have also developed similar survey and analysis methods for fish schools, oil slicks, intertidal vegetation, wetlands, forests, coral reefs and mangroves.
Artificial Reefs For Flood Defence A £5.8m contract has been awarded to the UK company Balfour Beattie Engineering Ltd to construct artificial reefs for flood defence of eastern England. The reefs are to be constructed between Happisburgh and Winterton on the Norfolk coast and have been commissioned by the Anglian Region of the UK National Rivers Authority. The project, which includes the construction of four reefs 250 metres long by 45 metres wide, is to be carried out some 250 metres off the coast. The work will be undertaken during the Summer of 1993 and dictated by tidal conditions. After preparation work to the seabed has been carried out, a one metre layer of 100 mm to 500 mm rock, followed by a core of rocks varying from one to three tonnes, will be laid on a fascine and geotextile mattress. This will then be armoured with eight to sixteen tonne rocks laid to a depth of three metres. The 250 000 tonnes of rock which are required for
Volume 26/Number 3/March 1993
the contract are to be imported from Scandinavia by barge and placed using specialist marine equipment. The project also includes the installation of navigation beacons on circular piles. In order to meet the programme requirements, a 24-hour working day, seven days a week will be required.
News-in-Brief North Sea An oil leak and a fire on the same day caused two major oilfields in the North Sea to evacuate a number of their crew to safety. British Petroleum's Thistle platform was shut down after an oil and gas leak occurred in the crude pumping area. The 50 barrels of oil which leaked were reported to be dispersing naturally through wave action. Eightytwo of their personnel had been moved off the field during the shutdown. Meanwhile, a fire had occurred in the engine room of the West Alpha semi-submersible which was carrying out exploratory drilling for Elf Norway southeast of the Norwegian Frigg platform. Over half the crew were evacuated but automatic extinguishers sprayed water over the fire and the damage was limited. The rig is to be towed back to a Norwegian port for repair.
Italy A decision will be made in February by Northern Italian ports whether to bar oil tankers from the Venice Lagoon. Two ports Ravenna and Trieste would become responsible for receiving and handling the diverted oil and the necessary changes could be made within three years. The ministerial committee which made the decision included the Transport Minister, Oiancarlo Tesini and the Prime Minister, Giuliano Amato. The cost of the project would be in the region of Lire 235bn as a pipeline would have to be completed between Trieste and Porto Marghera. It is hoped that a ban on
tankers over 15 years old could come into effect much sooner.
Spain The latest analysis of the Aegean Sea oil spill shows that in spite of the size of the spill, the area is recovering quickly. The pollution has been limited and the S30m loss reserve appears to be adequate. The coast clean-up is good and is expected to be complete before the tourist season starts. The deteriorating weather should also help in the clean-up work. Fishing has also resumed along the coast.
Estonia Estonia asked Finland for assistance when an Estonian tanker Kihnu ran aground about four miles outside Tallin on 16 January. It was carrying 700 tonnes of fuel oil and 400 tonnes of diesel oil. Two tanks were leaking oil but the leak was quickly stopped. A Finnish oil fighting vessel was on the scene within two days but the leak was thought to have been small.
Japan A powerful earthquake registering 7.5 on the Richter scale shook areas of central and Northern Japan in midJanuary and at Kushior port, one area of damage where tanks which ruptured and spilled thousands of gallons of asphalt into the sea. There is report of damage to marine life and fears that shores may be polluted. The Akatsu Maru, a plutonium carrying Japanese ship was the cause of a number of demonstrations from small boats as it was escorted into Tokai port 125 km northeast of Tokyo. The 1.7 ton cargo had been carried in secret on a two-month journey from Cherbourg (see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 26, 4). The Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp president Takao Ishiwatari responded by reassuring the protesters that they would be more open about making public such information in the future.
119