thought the spraying was becoming ineffective when it was taking time for the dispersant to function. Close liaison is essential between the responders and the Government Agency which provides approval for spraying operations ie Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
・ There must be 2 separate response centres one for marine and the other for shoreline as the large number of people involved makes it impractical to combine both. This requires close and regular communication between the 2 centres.
・ Never underestimate the insatiable appetite for information and interviews from the media around the clock. This detracted on the concentration of those dealing with the incident. A senior, if not the most senior manager, needs to regularly respond on behalf of the responders and co-ordinate with central government and host VIP visits.
・ Grossly undermanned for a long term full blown incident. Plans must be made to ensure that everyone gets at least 8 hours off every 24. This must be a Health and Safety requirement to ensure people don't endanger themselves and that dangerous management decisions are not taken. MPCU manning needs to be able to expand rapidly in a major incident.
・ Verbal reports from the surveillance aircraft on the size, amount and extent of the oil spill were time consuming and inaccurate. Some form of data link from aircraft to ground station is essential (now incorporated in MPCU's contracted aircraft).
C. Legal problems associated with;
Response to oil spill incidents in open waters caused by foreign flag vessels.
Response to oil spill incidents within your territorial waters caused by foreign flag vessels.
1.1 The UK has recently established a 200 mile pollution zone around UK or to the median line with adjacent countries. Outside this area UK would have little interest other than to offer assistance in accordance with any International Agreements. Inside this area UK has sweeping powers to deal effectively with oil spill incidents and could intervene to prevent or minimise oil pollution and in the case of foreign flag vessels would inform the flag state through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
D. Co-operation between the Coastguard and local government in terms of commands and communications.
1.1 The concept of the Joint Response Centre was introduced wherein Central Government, represented by the Marine Pollution Control Unit, and Local Government would integrate their response to oil pollution of the coastline. The responsibility for clearing on-shore pollution not dealt with by MPCU at-sea resources rests with the local authorities. If Local Authorities can cope with an incident using mainly their own resources, MPCU scientific/technical advice will again be available free of charge and MPCU staff will, if required, be deployed to local control centres as appropriate items of MPCU specialised shoreline cleanup equipment will be made available on a repayment basis.
1.2 However, if a shipping casualty-related spill is of a size such that Local Authority resources, even supplemented as described above, are clearly insufficient to cope with the situation, then the MPCU will, at the request of the Local Authority, consider whether the establishment of a JRC is necessary to co-ordinate and lead the on-shore response. When a JRC is established the MPCU will bear the cost of resources it makes available from its own stockpile together with other resources it decides are necessary and which Local Authorities cannot reasonably be expected to provide. Local Authorities will continue to bear the cost of any resources they make available .
1.3 The role of the JRC is to co-ordinate and lead the on-shore response. In order to achieve this it must:
(a) Determine the extent of the problem along the affected coastline.
(b) Agree a strategy and assign priorities for cleanup action.
(c) Initiate response actions or agree local proposals (with a view to minimising environmental damage and
