The Emergency Response Department took part in the Ramogepol 2010 exercise simulating a collision between an oil tanker and a ferry in the Mediterranean, followed by a spill of 4000 m3 of Arabian light off Menton. Within the context of the Mar-ICE Convention (EMSA-Cefic-Cedre), we were contacted by Dublin MRCC following the loss of containers at sea, including one container of 10 m3 of sodium bromate in fibre drums, which had sunk in waters 70 m deep. Initially, we sent a MSDS and information on the potential impact of the product on the marine environment. In order to complete our response on the environmental consequences and risks related to recovery operations, we also contacted BASF in Germany, a manufacturer of the same type of product. We also responded to several information requests, including a question by the Vosges ONEMA on the precautions of use of an anti-foaming agent having polluted a water course and a inquiry by REMPEC on behalf of the Moroccan Merchant Navy directorate confronted with a ship, partially loaded with fertiliser, grounded near Jorf Lasfar.

As is the custom at the beginning of every year, the statistics on the Météo France drift prediction model MOTHY have been updated. In 2009, the model was activated 620 times from the National Météo France Forecast Centre, including 73 activations upon request by Cedre, in comparison to 82 in 2008 and 94 in 2007. No major spill occurred in 2009. Almost 80% of requests concerned floating objects or Man Over Board events. The incidents which generated the largest number of requests were the accident involving the Air France airbus in the Atlantic Ocean (12% of the total) and the Yemen Airways plane crash near the Comoros Islands. 40% of requests concerned the "Bay of Biscay, Channel, North Sea" zone, 26% overseas French territories and 16% the Mediterranean. Details at: www.meteorologie.eu.org/mothy/statistiques/

Before summer 2009, the MEEDDM piloted a major review of the sea and shoreline policy involving numerous partners within the context of the Grenelle de la Mer summit. Cedre was involved in this effort (Newsletters n° 167 and 169) and is now associated with the reflection process which aims to put forward concrete actions to fulfil the numerous recommendations formulated in the final report. It collaborates in particular through working groups on the themes of pollution and waste. The reports of these working groups are to be submitted to the Ministry of Ecology by the end of February 2010.

Two days after the signature of the order creating the Mayotte marine nature park, Cedre was already looking into a new marine nature park project. On 20 January, an agent from the Contingency Planning Department attended the inaugural meeting of the consultation steering committee for the study of a marine nature park at the opening of the estuaries of the Somme, the Authie and the Canche, organised in Étaples.

On 26 and 27 January, the head of the Emergency Response Department took part in the Interdisciplinary Workshop on Global Security (WISG) organised by Troyes University of Technology, the French National Research Agency (ANR), the DGA and the Ministry of the Interior. Several themes of the ANR programme Concepts, Systems and Tools for Global Security (CSOSG) concern issues related to accidental water pollution, in particular with problems connected to site surveying, detection of toxic substances and crisis management.

On 27 January, an agent from Cedre took part in the JIP Oil in Ice meeting organised by Sintef in Tromso. The presentations can be obtained upon request from Sintef. The aim of this meeting was to present the results obtained during the research programme "Oil spill response for Arctic and ice-covered waters", funded by a consortium of oil companies. This programme concentrated first on dispersant use in the Arctic environment, leading to the development of articulated spraying arms. It also focused on slick containment and recovery, and enabled the development of two new skimmers which will soon be marketed, as well as the implementation of in situ burning trials. Finally, this programme studied the feasibility of the recovery of snow-covered slicks using conventional remote sensing tools.

The twinning project (Newsletter n° 169) designed to help the Egyptian authorities to improve their fresh water management (Nile and Lake Nasser) is well underway. The third onsite mission took place from 16 to 22 January. Two members of the Training team were sent to Cairo, Aswan and Ismaïlia to meet representatives of several ministries and institutions, so as to put forward an organisational set-up in case of a spill on the river or lake, as well as to take stock of the needs in terms of Information Technology and training on the subject. The next mission is planned for late February and should mainly be dedicated to a training course.

The risk of an oil spill due to piracy in the Indian Ocean has resurfaced. After the Sirius Star, captured in November 2008 and released in January 2009 in exchange for a ransom of over 3 million dollars, the Maran Centaurus, captured on 29 November 2009, with 320,000 tonnes of crude oil onboard and a crew of 28 men, is currently under negotiation. The IMO Secretary-General indicated to the Somali Prime Minister that the vessel, anchored near the port of Hobyo, is in a danger zone and may ground in the event of a storm, which would generate an oil spill to which the country does not have the means to respond.

On 6 January, a rupture on a pipeline belonging to the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) caused a spill of 150 m3 of diesel at the confluence of two tributaries of the Yellow River. The pollution flowed downstream, resulting in the temporary closure of drinking water supplies for hundreds of thousands of people and the mobilisation of a workforce of 700 responders for protection, containment and recovery operations on nearly 200 km of riverbanks.

On 23 January, the oil tanker Eagle Otome, loaded with 13,000 tonnes of crude oil, suffered a collision with a push barge in the canal parallel to the Sabine River which leads to 4 refineries, losing 1,800 tonnes. The pollution caused the US Coast Guard to temporarily close the canal to traffic while the shipowner, AET Tanker Holdings, mobilised its spill response service provider to contain and recover the pollutant which had spread over some fifteen kilometres of the canal, under the supervision of the Texas General Land Office Oil Spill Prevention and Response Team. 550 people, 60 boats (including 27 skimmer vessels) and 17 km of boom were deployed in these operations.