Helcom : HELCOM to test its fleet readiness to respond to oil spills

28.08.2006

Press release

HELCOM to test its fleet readiness to respond to oil spills

Helsinki, 28 August (HELCOM) – The Helsinki Commission will conduct its annual international exercise BALEX DELTA 2006 on 6^th September outside Gdynia, Poland, to check the Baltic Sea countries’ readiness to respond to major oil accidents at sea.

More than two dozen ships and smaller vessels, as well as three airplanes, from Denmark, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden will take part in this operational exercise. For the first time the European Union which is also one of the HELCOM Contracting Parties will be participating in BALEX DELTA. The EU will be represented by two vessels chartered by the European Maritime Safety Agency.

“The aim of the exercise is to test HELCOM response system, its command and communication system, as well as the co-operation between response units of the Baltic Sea countries,” says Thomas Fagö, Chairman of the HELCOM Response Group. “This exercise is critical to maintaining our readiness to respond immediately and effectively to any major oil spill in the region.” DSC01010(small).JPG

BALEX DELTA 2006 involves a scenario where a general cargo vessel collides with an oil tanker carrying a cargo of around 30,000 tons of light crude oil in the area of the Gulf of Gdansk. Besides its cargo, the oil tanker has some 1,200 tons of heavy fuel oil and 120 tons of marine diesel oil as bunker. After the collision the oil tanker leaks around 6,000 tons of cargo drifting towards the Polish and Russian coastline. Additionally, the continuous release of 2,000 tons raises potential threat to the marine environment. Units from HELCOM countries are tasked to jointly prevent the oil slick from coming ashore.

This year's HELCOM annual exercise is organized by the Polish Maritime Search and Rescue Service. Poland will start BALEX DELTA 2006 as a national exercise already on 5^th of September.

This year, to simulate discharged oil a completely new substance will be introduced. Instead of “traditional” popcorn, simulating oil spills, expanded perlite will be used. It is a mineral substance several times lighter than water, white coloured and very well visible on the water surface. It is absolutely non harmful to the environment. Perlite is a naturally occurring glassy volcanic rock found in many parts of the world. It is heated to a high temperature to produce a lightweight, micro-porous material with a high surface area. The concept to use this material to simulate oil spills has been developed by the Chemical Faculty of the Gdansk University of Technology and the Polish Maritime Search and Rescue Service.

The Polish Maritime Search and Rescue Service is planning to hold press conferences on 5^th and 6^th September, following the briefing and debriefing. Also a press tour will be arranged in the exercise area.

BALEX DELTA operational response exercises have been held annually since 1990. Through the time HELCOM has steadily improved the readiness of the countries around the Baltic to jointly respond to an oil spill at sea. In total, the Baltic countries have at hand more than 30 response vessels that are located around the region. They are able to reach any place in the Baltic Sea within 6 to 48 hours of notification.

Note to Editors:

The Helsinki Commission, or HELCOM, works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental co-operation between the countries bordering the sea - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and also the European Community.

HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area," more usually known as the Helsinki Convention.

For additional information about the BALEX DELTA 2006 exercise, please visit the webpage of the Polish Maritime Search and Rescue Service: http://www.sar.gov.pl/ang/menu.php

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Marek Reszko

Polond's Maritime Search and Rescue Service

Tel: +48 58 660 7613

E-mail: marek.reszko@sar.gov.pl

Exercise Information Centre

Tel: +48 58 660 7673

Mr. Thomas Fagö

Chairman of HELCOM RESPONSE

Tel: +46 (455) 353455

E-mail: thomas.fago@coastguard.se

Mr. Tadas Navickas