HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 10/10
Adopted 15 February 1989, having regard to Article 10 of the Helsinki Convention
MEASURES IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE POLLUTION FROM OFFSHORE INSTALLATIONS
THE COMMISSION,
RECALLING that according to Article 10 of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1974, (Helsinki Convention), the Contracting Parties shall take appropriate measures in order to prevent pollution of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea Area resulting from exploration or exploitation of the sea-bed and its subsoil or from any associated activities thereon, and also ensure that adequate equipment is at hand to start an immediate abatement of pollution in that area,
NOTING HELCOM Recommendation 9/5 concerning restriction of discharges and monitoring for exploration and exploitation of the sea-bed and its subsoil,
NOTING ALSO HELCOM Recommendation 1/8 on minimization of the use of dispersants, sinking agents and absorbents in oil combatting operations in the Baltic Sea Area,
BEING AWARE of HELCOM Recommendation 1/7 concerning the development of national ability to combat spillages of oil,
RECALLING ALSO Regulation 5 of Annex VI to the Helsinki Convention concerning combatting of spillages of oil and other harmful substances at the sea,
RECOMMENDS the Governments of the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention that:
a) Contingency plans for combatting pollution of the sea from offshore installations are drawn up before the installations are taken into use,
The contingency plan shall contain information on the following particulars:
(i) Alarm and communication systems, including warning of authorities and note on language to be used;
(ii) Organization, including details on operational management, personnel, responsibilities and procedure for initiating the contingency measures and/or national reporting centers (NRC);
(iii) List of contingency equipment with description on type, and indication of capacity and location;
(iv) Description of measures to be taken at different pollution incidents, including combatting methods, surveillance, supply and transport questions, personnel as well as provisional storage and disposal of pollutants etc.;
(v) Training,
b) The equipment for mechanical combatting of oil pollution must be able to fulfil the following requirements:
(i) The quantity of equipment shall be sufficient to combat spills corresponding to the discharge of oil from a production drilling, a production platform or a pipeline, with due regard to evaporation and emulsification of the oil;
For exploration drilling the quantity of equipment shall be sufficient to combat spills of oil corresponding to the probable discharge with due regard to the geological location of the drilling site, and to evaporation and emulsification of the oil;
(ii) Oil recovery systems, booms and transport material shall be designed to be operational under the conditions of' wave height and current prevailing in the waters involved, limited to a significant wave height up to 2,5 m and/or a current velocity of up to 1 knot. Moreover, the equipment shall be able to operate efficiently under prevailing temperature conditions in the actual areas (due to blow-out situations);
(iii) Combatting equipment which is liable to be used under ice conditions, must be well tested for this purpose;
(iv) The equipment should be located so that retaining measures can be taken at a sufficiently early stage with due regard to the environmental sensitivity and geological conditions of the area in which the exploration or exploitation activity is going to take place and the total contingency plan can be put into action within less than 8 hours taking into consideration the geographical location of the marine installation;
(v) Each Contracting Party shall report to the CC about the consideration that has been made and the conditions required for each separate offshore activity according to regulation b) (iv) above,
c) The equipment for chemical combatting of oil pollution must be able to fulfil the following requirements:
(i) The quantity of equipment and dispersants shall be sufficient to combat spills corresponding to the discharge of oil from a production drilling or a pipeline for a specified period of time, with due regard to the geological conditions and geographical location of the drilling site, and to evaporation and emulsification of the oil;
(ii) The equipment shall be located so that the combatting measures can be instituted within a specified time limit (less than 8 hours) taking into consideration the geographical location of the marine installation,
d) The equipment for combatting of pollution caused by harmful substances other than oil, if used in significant quantities, must be able to fulfil the following requirements:
(i) The quantity and type of equipment shall be dimensioned in order to enable the user to measure and report on the extent and location of the pollution, as well as to reduce the discharge of the substances;
(ii) Where pollutants remain floating on the surface of the water and are not easily soluble in water, the user shall be able to encircle, take up and transport the pollutants under the weather conditions specified in Paragraph b) (ii);
(iii) In such cases the equipment shall be sufficient to allow combatting of the substances present at that time;
(iv) The equipment shall be located so that contingency measures can be taken immediately,
e) Other Contracting Parties, with borders to the sea area where offshore activities take place, shall be informed about the contingency measures taken, for combatting pollution of the sea;
(i) The information shall be given in due time before the offshore activities are started up.