Introduction
International rule-making and co-operation to prevent marine pollution have been positively promoted, learning lessons from many cases of tanker incidents including the TORREY CANYON and the EXXON VALDEZ.
Relying almost entirely on crude oil imports from oil-supplying countries overseas, Japan has paid particular attention to the prevention of marine pollution by vessel with great interest as a leading shipbuilding nation of tankers and an island nation blessed with beautiful coast lines.
Nevertheless, the NAKHODKA incident, which occurred at the beginning of this year, caused unprecedented oil pollution damage to the coasts of almost all the prefectures on the side of the Japan Sea.
In this paper, probable future tasks for us all suggested by the present case of the NAKHODKA are discussed as my opinion from the position of the commander of field oil control operations after giving a brief report on the incident.
1. Summary of Measures to the Oil Spill Incident
(1) Outline of the NAKHODKA
Particulars of the NAKHODKA are shown in Fig. 1.
(2) Narratives of the incident and the oil spill control
Whole process of the incident is outlined in Fig. 2. Detailed descriptions are given below in chronological order.
? Occurrence of incident and initial response
The incident is outlined in Fig. 3. The incident occurred enroute from Shanghai to Petropavlovsk.
[Fig. 4]
| 2Jan. | ・02:51 | Distress signals from the NAKHODKA (N) monitored. Instructions were given immediately to 2 patrol vessels navigating in the vicinity of the wreck to rescue the tanker. 4 additional patrol vessels and 2 aircraft were arranged in succession. |
| ・08:20 | The stern of the tanker sank. |
| ・About | 10:00 |
| | Confirmed the bow drifting in the sea. |
| ・About | 13:00 |
| | All 31 crew members but the Master rescued. |
| | [Weather/Sea conditions] |
| Northwesterly | 20 m/s |
| Wave height | 6 m |
| Swell | 4 m or more |
| 3Jan. | ・Providing information to local governments started. |
| ・Assumed quantities of spilled oil identified [Fig. 5] |
| 4Jan. | ･Disaster Countermeasure Task Force for NAKHODKA Oil Spills at 8th RMSH established. |
| 5Jan. | ･Attempt to tow the bow failed due to bad weather. |
| ・Patrol vessels started spraying oil dispersants. |
| ・Oil cleanup operations were entrusted by the shipowner to the Maritime Disaster Prevention Center. |
| | [Weather/Sea conditions] |
| Northwesterly | 8 m/s |
| Wave height | 1 m |
| Swell | 3 m |
| 6Jan. | ・Attempt to tow the bow failed because of bad weather. |
| ・Requested the Maritime Self Defense Force to dispatch troops for oil control.
|
| ・Liaison conference among relevant ministries and agencies. |
| (in Tokyo, 18 ministries and agencies participated) |
| | [Weather/Sea conditions] |
| Westnorthwesterly | 30 m/s |
