Incident Response in theJapan Sea and Cooperation withNeighboring Countries

Tomoo Miura
Director, Marine Environment Protection and Disaster Prevention Division
Guard and Rescue Department, Japan Coast GuardMajor Maritime Accidents in 2008

Rishiri Island, Jan. 1
Cargo ship Derbent(629 tons) runs
aground×Tokuyama-Kudamatsu Port,
Jan. 13
Crude oil leaks from tank in an
Oita Port, May 7
oil depo.
Tanker Mikasa Maru
Tanoura Quarter ofNo. 8 (499 tons)
Kanmon Port, July 22
collidesBarge Hirose 200 (2,500tons) explodes andOnasabi Island, Hiroshima
catches firePref., Oct. 7
Cargo ship Asahi Maru No. 2(3,493 tons) runs agroundKanmon Port,July 22
Container ship
Hai Ying (1,312tons) collides

Misaki Port, Kanagawa Pref.,May 21
Fuel leaks from fishing boat
Keisho Maru No. 68 (99 tons)

Hanshin Port, May 28
Tugboat Tensho Maru
(5 tons) sinks

Hakata Port, May 31
Container ship Stic
Yantai (199 tons)
collides and overturnes
About 43 km west of
Goto Islands, July 29
A massive raft foundfloating around××

Off Omaezaki, Sept. 22
Cargo ship Asahi Maru No. 2(199 tons) runs aground××× ×× ×
××

100 km west of Fukue
×Island, Nagasaki Pref.,Nov. 18
Cargo ship Liao Yuan (2,977tons) collides and sinks

××××

North of Uchiumi Port,Miyazaki Pref., June 2
A large barge washedashoreEguchi Beach, Kagoshima Pref., May 6
Fishing boat Kikei Maru (2.2 tons) sinks

About 10 km southeast ofOmaezaki, July 19
Cargo ship Myojin Maru (246tons) collides and sinks
Akashi Strait, March 5
Cargo ship Gold Leader (1,466tons) collides and sinks

1Multiple Collision and Sinking Accident
in the Akashi Strait

Outline of Akashi Strait Multiple Collision and Sinking Accident
Outline of Accident(1) Date and time
Around 2:55 p.m., Wednesday, March 5, 2008

(2) Location
Near buoy No. 3, east exit,
Akashi Strait traffic route

Akashi Strait traffic route

Location ofaccident(3) Outline
The sand carrier Eisei Maru No. 5 (496 tons), sailingwestwards in the Akashi Strait traffic route, collided
with the tanker Ocean Phoenix (2,948 tons), also sailing westwards. After that, theOcean Phoenix collided with the cargo ship Gold Leader (1,466 tons), which sank.
Of the nine crew members of the Gold Leader, three died and one remains missing.

(4) Response of the Japan Coast Guard
When the accident occurred, the Japan Coast Guard conducted a search for themissing persons and directed shipping traffic using patrol boats and aircraft.
After an oil spill from the Gold Leader was confirmed, in addition to providing
information to the related organizations and local authorities, the Japan Coast Guard
dispatched a four-member National Strike Team unit of oil removal specialists andimplemented oil removal by patrol boats and an investigation by aircraft.

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A Scene of Oil Spill

ROLS

Location of Gold Leader on the Sea Bottom

Water depth:Approx. 83
metersCurrent speed:
Max. 6–7 knots

3National Strike Team
Set up in April 1995 in the Search and Rescue Division, Guard
and Rescue Department, The Third Regional Coast Guard
Headquarters to take control measures in the event of oil spills
or similar accidents throughout the country. There are presently
four teams with a total of 16 members.

Formulating response plans

When an oil spill or similar accident occurs, the force isdispatched to the relevant Regional Coast Guard Headquarters
or equivalent to:•Offer technical guidance, advice and coordination on oil
spill control measures•Advise on formulation of response plans at meetings
convened with relevant agencies.

At normal times, the force conducts training, exercises andmaritime disaster prevention research

Ascertaining andassessing situation

Conducting and evaluating spill
control activities

Maritime Disaster Prevention Center
History
October 1976: Established as an authorized corporation
October 2003: Reformed as an independent administrative agency and took over all the duties of the authorized corporation

Disaster Prevention Duties
1.

Take steps to respond to oil spills and similar accidents,
acting under instructions from the JCG Commandant

2.

Take steps to respond oil spills and similar accidents,
fight fires using firefighting vessels, and prevent fire
spread, acting under the commission of those
responsible for the accident (ship owners, etc.)

Other Duties
3. Maintain stocks of oil spill response materials (oilrecovery equipment, oil booms, oil dispersants, etc.) andlend them under contract to ship owners and otherrelevant parties
4. Conduct maritime disaster prevention exercises＋

5. Research maritime disaster prevention equipment,materials and technologies and publicize the results
6. Gather, compile and disseminate maritime disasterprevention information

2424-hour response,
nationwide network
Oil spill response
HNS* response
Fire response

Crisis response(emergencies)

7. Provide instruction and advice on maritime disasterprevention under commission from ship owners or otherinterested parties
8. Contribute to promoting international cooperation
Maintain and supply materials &equipment
Train and enhance skills of disasterprevention personnel
Develop new technologies and methods

RiskManagement(normal times)

Active for more than 30 years as a core organization playing a key
key role inJapan’Japan’s maritime disaster prevention system*Hazardous and noxious substances4

NOWPAP (Northwest Pacific Action Plan)
United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP)(Nairobi, Kenya)

Purpose: To protect themarine environment in
NOWPAP sea area
Established: 1994

Regional Coordination Unit
(RCU: NOWPAP Headquarters)
Intergovernmental Meeting• Plans activities• Manages finances• Liaises and coordinates with RACs, andcountries/agencies involved• Convenes Intergovernmental Meeting

Highest decision-making body.
Meets once a year.
Participation

Regional Activity Centres (RAC)DIN/RAC(Data and Information Network
Regional Activity Centre)

CEA/RAC

Participatingnations•Builds environmental databases•Builds information networks

Japan, China,Korea, Russia•Monitors via remote sensing•Monitors proliferation of harmful algae(Special Monitoring and Coastal
Environmental Assessment Regional Activity Centre)

POM/RAC(Pollution Monitoring
Regional Activity Centre)•Monitors pollutants flowing from rivers•Monitors pollutants falling from atmosphere

MER/RAC(Marine Environmental Emergency
Preparedness and Response
Regional Activity Centre)

Participation in focal
points meetings, etc.

•Responds to oil pollution emergencies•Builds oil drift prediction models

MER/RAC (Marine Environmental Emergency Preparedness
and Response Regional Activity Centre)
1. Outline of MER/RAC
Aim: Emergency preparedness and response to oil and other spills at sea
Location of office: Daejeon, Korea

Focal points: Japan Coast Guard; China Maritime Safety Administration;
Korea Coast Guard; Russian State Marine Pollution Control, Salvage andRescue Administration

2. Focal Points Meetings
Focal point meetings are held every spring inDaejeon, Korea, to determine MER/RAC activities,
exchange information, etc.
Focal points meeting5

Activities of MER/RAC
1. Improvement of regional capabilities and systems
Oil and other spill contingency plan, hazardous and noxious substance (HNS) spilltraining manual, HNS database, HNS removal manual, guidelines on use of oil
dispersants, etc.
2. Exchange of information
Exchange of information through meetings of specialists and through focal points,
etc.
3. Exercises
Joint exercises, simulated exercises, communication exercises

Joint training (Qingdao, China,September 2008)
27 boats, 2 aircraft, and morethan 400 persons participated.

Japan’s Response to a Large Oil Spill Accident in Korea
Location ofAccident:

1.

Outline of Accident
6 miles off Taean
Peninsula
At around 7:15 a.m. on December 7, 2007, offshore of Taeanin Korea, a crane barge being towed by tugboats collided
with an anchored oil tanker, causing a spill of about 12,457
kiloliters of crude oil from the tanker.
2. Requests, etc. from Korea to Japan(1) December 10: Implementation of NOWPAP regional oiland HNS spill contingency plan (concluded on January 14)(2) December 13: Request for emergency assistance from Korea toJapan through diplomatic route
3. Dispatch of Japan Disaster Relief Team, and Response Material(1) Dispatch of Japan Disaster Relief Team experts
through NOWPAP frameworki. Dispatch period: December 15–23, 2007 (9 days)
ii. Duties: Assistance with oil removal activities in affected areaiii. Dispatched persons (affiliated to JCG)

Taean Peninsula• Director for Maritime Disaster Prevention, Marine Environment
Protection and Disaster Prevention Division, Japan Coast Guard• Chief Removal Measures Officer and Removal Measures Officer,
Yokohama Mobile Oil Removal Base
• Staff member of the Marine
Disaster Prevention Center• Staff member of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, staff member of Japan
International Cooperation Agency(2) Oil adsorbent: 10 tons provided6

Thank you

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