- Email: [email protected]
Total whaling ban rejected
Marine Pollution Bulletin
West Side Story Faced with increasing oil tanker traffic down the vulnerable West Coast, the Canadian Environmental Protection Service is well advanced with contingency planning for oil spills on the British Columbia coast. It published a report West Coast Oil Spill Countermeasures Study, Year I at the end of 1979 and the second report should be available early in 1981. The emphasis in the Year 1 report is on spill potential in relation to coastal oil products shipments rather than on major crude spills from offshore tankers. Oil spill legislation, contingency planning and action plans pertinent to government, industry and public organizations are described and the report then reviews containment and recovery cleanup equipment on the West Coast, discusses chemical counter measures and derives a rating of equipment availability. The distribution of manpower in B.C. in relation to requirements for different spill situations is also described. Several risk parameters are analysed including historical slick incidents, significant spill events, vessel casualties, marine traffic densities and oil products annual frequencies of visits. One of these, slick incidents, is examined together with cleanup equipment availability to identify the critical oil spill areas of coastal British Columbia. Summary conclusions are included to suggest how West Coast oil spill countermeasures can be improved.
New Guidelines for Effluent Sampling Inaccurate methods for determining contaminants in liquid effluents can cause great errors in the sample results, according to a recent report. The oil companies' international study group for the Conservation of Clean Air and Water (CONCAWE) in Europe Report No. 7/80 deals with the factors which affect accuracy of samples used in refineries, and suggests improvements for sampling procedures. One of the main conclusions of the report is that errors made because of inadequate sampling procedures can be statistically greater than the standard deviation of analytical methods. CONCAWE's 1975 report "Sampling of Refinery Effluents", dealt with methods to ensure representative samples are taken. Although the principles in the report are still valid, the technological information needed to be updated. The latest report is based on the findings of a Task Force established to develop guidelines on reliable sampling techniques. The report devotes a chapter to the factors which affect the representativeness of samples; another to the various types of sample containers available, and another two to the design, operation and characteristics of sample loops. The report can be obtained from CONCAWE, van Hogenhoucklaan 60, 2596 TE, The Hague, Netherlands.
New Oil Absorber Passes Test A new device for cleaning up oil after spills has been successfully used to tackle a 50-km spill in Bahrain. The devices-known as Sorbaides-are soft white clusters of oleophilic hydrophobic polypropolene fibres and a r e effective in absorbing high viscosity oils and emulsions. The Sorbaide is placed in an oil patch and worked into it, 4
then it is pulled out removing the oil. It can either be disposed of or cleaned and reused. Sorbaides, developed by British company OMI, are inert and non-toxic, and believed to be environmentally safe. Tests have shown one can recover at least 25 lbs of 'Bunker C' No. 6 fuel oil.
Improved Pipeline Leak Detection Growing concern over the number of recent pipeline leaks has encouraged the development of sophisticated leak detection systems. British oil company, Shell UK, have developed a model leak detection system at their Research Centre with which small leaks can be detected within hours, and larger leaks rapidly discovered (one per cent of flow rate and higher). Many larger leaks are betrayed by sudden pressure and/or flow changes. Changes often cause false alarms and must be shut off before this happens. The new dynamic model receives data from the pipeline and remains unaffected by a leak. The pipeline itself responds with a ,pressure drop and flow changes at certain points in the leak vicinity, and when the model characteristics diverge from those of the real pipeline the leak is detected.
Total Whaling Ban Rejected The International Whaling Commission has rejected proposals by conservationists for a complete ban on whaling. At their Annum General Meeting held in Brighton, England, the major whaling nations dismissed two proposals for a ban on commercial whaling and a ban on sperm whaling, rejecting the advice of IWC's Scientific Committee which said that because stocks are so threatened the quota for next year must be zero. The quote given was 890. Further disputes followed over the use of various harpoons in the slaying of the whales. The two harpoons used are either 'cold' or 'hot' - the cold damaging the flesh less but being the more cruel method of death. At the moment Spain has been using the cold harpoon for larger whales but a complete ban should come into effect next year. Meanwhile Oman, Switzerland and the People's Republic of China became members of IWC late in 1980. WWF hope that entry by China in particular will favourably influence the voting of other nations in the commission. Taiwan was not accepted as a member or an observer. The country is currently operating four whaling vessels.
Hasbah Spill Hits Qatar Spilled oil from the Arabian American Oil Co. (ARAMCO) Hasbah 6 exploratory well has impacted about 300 km of the Qatar coastline, according to latest reports. The Hasbah 6, which blew out in October, lost about 40 000 to 80 000 barrels of crude oil before it was capped, and toxic fumes released by the blow-out caused the death of 19 rig workers. The leading edge of the slick was combated with dispersants and mechanical equipment which successfully stopped it from reaching the Bahrain coast. Local officials
West Side Story Faced with increasing oil tanker traffic down the vulnerable West Coast, the Canadian Environmental Protection Service is well advanced with contingency planning for oil spills on the British Columbia coast. It published a report West Coast Oil Spill Countermeasures Study, Year I at the end of 1979 and the second report should be available early in 1981. The emphasis in the Year 1 report is on spill potential in relation to coastal oil products shipments rather than on major crude spills from offshore tankers. Oil spill legislation, contingency planning and action plans pertinent to government, industry and public organizations are described and the report then reviews containment and recovery cleanup equipment on the West Coast, discusses chemical counter measures and derives a rating of equipment availability. The distribution of manpower in B.C. in relation to requirements for different spill situations is also described. Several risk parameters are analysed including historical slick incidents, significant spill events, vessel casualties, marine traffic densities and oil products annual frequencies of visits. One of these, slick incidents, is examined together with cleanup equipment availability to identify the critical oil spill areas of coastal British Columbia. Summary conclusions are included to suggest how West Coast oil spill countermeasures can be improved.
New Guidelines for Effluent Sampling Inaccurate methods for determining contaminants in liquid effluents can cause great errors in the sample results, according to a recent report. The oil companies' international study group for the Conservation of Clean Air and Water (CONCAWE) in Europe Report No. 7/80 deals with the factors which affect accuracy of samples used in refineries, and suggests improvements for sampling procedures. One of the main conclusions of the report is that errors made because of inadequate sampling procedures can be statistically greater than the standard deviation of analytical methods. CONCAWE's 1975 report "Sampling of Refinery Effluents", dealt with methods to ensure representative samples are taken. Although the principles in the report are still valid, the technological information needed to be updated. The latest report is based on the findings of a Task Force established to develop guidelines on reliable sampling techniques. The report devotes a chapter to the factors which affect the representativeness of samples; another to the various types of sample containers available, and another two to the design, operation and characteristics of sample loops. The report can be obtained from CONCAWE, van Hogenhoucklaan 60, 2596 TE, The Hague, Netherlands.
New Oil Absorber Passes Test A new device for cleaning up oil after spills has been successfully used to tackle a 50-km spill in Bahrain. The devices-known as Sorbaides-are soft white clusters of oleophilic hydrophobic polypropolene fibres and a r e effective in absorbing high viscosity oils and emulsions. The Sorbaide is placed in an oil patch and worked into it, 4
then it is pulled out removing the oil. It can either be disposed of or cleaned and reused. Sorbaides, developed by British company OMI, are inert and non-toxic, and believed to be environmentally safe. Tests have shown one can recover at least 25 lbs of 'Bunker C' No. 6 fuel oil.
Improved Pipeline Leak Detection Growing concern over the number of recent pipeline leaks has encouraged the development of sophisticated leak detection systems. British oil company, Shell UK, have developed a model leak detection system at their Research Centre with which small leaks can be detected within hours, and larger leaks rapidly discovered (one per cent of flow rate and higher). Many larger leaks are betrayed by sudden pressure and/or flow changes. Changes often cause false alarms and must be shut off before this happens. The new dynamic model receives data from the pipeline and remains unaffected by a leak. The pipeline itself responds with a ,pressure drop and flow changes at certain points in the leak vicinity, and when the model characteristics diverge from those of the real pipeline the leak is detected.
Total Whaling Ban Rejected The International Whaling Commission has rejected proposals by conservationists for a complete ban on whaling. At their Annum General Meeting held in Brighton, England, the major whaling nations dismissed two proposals for a ban on commercial whaling and a ban on sperm whaling, rejecting the advice of IWC's Scientific Committee which said that because stocks are so threatened the quota for next year must be zero. The quote given was 890. Further disputes followed over the use of various harpoons in the slaying of the whales. The two harpoons used are either 'cold' or 'hot' - the cold damaging the flesh less but being the more cruel method of death. At the moment Spain has been using the cold harpoon for larger whales but a complete ban should come into effect next year. Meanwhile Oman, Switzerland and the People's Republic of China became members of IWC late in 1980. WWF hope that entry by China in particular will favourably influence the voting of other nations in the commission. Taiwan was not accepted as a member or an observer. The country is currently operating four whaling vessels.
Hasbah Spill Hits Qatar Spilled oil from the Arabian American Oil Co. (ARAMCO) Hasbah 6 exploratory well has impacted about 300 km of the Qatar coastline, according to latest reports. The Hasbah 6, which blew out in October, lost about 40 000 to 80 000 barrels of crude oil before it was capped, and toxic fumes released by the blow-out caused the death of 19 rig workers. The leading edge of the slick was combated with dispersants and mechanical equipment which successfully stopped it from reaching the Bahrain coast. Local officials