The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has urged the oil companies and other concerned organisations to stockpile 'oil spill response equipment' to avert a major spill catastrophe like that of MV 'Tasman Spirit'. Further, it said that it is in the process of procuring more 'oil spill response equipment' to ensure preparedness for combating any oil spills.
This was stated by KPT Chairperson Nasreen Haque while opening the 'Oil Spill Response Training Workshop' at KPT Staff College for stakeholders belonging to KPT, PQA, GPA, Pakistan Navy, and others.
The KPT chief said that being signatory to the 'IMP Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response Co-operation' (OPRC 90) it was obligatory for every signatory, including Pakistan, to acquire equipment and training for combating operational oil spills in the harbours and coastal waters, besides co-operating with other signatory states, whenever required, against any large accidental oil spills.
She said the KPT was in process to procure more oil spill response equipment, and urged the oil companies and other concerned organisations to arrange stockpile of oil spill response equipment for their own use, like the Port Qasim did, and MSA was doing, which in times of major spill catastrophes would be utilised by pooling available resources. The KPT chairperson said that the equipment's procured by KPT have been in regular use since 1996 for training and exercises. She put emphasis on contingency planning for oil spills, saying that it required response from three different levels--organisational, national, and regional.
She said that KPT has its own contingency plan, which it adopted in 1997, and has since exercised regularly. It has been reviewed and broadened from time to time, particularly in the light of 'Tasman Spirit' experience. The imitative of federal government in the context of Pakistan Maritime Disaster Management Board (PMDMB) formation and adoption of National Marine Disaster Contingency Plan (NMDCP) were upheld by KPT through effective participation in the events organised by the board, she added.
Later on, during the workshop, the participants took keen interest in topics like oil spill behaviour, spill assessments, containment, and recovery of oil, use of dispersants, syndicate exercise, and options like 'in situ' burning, bioremediation and absorbents.
Shoreline cleanup, transfer, storage, disposal liability, claims compensation, evidence gathering, documentation, response deactivation and post-incident briefing were also addressed during the workshop. Contingency planning, response management and organisation vis-à-vis 'Tasman Spirit' case were studied, which concluded the day's proceedings.
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