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Mersey Barrage concern
Marine Pollution Bulletin
Protection for the Elbe The EEC is now a full member of the Elbe Convention which seeks to protect the Elbe and its hydrographic basin against pollution. The objectives of the Convention, as established by the International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe, 1990, will be as follows: • To make it possible to exploit the river, in particular by drawing off drinking water by means of riverside filters and by using water and sediment for farming. • To guarantee that the river ecosystem remains as natural as possible and to encourage a diversity of healthy species. • To reduce the amount of pollution reaching the North Sea from the Elbe. Along with Germany and Czechoslovakia the EEC will be responsible for devising methods of analysing the composition of water in the Elbe to provide a standard early warning system and for making overall assessments of discharges of noxious substances. It will also undertake analysis of the ecological impact of various biotopes thus promoting cooperation within the group for its scientific programmes. About 65% of the cost of these will be met by Germany, 35.5% by Czechoslovakia and the remaining 2.5% by the EEC.
BP Abandons Plans for Wytch Farm Island BP is no longer planning to exploit the offshore portion of the Wytch Farm oil field in Dorset, southern England by building an artificial island. The company announced in December that it was to abandon its plans in favour of a scheme based on extended reach drilling from an onshore site. BP presented six options for recovering the offshore reserves of the Wytch Farm field early in 1990 and decided to go ahead with a £180 million scheme to build an artificial island in Poole Bay (see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 21, 166). The change of plan resulted from the rapid development of extended-reach well technology over the past 12 months. At the beginning of 1990, available drilling technology could only manage wells of 3 kin, making full exploitation of the offshore reserves impractical since the well sites would have to have been located on environmentally sensitive areas. Improved drilling techniques have made extendedreach wells of 5 km viable. This makes it possible to drill directional wells from an existing development site or from farmland outside local nature reserves. The development will cost around £80 million so that the company can expect to make a £100 million saving over the cost of the artificial island scheme. In addition, the offshore reserves are expected to come on stream at least a year sooner.
Mersey Barrage Concern Construction of the projected UK Mersey Barrage is to be opposed by Associated British Ports (ABP), operators of Garston Docks. The announcement comes 66
while the Mersey Barrage Company is continuing with the third phase of its feasibility study to harness the tides of the famous estuary. ABP fear that the barrage could mean the commercial death of the port of Garston. Local shipping organizations have already expressed their fears about the effects of the barrage on Mersey shipping movements. ABP is the first to come out and openly oppose the scheme. Although there would be access to Garston Docks after the completion of the barrage, ships would have to pass through two locks which would severely hamper operations. ABP also contend that ships would be unable to reach Garston for a period of 2 years during the construction phase and that it would be impossible to resume normal trading after such a period of inactivity. The Manchester Ship Canal Users and Shipowners Association is also set to contest any application to build a barrage if adequate solutions to these problems are not provided by the Mersey Barrage Company.
Iranian Tanker Pollution Scare The Iranian tanker Avaj 2 broke down in the English Channel after she tried to escape from arrest in the UK in December. The 257 000 t ship was anchored in Lyme Bay and attempted to slip away after being placed under arrest in February 1991 over a charter party claim by the British Admiralty. She was released but rearrested on August 15 over another charter party claim and on October 26 was re-arrested over a claim against unpaid fuel supplies. Soon after sailing the Avaj 2, which is operated by the National Iranian Tanker Company, developed a boiler problem and lost motive power. The tanker was fully laden and caused a major pollution scare while she drifted about helplessly in the busy waters of the English Channel. Initially, the tanker, acting on instruction from Tehran, refused to accept a tow to either a British or French port. Eventually, a French warship with police on board was dispatched, since the ship was in the French search and rescue region. The ship was finally taken to Cap dAntifer, north of Le Havre. The Ava] 2 was built in 1975. Its arrest is one of many of National Iranian Tanker Company ships over unpaid bills. According to the Falmouth Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre, the tanker had caused a very serious situation. Eventually, the centre passed the matter to the UK Marine Pollution Control Unit in London when the matter became political.
Serbian Action Threatens to Pollute Danube Serbian artillery shells and rockets struck a major refinery near Zagreb in November severely damaging the plant and releasing oil and toxic chemicals into the River Sava. The refinery is at Sisak about 30 miles from Zagreb and is situated in o n e of Croatia's most
important industrial areas.
Protection for the Elbe The EEC is now a full member of the Elbe Convention which seeks to protect the Elbe and its hydrographic basin against pollution. The objectives of the Convention, as established by the International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe, 1990, will be as follows: • To make it possible to exploit the river, in particular by drawing off drinking water by means of riverside filters and by using water and sediment for farming. • To guarantee that the river ecosystem remains as natural as possible and to encourage a diversity of healthy species. • To reduce the amount of pollution reaching the North Sea from the Elbe. Along with Germany and Czechoslovakia the EEC will be responsible for devising methods of analysing the composition of water in the Elbe to provide a standard early warning system and for making overall assessments of discharges of noxious substances. It will also undertake analysis of the ecological impact of various biotopes thus promoting cooperation within the group for its scientific programmes. About 65% of the cost of these will be met by Germany, 35.5% by Czechoslovakia and the remaining 2.5% by the EEC.
BP Abandons Plans for Wytch Farm Island BP is no longer planning to exploit the offshore portion of the Wytch Farm oil field in Dorset, southern England by building an artificial island. The company announced in December that it was to abandon its plans in favour of a scheme based on extended reach drilling from an onshore site. BP presented six options for recovering the offshore reserves of the Wytch Farm field early in 1990 and decided to go ahead with a £180 million scheme to build an artificial island in Poole Bay (see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 21, 166). The change of plan resulted from the rapid development of extended-reach well technology over the past 12 months. At the beginning of 1990, available drilling technology could only manage wells of 3 kin, making full exploitation of the offshore reserves impractical since the well sites would have to have been located on environmentally sensitive areas. Improved drilling techniques have made extendedreach wells of 5 km viable. This makes it possible to drill directional wells from an existing development site or from farmland outside local nature reserves. The development will cost around £80 million so that the company can expect to make a £100 million saving over the cost of the artificial island scheme. In addition, the offshore reserves are expected to come on stream at least a year sooner.
Mersey Barrage Concern Construction of the projected UK Mersey Barrage is to be opposed by Associated British Ports (ABP), operators of Garston Docks. The announcement comes 66
while the Mersey Barrage Company is continuing with the third phase of its feasibility study to harness the tides of the famous estuary. ABP fear that the barrage could mean the commercial death of the port of Garston. Local shipping organizations have already expressed their fears about the effects of the barrage on Mersey shipping movements. ABP is the first to come out and openly oppose the scheme. Although there would be access to Garston Docks after the completion of the barrage, ships would have to pass through two locks which would severely hamper operations. ABP also contend that ships would be unable to reach Garston for a period of 2 years during the construction phase and that it would be impossible to resume normal trading after such a period of inactivity. The Manchester Ship Canal Users and Shipowners Association is also set to contest any application to build a barrage if adequate solutions to these problems are not provided by the Mersey Barrage Company.
Iranian Tanker Pollution Scare The Iranian tanker Avaj 2 broke down in the English Channel after she tried to escape from arrest in the UK in December. The 257 000 t ship was anchored in Lyme Bay and attempted to slip away after being placed under arrest in February 1991 over a charter party claim by the British Admiralty. She was released but rearrested on August 15 over another charter party claim and on October 26 was re-arrested over a claim against unpaid fuel supplies. Soon after sailing the Avaj 2, which is operated by the National Iranian Tanker Company, developed a boiler problem and lost motive power. The tanker was fully laden and caused a major pollution scare while she drifted about helplessly in the busy waters of the English Channel. Initially, the tanker, acting on instruction from Tehran, refused to accept a tow to either a British or French port. Eventually, a French warship with police on board was dispatched, since the ship was in the French search and rescue region. The ship was finally taken to Cap dAntifer, north of Le Havre. The Ava] 2 was built in 1975. Its arrest is one of many of National Iranian Tanker Company ships over unpaid bills. According to the Falmouth Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre, the tanker had caused a very serious situation. Eventually, the centre passed the matter to the UK Marine Pollution Control Unit in London when the matter became political.
Serbian Action Threatens to Pollute Danube Serbian artillery shells and rockets struck a major refinery near Zagreb in November severely damaging the plant and releasing oil and toxic chemicals into the River Sava. The refinery is at Sisak about 30 miles from Zagreb and is situated in o n e of Croatia's most
important industrial areas.