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Oceans Law and Policy Centre
Marine Pollution Bulletin
Starting next spring, when the first of a 100 million annual tourists begin to throng to the Mediterranean, some 30-40 laboratories from probably 17 and possibly all 18 Basin countries will set about sampling and observing pollution on beaches and in offshore waters. The beach areas will be chosen by each participating country. The experts who attended the five-day meeting at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters, jointly sponsored by the WHO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), recommended to their governments that they choose the most popular and crowded resort areas in the Mediterranean. In concrete terms, the laboratory scientists and technicians will measure, with standardized methods, microbiological pollution in resort waters and in edible shellfish. Depending on local conditions, these could be oysters, mussels, small crustaceans or seaweed. On beaches there will be sampling of visual signs of pollution, such as empty bottles, oil slicks, tar balls, wood and debris of all sorts, dead organisms, etc. In their final report, the water quality experts declared: "There is a distinct need for better statistics concerning correlation between diseases and water pollution. There is ample evidence that contaminated shellfish is an important concern to public health. It is also certain that contamination of sea food by chemicals and heavy metals has to be taken into consideration. On the other hand, the risk of infection from swimming and other recreational activities in coastal waters is enhanced in certain areas because of the absence or inadequacy of beach sanitary facilities." As part of the Mediterranean monitoring plan, sophisticated equipment will be furnished to marine laboratories by UNEP, while scientists and technicians from developing countries in the Mediterranean region will do on-the-job training in laboratories in developed countries.
Oceans Law and Policy Centre A Centre for Oceans Law and Policy has been set up at the University of Virginia. Headed by John Norton Moore, on leave from the Virginia Law school faculty as a presidential representative to the third Law of the Sea conference, the centre has been established to study international and national problems in the use and protection of the oceans. The centre, which will be initially grant-aided by the Henry L. and Grace Dougherty Charitable Foundation,
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will undertake teaching and research. It will also sponsor conferences and meetings, and it is hoped that government, business and oceanographic experts will work at the centre.
Amlwch Single Buoy Mooring Single Buoy Moorings (SBMs) are used in coastal areas where the modern supertankers are unable to go in close to the shore because of their draft. The supertanker can tie up to the buoy, and discharge its oil, which is then taken ashore through a submarine pipeline. Their use has been accompanied by a good deal of controversy, since it is claimed by their critics that they are particularly prone to accidental discharges of oil. The siting of the world's largest SBM at Amlwch on the Island of Anglesey caused an uproar, and the protests were loud and long. But after much discussion permission was given, and recently a 200 000 ton supertanker, the Miralda, began trials at the buoy. The buoy, which is 70 ft in diameter and weighs 540 tons, is sited about 2.5 miles off the coast. From there the oil is piped ashore, and then by buried pipeline to a refinery at Stanlow in Cheshire. Itis intended that the buoy can be used by tankers of up to 500 000 tons, and the trials, which bad already been postponed once because of bad weather in January, were designed to test the mooring techniques by day and night.
Scottish Refinery at Nigg Point The UK government has given the go ahead for an oil refinery at Nigg Point in the North of Scotland, in spite of the hundreds of protests which were received, and also in spite of the recommendations of the inspector who presided at an enquiry into the proposed planning application. The Scottish Office announced that the arguments were finely balanced, with on the one hand dangers of oil pollution, and the certainty that even with the most stringent precautions there would be no guarantee that pollution would not occur, and on the other hand the new jobs and supporting employment would be a significant contribution to the economy of the area. The refinery, which will take several years to build, and provide permanent employment for about 450 people, is to be subject to strict planning conditions. A biological monitoring scheme to watch pollution was said to be essential, and there will also be contingency plans to deal with any oil spillages, caused by tankers bringing oil from the North Sea and the Middle East.
Starting next spring, when the first of a 100 million annual tourists begin to throng to the Mediterranean, some 30-40 laboratories from probably 17 and possibly all 18 Basin countries will set about sampling and observing pollution on beaches and in offshore waters. The beach areas will be chosen by each participating country. The experts who attended the five-day meeting at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters, jointly sponsored by the WHO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), recommended to their governments that they choose the most popular and crowded resort areas in the Mediterranean. In concrete terms, the laboratory scientists and technicians will measure, with standardized methods, microbiological pollution in resort waters and in edible shellfish. Depending on local conditions, these could be oysters, mussels, small crustaceans or seaweed. On beaches there will be sampling of visual signs of pollution, such as empty bottles, oil slicks, tar balls, wood and debris of all sorts, dead organisms, etc. In their final report, the water quality experts declared: "There is a distinct need for better statistics concerning correlation between diseases and water pollution. There is ample evidence that contaminated shellfish is an important concern to public health. It is also certain that contamination of sea food by chemicals and heavy metals has to be taken into consideration. On the other hand, the risk of infection from swimming and other recreational activities in coastal waters is enhanced in certain areas because of the absence or inadequacy of beach sanitary facilities." As part of the Mediterranean monitoring plan, sophisticated equipment will be furnished to marine laboratories by UNEP, while scientists and technicians from developing countries in the Mediterranean region will do on-the-job training in laboratories in developed countries.
Oceans Law and Policy Centre A Centre for Oceans Law and Policy has been set up at the University of Virginia. Headed by John Norton Moore, on leave from the Virginia Law school faculty as a presidential representative to the third Law of the Sea conference, the centre has been established to study international and national problems in the use and protection of the oceans. The centre, which will be initially grant-aided by the Henry L. and Grace Dougherty Charitable Foundation,
62
will undertake teaching and research. It will also sponsor conferences and meetings, and it is hoped that government, business and oceanographic experts will work at the centre.
Amlwch Single Buoy Mooring Single Buoy Moorings (SBMs) are used in coastal areas where the modern supertankers are unable to go in close to the shore because of their draft. The supertanker can tie up to the buoy, and discharge its oil, which is then taken ashore through a submarine pipeline. Their use has been accompanied by a good deal of controversy, since it is claimed by their critics that they are particularly prone to accidental discharges of oil. The siting of the world's largest SBM at Amlwch on the Island of Anglesey caused an uproar, and the protests were loud and long. But after much discussion permission was given, and recently a 200 000 ton supertanker, the Miralda, began trials at the buoy. The buoy, which is 70 ft in diameter and weighs 540 tons, is sited about 2.5 miles off the coast. From there the oil is piped ashore, and then by buried pipeline to a refinery at Stanlow in Cheshire. Itis intended that the buoy can be used by tankers of up to 500 000 tons, and the trials, which bad already been postponed once because of bad weather in January, were designed to test the mooring techniques by day and night.
Scottish Refinery at Nigg Point The UK government has given the go ahead for an oil refinery at Nigg Point in the North of Scotland, in spite of the hundreds of protests which were received, and also in spite of the recommendations of the inspector who presided at an enquiry into the proposed planning application. The Scottish Office announced that the arguments were finely balanced, with on the one hand dangers of oil pollution, and the certainty that even with the most stringent precautions there would be no guarantee that pollution would not occur, and on the other hand the new jobs and supporting employment would be a significant contribution to the economy of the area. The refinery, which will take several years to build, and provide permanent employment for about 450 people, is to be subject to strict planning conditions. A biological monitoring scheme to watch pollution was said to be essential, and there will also be contingency plans to deal with any oil spillages, caused by tankers bringing oil from the North Sea and the Middle East.