HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 6/2

(supersedes HELCOM Recommendation 5/2)

Adopted 13 March 1985, having regard to Article 13, Paragraph b) of the Helsinki Convention 

RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING RESTRICTION OF DISCHARGES FROM OIL REFINERIES 

THE COMMISSION,

RECALLING that according to Article 6 of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1974, (Helsinki Convention), the Contracting Parties shall take all appropriate measures to control and strictly limit pollution by noxious substances,

RECALLING ALSO that Annex II of the Helsinki Convention defines oil as a noxious substance for the purposes of Article 6 of the Convention,

RECOGNIZING that oil refineries are one of the main source of oil pollution,

BEING MINDFUL of the pollution caused by oil refineries,

DESIRING to limit this pollution by accomplishing the treatment of oil refinery effluents corresponding to modern technology,

DESIRING ALSO to have more adequate information on the total discharges into the Baltic Sea of oil and oil products,

RECOMMENDS to the Governments of the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention that:

a)         at new oil refineries the following provisions should be applied as from the beginning of the production:

(i)         cooling waters should be separated from other waters and retained uncontaminated by oil;

(ii)        storm waters from polluted plant areas should be collected and connected to treatment plants; and

(iii)       waste waters should be subject to biological or other equally effective treatment.  The oil content (measured using IR spectroscopy) of the effluent should not exceed the monthly average of 5 mg/l and the total discharge should not exceed 3 grammes per ton of crude oil and other feed stocks, processed;

b)         at existing refineries the following provisions should be applied:

(i)         as from 1987 storm waters from polluted plant areas should be collected and connected to treatment plants;

(ii)        as from 1994 cooling waters should be separated from other waters and retained uncontaminated by oil;

(iii)       as from 1990 waste waters should be subject to biological or equally effective treatment and the oil content (measured using IR spectroscopy) of the effluent should not exceed the monthly average of 5 mg/l, and the total discharge should not exceed 3 grammes per ton of crude oil and other feed stack processed,

RECOMMENDS ALSO to the Governments of the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention that corresponding TOC and/or COD _Cr values should be measured and submitted whenever oil discharges are reported to the Helsinki Commission,

RECOMMENDS FURTHER that programmes drawn up to reduce pollution from oil refineries and results achieved should be reported every five years to the Helsinki Commission.