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Russia and Eastern Europe
Volume 30/Number 9/September 1995
commercial fishing area and sections of Tasmania's $200 million a year commercial fishing industry could be under threat from the effects of the oil spill. The ship was badly damaged but, after repair work was undertaken, was refloated two weeks after running aground. Following inspection by various State and Federal Authorities, the decision was made to tow the Iron Baron to off the Continental Shelf in waters of over 4000 m depth, about 60 nautical miles off Flinders Island, and sink her. This was because the ship was too badly damaged to be moved into the nearby Port of Launceston for cargo discharge and temporary repairs, and would have posed an unacceptable risk to the environment and ongoing operation in the port. In addition, the Port Launceston Authority advised BHP that 'the vessel in its present situation posed an unacceptable risk to the environment and to navigation in waters within the jurisdiction of the Port of Launceston Authority', and that the ship would not be permitted to remain at her current anchorage just off Hebe Reef. Prior to sinking the Iron Baron, as much sealing of the cargo holds by welding as safety permitted was undertaken to minimize or else retard the loss of further oil or cargo. However, not all the oil or oil-contaminated cargo could be removed from the stricken vessel before she was sunk. Following the grounding, a co-ordinated programme involving Tasmania plus mainland States attempted to collect some of the released oil using booms, skimmers and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Macro Oil Recovery vessel, which was flown in from Sydney. It is expected that the clean-up will be continued by oil spill authorities, local councils and the community over the next few weeks. Within a few days of the grounding, 5000 m 3 of oil, contaminated sand, seaweed and soil were treated at a special land farming site established in response to the oil spill. At this bioremediation site various organic compounds, such as green waste, wood chips, sewage sludge, urea and superphosphate, are being employed to bioremediate the contaminated material with the aim of developing a balanced compost. Assay of the soil will be undertaken in the near future once turning of the compost piles has been done to provide a base line of concentrations of oil present. Follow up assays will be performed to monitor progress of the operation and to assess reduction in oil contamination from approximately 200 000 ppm down to 100 ppm over the next 6-12 weeks. It is likely it may take up to 12 months for the contaminated material to reach levels where it will be safe for disposal at a secure land fill. This will be the biggest compost bioremediation project ever undertaken in Australia. In addition to being an important commercial fishing area, large populations of seabirds, especially penguins, occur in the area. A large scale rescue operation was put into effect and over 1000 penguins have been treated. Dead birds have also been washed up on the beaches. While BHP has accepted full responsibility for the costs of cleaning up oil spilled from the BHP chartered Iron Baron, the causes and responsibility for the grounding must wait until the Department of Transport
Inquiry is completed. Also presumably, the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries will be monitoring the long term effects of this oil spill and hopefully any side effects of the scuttled ship in deep water. PAT HUTCHINS
IWC Moratorium Continues The latest meeting of the International Whaling Commission, held in Dublin in May, has voted to continue the moratorium on commercial whaling, though Norway continues to set itself an annual quota for minke whales as it maintains its objection to the moratorium. The Norwegian Government has appealed for science to rule over emotions, though the IWC's scientific committee maintains that the population data and models required to calculate sustainable quotas under the Revised Management Procedure are insufficiently developed. Despite these concerns, Norway continues to calculate what it maintains are scientifically robust catch limits, though critics argue that the decision to allow the annual harvest of minke whales is based on political expediency rather than science. PETER JONES
1996 Seatrade Awards Entries are now being invited for the 1996 Seatrade Awards which will be presented for advancement in the fields of safety at sea, countering marine pollution and innovation, as well as to the Seatrade Personality of the Year. Mr William O'Neil, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, will chair the panel of judges and assessors, and the deadline for submissions is 29 December 1995. These Awards will be presented at an Awards Ceremony Dinner at the Guildhall, City of London, on Monday 29 April 1996. If you have a product, system or process which has been introduced or approved during 1995 that merits consideration in any of the technical categories listed above, or you would like to propose a suitable candidate for the Seatrade Personality of the Year, contact Laura Paris, Projects Manager, The Seatrade Organisation, for full entry details. Address: 42 North Station Road, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1RB, UK Tel: (+44) (0) 1206 45121; Fax: (+44) (0) 1206 45190.
News-in-Brief Russia and Eastern Europe Shipowners have been warned by their insurers about the risk of loading scrap metal from Russia and Eastern Europe, as it is feared that irradiated steel from broken Russian nuclear submarines may be entering the scrap chain. 3000 t of radioactive metal are known to have been shipped from Murmansk to Spain, but a shipment of 5000 t from Kalningrad was halted when the ship's master noticed dock cargo surveyors using Geiger counters. Though the levels were not sufficient to 581
Marine Pollution Bulletin
automatically make the scrap a dangerous cargo, they were significantly above background levels and, under the rules of marine liability and hull insurers, radioactive risks are excluded.
Bangladesh The Bangladesh shrimp farming industry was dealt a heavy blow recently when a storm coinciding with a tidal surge caused over S100 million worth of damage to shrimp ponds and surrounding facilities. There are reports that over 18 000 shrimp beds were washed away in two of the main farming regions at Khulna and Cox's Bazar, with additional damage to embankments which were destroyed in many localities. The shrimp industry plays an important role in Bangladesh's economy making up 90% of its frozen food exports, which are the country's second highest foreign currency earner.
New Zealand Dredged material from the Waitemata Harbour and approach channels is to be disposed of in water 100 m deep beyond Great Barrier Island. The decision by the Ports of Auckland follows the release of a report from the Disposal Options Advisory Group (DOAG) which was established to review the available options. The Group accepted the need for maintenance dredging and the long-term likelihood of capital dredging, for example, to deepen the Rangitoto Channel and approaches to wharves.
582
UK The UK Health and Safety Executive is investigating a spillage of 20 t of hydrochloric acid from the Chemaide factory at Hailsham, East Sussex, in the south of England. Half of the spilled acid was contained on-site, but the rest leaked into the nearby Knockhatch stream and the River Cuckmere. The pH of the river water was lowered from 6 to between 0 and 1. Many fish were killed and actually dissolved by the high concentration of the acid. Fortunately, the river is not used as a source for public water supply so there was little risk to public health, although three local residents were treated for breathing difficulties after a cloud of acid formed above Hailsham. A lime dam has been built in the river to neutralize the acid.
China China is seeking help from the international arena to ensure that its development of energy resources does not come at the expense of the environment according to a report in Lloyds List. To cope with the rising demand for energy, the country plans to build at least 10 nuclear power stations in coastal areas, with a total power output of 10 million kW. This would be in addition to fossil fuel plants burning coal, gas and oil, and renewable energy sources such as hydro-power, wind and solar power. Apparently, seventeen Chinese counties, with a combined population of 110 million, are still without electricity, giving an overall per capita energy consumption for China that is one-thirtieth that in developed countries.
commercial fishing area and sections of Tasmania's $200 million a year commercial fishing industry could be under threat from the effects of the oil spill. The ship was badly damaged but, after repair work was undertaken, was refloated two weeks after running aground. Following inspection by various State and Federal Authorities, the decision was made to tow the Iron Baron to off the Continental Shelf in waters of over 4000 m depth, about 60 nautical miles off Flinders Island, and sink her. This was because the ship was too badly damaged to be moved into the nearby Port of Launceston for cargo discharge and temporary repairs, and would have posed an unacceptable risk to the environment and ongoing operation in the port. In addition, the Port Launceston Authority advised BHP that 'the vessel in its present situation posed an unacceptable risk to the environment and to navigation in waters within the jurisdiction of the Port of Launceston Authority', and that the ship would not be permitted to remain at her current anchorage just off Hebe Reef. Prior to sinking the Iron Baron, as much sealing of the cargo holds by welding as safety permitted was undertaken to minimize or else retard the loss of further oil or cargo. However, not all the oil or oil-contaminated cargo could be removed from the stricken vessel before she was sunk. Following the grounding, a co-ordinated programme involving Tasmania plus mainland States attempted to collect some of the released oil using booms, skimmers and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Macro Oil Recovery vessel, which was flown in from Sydney. It is expected that the clean-up will be continued by oil spill authorities, local councils and the community over the next few weeks. Within a few days of the grounding, 5000 m 3 of oil, contaminated sand, seaweed and soil were treated at a special land farming site established in response to the oil spill. At this bioremediation site various organic compounds, such as green waste, wood chips, sewage sludge, urea and superphosphate, are being employed to bioremediate the contaminated material with the aim of developing a balanced compost. Assay of the soil will be undertaken in the near future once turning of the compost piles has been done to provide a base line of concentrations of oil present. Follow up assays will be performed to monitor progress of the operation and to assess reduction in oil contamination from approximately 200 000 ppm down to 100 ppm over the next 6-12 weeks. It is likely it may take up to 12 months for the contaminated material to reach levels where it will be safe for disposal at a secure land fill. This will be the biggest compost bioremediation project ever undertaken in Australia. In addition to being an important commercial fishing area, large populations of seabirds, especially penguins, occur in the area. A large scale rescue operation was put into effect and over 1000 penguins have been treated. Dead birds have also been washed up on the beaches. While BHP has accepted full responsibility for the costs of cleaning up oil spilled from the BHP chartered Iron Baron, the causes and responsibility for the grounding must wait until the Department of Transport
Inquiry is completed. Also presumably, the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries will be monitoring the long term effects of this oil spill and hopefully any side effects of the scuttled ship in deep water. PAT HUTCHINS
IWC Moratorium Continues The latest meeting of the International Whaling Commission, held in Dublin in May, has voted to continue the moratorium on commercial whaling, though Norway continues to set itself an annual quota for minke whales as it maintains its objection to the moratorium. The Norwegian Government has appealed for science to rule over emotions, though the IWC's scientific committee maintains that the population data and models required to calculate sustainable quotas under the Revised Management Procedure are insufficiently developed. Despite these concerns, Norway continues to calculate what it maintains are scientifically robust catch limits, though critics argue that the decision to allow the annual harvest of minke whales is based on political expediency rather than science. PETER JONES
1996 Seatrade Awards Entries are now being invited for the 1996 Seatrade Awards which will be presented for advancement in the fields of safety at sea, countering marine pollution and innovation, as well as to the Seatrade Personality of the Year. Mr William O'Neil, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, will chair the panel of judges and assessors, and the deadline for submissions is 29 December 1995. These Awards will be presented at an Awards Ceremony Dinner at the Guildhall, City of London, on Monday 29 April 1996. If you have a product, system or process which has been introduced or approved during 1995 that merits consideration in any of the technical categories listed above, or you would like to propose a suitable candidate for the Seatrade Personality of the Year, contact Laura Paris, Projects Manager, The Seatrade Organisation, for full entry details. Address: 42 North Station Road, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1RB, UK Tel: (+44) (0) 1206 45121; Fax: (+44) (0) 1206 45190.
News-in-Brief Russia and Eastern Europe Shipowners have been warned by their insurers about the risk of loading scrap metal from Russia and Eastern Europe, as it is feared that irradiated steel from broken Russian nuclear submarines may be entering the scrap chain. 3000 t of radioactive metal are known to have been shipped from Murmansk to Spain, but a shipment of 5000 t from Kalningrad was halted when the ship's master noticed dock cargo surveyors using Geiger counters. Though the levels were not sufficient to 581
Marine Pollution Bulletin
automatically make the scrap a dangerous cargo, they were significantly above background levels and, under the rules of marine liability and hull insurers, radioactive risks are excluded.
Bangladesh The Bangladesh shrimp farming industry was dealt a heavy blow recently when a storm coinciding with a tidal surge caused over S100 million worth of damage to shrimp ponds and surrounding facilities. There are reports that over 18 000 shrimp beds were washed away in two of the main farming regions at Khulna and Cox's Bazar, with additional damage to embankments which were destroyed in many localities. The shrimp industry plays an important role in Bangladesh's economy making up 90% of its frozen food exports, which are the country's second highest foreign currency earner.
New Zealand Dredged material from the Waitemata Harbour and approach channels is to be disposed of in water 100 m deep beyond Great Barrier Island. The decision by the Ports of Auckland follows the release of a report from the Disposal Options Advisory Group (DOAG) which was established to review the available options. The Group accepted the need for maintenance dredging and the long-term likelihood of capital dredging, for example, to deepen the Rangitoto Channel and approaches to wharves.
582
UK The UK Health and Safety Executive is investigating a spillage of 20 t of hydrochloric acid from the Chemaide factory at Hailsham, East Sussex, in the south of England. Half of the spilled acid was contained on-site, but the rest leaked into the nearby Knockhatch stream and the River Cuckmere. The pH of the river water was lowered from 6 to between 0 and 1. Many fish were killed and actually dissolved by the high concentration of the acid. Fortunately, the river is not used as a source for public water supply so there was little risk to public health, although three local residents were treated for breathing difficulties after a cloud of acid formed above Hailsham. A lime dam has been built in the river to neutralize the acid.
China China is seeking help from the international arena to ensure that its development of energy resources does not come at the expense of the environment according to a report in Lloyds List. To cope with the rising demand for energy, the country plans to build at least 10 nuclear power stations in coastal areas, with a total power output of 10 million kW. This would be in addition to fossil fuel plants burning coal, gas and oil, and renewable energy sources such as hydro-power, wind and solar power. Apparently, seventeen Chinese counties, with a combined population of 110 million, are still without electricity, giving an overall per capita energy consumption for China that is one-thirtieth that in developed countries.