On 15th May, the Pays-de-la-Loire regional authorities invested the Local Estuary Information Commission. This initiative comes in response to the recent spill in the Loire (cf. previous article). The commission brings together government authorities, local MPs, industrial stakeholders in the area, the consulate general, environmental protection NGOs, social partners and other relevant people and organisations (including Cedre). The purpose of the commission is to ensure effective communication on the environmental impact of economic activities in the estuary and to define measures to reduce the impact of possible incidents.

The first meeting of Ritmer and Brittany’s maritime cluster, organised by Ifremer, was held in Brest on 27th and was the opportunity to determine the objectives and running of this committee, which is in keeping with the purpose of the Ritmer network, set up after the Erika spill to promote research and technological innovation on accidental marine pollution. The new Ritmer, based on the decision made at the review workshop in October 2007, supported by Brittany’s maritime cluster and extended to include operation discharge, aims to promote the emergence of research projects, to strengthen partnerships and to facilitate their funding. This first meeting gathered representatives of research, SME, industries, operational bodies and Brittany’s maritime cluster. It reviewed in particular the needs expressed in terms of research, national and European programmes and projects in progress being carried out by or known of by participants (for more information see www.ritmer.org).

Two engineers from the Contingency Planning Department carried out a week-long mission in Yemen to complete the update of Total EP Yemen’s Oil Spill Contingency Plan (OSCP). The purpose of this third and final trip was to train the production site’s response and supervision team and lead an awareness-raising session for the management team at the company’s head office in Sana’a. This was the opportunity to present the OSCP to all those involved in the crisis management unit. After a few final adjustments, the response plan was approved and circulated within the group.

On the occasion of the round-the-world trip taken by the training ship Jeanne d’Arc, Brest Métropole Océane (BMO) and Brest’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry have been organising since 1997 an annual economic and scientific mission in one of the stopover countries of the vessel, with the support of the Conseil général du Finistère and in cooperation with the French navy. This year Brest’s delegation, led by BMO’s President F. Cuillandre and made up of 70 people, visited Casablanca to create or reinforce relations with their Moroccan counterparts or clients. Cedre led a workshop dedicated to maritime and port safety, and interesting contacts were made with the Tanger Med port authorities.

StatoilHydro very rapidly communicated, via its website (statoilhydro.com), information on a new spill which occurred on 24th in its Statfjord oil field. Less than 6 months after a 4,000 m3 crude oil spill in this same field (newsletter n° 151), this new spill involved 1,200 m3 of polluted water, released deliberately for safety reasons following a leak in a pipe located inside one of the shafts of the platform. The fair weather conditions however were less favourable to natural dispersion this time and containment and recovery operations were conducted by NOFO, the Norwegian Clean Seas Association For Operating Companies. Monitoring operations did not detect significant impact on birds and fish, and the platform was able to start its production activities again on 28th after the leak had been repaired.

On 22nd May, the Russian experts of the Black Sea Online project on satellite detection in the Black Sea (www.blacksea-online.com) reported a major pollution incident off the coast of Varna, Bulgaria, which they believe to be caused by several tankers. This site displays on GIS the pollutions detected over the last few months in the Black Sea. This pollution was however not able to be confirmed by the Bulgarian vessel sent to the area after new satellite images on 28th confirmed the pollution (for more information see www.novinite.com).

After the spill by the Malaysian cargo ship Selendang Ayu in December 2004 (see newsletters n° 115, 118, 119, 132, 147 – French only), the US authorities announced the launch of a Natural Resources Trustee Fund to finance local environmental actions, to compensate for damages incurred by the flora and fauna of Unalaska Island. This fund is now up and running. After a visit to the area on 25th and 26th March by the steering group, the Oil Spill Intelligence Report from 1st May announced a call for proposals for environmental restoration projects.