21 March 2012

Marine Oil Spill Exercise tomorrow

A Marine Oil Spill Exercise in Napier’s Inner Harbour tomorrow comes just days after HBRC staff dealt with a real life oil spill just outside the Inner Harbour.

Monday’s moderate sized oil slick, thought to be from the bilge of a boat, was about two hectares in size.

HBRC Alternate Regional On-Scene Commander Ian Lilburn says the slick was able to be broken up using a boat to agitate the water, but it is a timely reminder to boat owners and skippers to keep their bilges clean to dramatically reduce the risk of discharging oil from the bilge pump.

Today’s oil spill exercise will focus on deploying equipment such as booms and the partnerships between the various agencies which would be involved in an oil spill: HBRC, the Port of Napier and Maritime New Zealand.

The aim is to gain a better understanding of inter agency roles and responsibilities, test communications, and review health and safety procedures for a real event.

The scenario for the exercise is a significant spill generated from land around West Quay/Customs Quay. A semi-related event will occur in the Port of Napier.

As this is an exercise there will be no oil in the water, but the public will see oil spill equipment being used including booms and frame tanks.

Under the Maritime Transport Act, HBRC has a statutory responsibility to respond to Tier 2 marine oil spills that occur within the coastal marine area in Hawke’s Bay. A Tier 2 oil spill is a regional response when the oil spill exceeds the capability of a vessel or site owner to clean up the site.

ENDS

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