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Environmental impact assessment
Volume 13/Number 8/August 1982
McLachlan, A. (1977). Volumes of seawater filtered through East Cape sandy beaches. S. Aft. J. Sci., 75, 423-430. McLachlan, A., Dye, A. & Harty, B. (1981). Simulation of the interstitial system of exposed sandy beaches. Estuar. Cstl Shelf Sci., 12, 267-278.
McLachlan, A. & Harty, B. (1981). Effects of oil on water filtration by exposed sandy beaches. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 12, 374-378. McLachlan, A. & Harty, B. (1982). Effects of crude oil on the supralittoral meiofauna of a sandy beach. Mar. envir. Res. (in press).
MarinePollutionBulletin, Vot. 13, No. 8, pp. 291-292, 1982. Printed in Great Brilain
Garbage from Ships S/r, With reference to the report by Paul V. Horsman (Mar. Pollut. Bull., 1982, 13, 167-169)entitled 'The Amount of Garbage Pollution from Merchant Ships', I would like to express some concern regarding several of the statements which purport to inform readers of the IMCO regulations arising from the 1973 Conference on Marine Pollution. Firstly, I would commend the author for the painstaking (and probably painful) manner in which he has executed the onerous task of collecting data for his analysis of the marine garbage problem. Indeed, his efforts would form an admirable base from which an incinerator could be designed. Secondly, however, I would caution any reader who has taken the article at face value in so far as the presentation of 'facts' arising from MARPOL regulations. The facts are these: (a) The MARPOL Conference did indeed take place during 1973. (b) The resulting Convention includes 5 Annexes, of which III, IV and V are optional. (Annex V deals with pollution by garbage.) (c) At the time of writing, insufficient Administrations have ratified the Convention to bring it into force. (A total of 15 countries representing at least 50°70 of the world's tonnage is required.) (d) Of those countries having ratified the Convention so far, some have specifically excluded Annex V. (e) MARPOL will only apply (when in force) to ships entitled to fly the flag of States which have actually ratified the Convention, or to other vessels operating under the authority of such a State. From these and other considerations, it can be deduced that it will be some time before Annex V enters into force. Therefore, to state that " . . . s h i p s . . , ignored or did not know about IMCO regulations regarding the dumping of g a r b a g e . . , etc." is quite incorrect. To elaborate upon the position, it is worth recalling that the MARPOL Convention was extremely ambitious in its aims and was consequently found to be extremely hard to convert into practical regulations. Indeed, some aspects are still proving to be technically extremely difficult to achieve, particularly in view of the effects and constraints imposed by the hostile marine environment. Despite this apparent atmosphere of uninterrupted gloom and despondency, there are some areas in the world where similar regulations do exist, but these are wholly within territorial waters and generally form part of bye-
O025-326X/S2/080291-02$03.00/0 PergamonPress1 td.
laws and harbour regulations. However, the overall position is still rather piece-meal at present. The aims of MARPOL are extremely laudable, but to use a simple parallel, we must learn to walk before we can run. It is to be hoped that all sections of the Convention are brought into force as and when the hardware, the Shipping Industry and Governments are both prepared and able to implement the Convention and that this date is sooner rather than later. On a lighter note, the suggestion that the supply of keg beer in preference to canned varieties would reduce the trail of metallic debris is arguable. It is my experience that the continuous movement of ships has a detrimental effect upon the quality of the beer and that such beer 'goes off' within two months of commencing its seagoing life. This subject could well prove to be an excellent basis for further investigation and research!
Oil Companies International Marine Forum, 6th Floor, Portland House, Stag Place, London SW1E 5BH, UK
PETER F. GILL
Environmental Impact Assessment We were most interested to read Dr Cole's editorial (Mar. Pollut. Bull., 13, 145-146, 1982), which criticized environmental impact assessment (EIA) as being too lengthy, and which suggested a quicker alternative. This editorial contained many apposite observations. However, we feel that cases where the assessment has been excessively drawnout and expensive, or where the final report has been so long as to be incomprehensible, should not be regarded as representative of EIAs as they are, or should be, carried out. We believe that EIA is very useful when sensibly applied. In fact, EIA is not only used as 'political eyewash'. Many companies, both in the UK and overseas, themselves commission EIAs because they genuinely wish to be appraised of the potential environmental consequences (both good and bad) of a development during its planning so that any necessary ameliorative or supportive measures can be incorporated into the development. In the case of such EIAs, it is necessary to match the scale of the assessment with the resources available for them, in terms of both manpower and finance. These EIAs must also be conducted within a commercially prudent time limit. We have certainly conducted studies within the 291
Marine Pollution Bulletin
fortnight suggested by Dr Cole, which we would describe as EIAs. In the 'Guidelines for Assessing Industrial Environmental Impact and Environmental Criteria for the Siting of Industry' which we produced on behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP Industry and Environment Office, Paris, 1981), provision is made for the conduct of preliminary environmental assessment prior to a full EIA. This allows matters of little or no significance to be eliminated at an early stage; indeed, the result may be that no further study is required. In the marine environment,
A tkins Research andDevelopment, Woodcote Grove, Ashley R oad, Epsom KT18 5BW, UK.
Heavy Metals
Responses to Pollutants
The fourth international conference on Heavy Metals in the Environment will take place at Heidelberg on 6-9 September 1982, under the chairmanship of Prof. G. MOiler of the university's Institut for Sedimentforschung. Topics to be covered include health effects, pathways and cycling, analytical techniques, speciation, water and air pollution and technologies relating to the control of metals in the environment. Further information from CEP Consultants Ltd, 26 Albany St, Edinburgh EH1 3QH, Scotalnd.
The second international symposium on Responses of Marine Organisms to Pollutants will be held at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, on 27-29 April 1983. Topics to be covered include mechanisms involved in pollutant biotransformation, detoxication and toxicity, with emphasis on biochemistry of metal-binding protein, biochemistry of cytochrome P-450 and organic compound biotransformation, biochemical and histopathological effects and effects on immune functions. Further information from Dr M. N. Moore, Institute for Marine Environmental Research, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK, or Dr J. J. Stegeman, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
Oiled Birds A multidisciplinary symposium on the Effects of Oil on Birds will take place at the Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor, Cape May County, New Jersey, on 17-19 September 1982. Topics to be covered include the effects of oil on bird populations, physiological and toxicological research on oiled birds, clinical care and rehabilitation methods, nutritional needs of oiled birds, and the effect of oil on food sources and general habitat. Further information from Dr Stephen N. Barnes, Box 1713, Wilmington, DE 19899, USA.
292
such a preliminary assessment might well be conducted by the team of oceanographer and pollution ecologist favoured by Dr Cole. In summary, what Dr Cole is suggesting is in fact EIA. Let us not criticize the process of EIA itself, but the manner in which it has, on occasion, been conducted or interpreted. R.A. WALLER P. A. DRIVER
Polychaetes An international Polychaete Conference will be held at the Australian Musem, Sydney, NSW, Australia, on 4-9 July 1983. Topics covered will include systematics, biogeography, reproductive ecology, general and community ecology, feeding, physiology and structure. Further information from Dr P. Hutchings, The Australian Museum, 6-8 College St, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.
McLachlan, A. (1977). Volumes of seawater filtered through East Cape sandy beaches. S. Aft. J. Sci., 75, 423-430. McLachlan, A., Dye, A. & Harty, B. (1981). Simulation of the interstitial system of exposed sandy beaches. Estuar. Cstl Shelf Sci., 12, 267-278.
McLachlan, A. & Harty, B. (1981). Effects of oil on water filtration by exposed sandy beaches. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 12, 374-378. McLachlan, A. & Harty, B. (1982). Effects of crude oil on the supralittoral meiofauna of a sandy beach. Mar. envir. Res. (in press).
MarinePollutionBulletin, Vot. 13, No. 8, pp. 291-292, 1982. Printed in Great Brilain
Garbage from Ships S/r, With reference to the report by Paul V. Horsman (Mar. Pollut. Bull., 1982, 13, 167-169)entitled 'The Amount of Garbage Pollution from Merchant Ships', I would like to express some concern regarding several of the statements which purport to inform readers of the IMCO regulations arising from the 1973 Conference on Marine Pollution. Firstly, I would commend the author for the painstaking (and probably painful) manner in which he has executed the onerous task of collecting data for his analysis of the marine garbage problem. Indeed, his efforts would form an admirable base from which an incinerator could be designed. Secondly, however, I would caution any reader who has taken the article at face value in so far as the presentation of 'facts' arising from MARPOL regulations. The facts are these: (a) The MARPOL Conference did indeed take place during 1973. (b) The resulting Convention includes 5 Annexes, of which III, IV and V are optional. (Annex V deals with pollution by garbage.) (c) At the time of writing, insufficient Administrations have ratified the Convention to bring it into force. (A total of 15 countries representing at least 50°70 of the world's tonnage is required.) (d) Of those countries having ratified the Convention so far, some have specifically excluded Annex V. (e) MARPOL will only apply (when in force) to ships entitled to fly the flag of States which have actually ratified the Convention, or to other vessels operating under the authority of such a State. From these and other considerations, it can be deduced that it will be some time before Annex V enters into force. Therefore, to state that " . . . s h i p s . . , ignored or did not know about IMCO regulations regarding the dumping of g a r b a g e . . , etc." is quite incorrect. To elaborate upon the position, it is worth recalling that the MARPOL Convention was extremely ambitious in its aims and was consequently found to be extremely hard to convert into practical regulations. Indeed, some aspects are still proving to be technically extremely difficult to achieve, particularly in view of the effects and constraints imposed by the hostile marine environment. Despite this apparent atmosphere of uninterrupted gloom and despondency, there are some areas in the world where similar regulations do exist, but these are wholly within territorial waters and generally form part of bye-
O025-326X/S2/080291-02$03.00/0 PergamonPress1 td.
laws and harbour regulations. However, the overall position is still rather piece-meal at present. The aims of MARPOL are extremely laudable, but to use a simple parallel, we must learn to walk before we can run. It is to be hoped that all sections of the Convention are brought into force as and when the hardware, the Shipping Industry and Governments are both prepared and able to implement the Convention and that this date is sooner rather than later. On a lighter note, the suggestion that the supply of keg beer in preference to canned varieties would reduce the trail of metallic debris is arguable. It is my experience that the continuous movement of ships has a detrimental effect upon the quality of the beer and that such beer 'goes off' within two months of commencing its seagoing life. This subject could well prove to be an excellent basis for further investigation and research!
Oil Companies International Marine Forum, 6th Floor, Portland House, Stag Place, London SW1E 5BH, UK
PETER F. GILL
Environmental Impact Assessment We were most interested to read Dr Cole's editorial (Mar. Pollut. Bull., 13, 145-146, 1982), which criticized environmental impact assessment (EIA) as being too lengthy, and which suggested a quicker alternative. This editorial contained many apposite observations. However, we feel that cases where the assessment has been excessively drawnout and expensive, or where the final report has been so long as to be incomprehensible, should not be regarded as representative of EIAs as they are, or should be, carried out. We believe that EIA is very useful when sensibly applied. In fact, EIA is not only used as 'political eyewash'. Many companies, both in the UK and overseas, themselves commission EIAs because they genuinely wish to be appraised of the potential environmental consequences (both good and bad) of a development during its planning so that any necessary ameliorative or supportive measures can be incorporated into the development. In the case of such EIAs, it is necessary to match the scale of the assessment with the resources available for them, in terms of both manpower and finance. These EIAs must also be conducted within a commercially prudent time limit. We have certainly conducted studies within the 291
Marine Pollution Bulletin
fortnight suggested by Dr Cole, which we would describe as EIAs. In the 'Guidelines for Assessing Industrial Environmental Impact and Environmental Criteria for the Siting of Industry' which we produced on behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP Industry and Environment Office, Paris, 1981), provision is made for the conduct of preliminary environmental assessment prior to a full EIA. This allows matters of little or no significance to be eliminated at an early stage; indeed, the result may be that no further study is required. In the marine environment,
A tkins Research andDevelopment, Woodcote Grove, Ashley R oad, Epsom KT18 5BW, UK.
Heavy Metals
Responses to Pollutants
The fourth international conference on Heavy Metals in the Environment will take place at Heidelberg on 6-9 September 1982, under the chairmanship of Prof. G. MOiler of the university's Institut for Sedimentforschung. Topics to be covered include health effects, pathways and cycling, analytical techniques, speciation, water and air pollution and technologies relating to the control of metals in the environment. Further information from CEP Consultants Ltd, 26 Albany St, Edinburgh EH1 3QH, Scotalnd.
The second international symposium on Responses of Marine Organisms to Pollutants will be held at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, on 27-29 April 1983. Topics to be covered include mechanisms involved in pollutant biotransformation, detoxication and toxicity, with emphasis on biochemistry of metal-binding protein, biochemistry of cytochrome P-450 and organic compound biotransformation, biochemical and histopathological effects and effects on immune functions. Further information from Dr M. N. Moore, Institute for Marine Environmental Research, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK, or Dr J. J. Stegeman, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
Oiled Birds A multidisciplinary symposium on the Effects of Oil on Birds will take place at the Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor, Cape May County, New Jersey, on 17-19 September 1982. Topics to be covered include the effects of oil on bird populations, physiological and toxicological research on oiled birds, clinical care and rehabilitation methods, nutritional needs of oiled birds, and the effect of oil on food sources and general habitat. Further information from Dr Stephen N. Barnes, Box 1713, Wilmington, DE 19899, USA.
292
such a preliminary assessment might well be conducted by the team of oceanographer and pollution ecologist favoured by Dr Cole. In summary, what Dr Cole is suggesting is in fact EIA. Let us not criticize the process of EIA itself, but the manner in which it has, on occasion, been conducted or interpreted. R.A. WALLER P. A. DRIVER
Polychaetes An international Polychaete Conference will be held at the Australian Musem, Sydney, NSW, Australia, on 4-9 July 1983. Topics covered will include systematics, biogeography, reproductive ecology, general and community ecology, feeding, physiology and structure. Further information from Dr P. Hutchings, The Australian Museum, 6-8 College St, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.