Norwegian oil spill response – are weprepared?
Organization, training and exercises
Senior Adviser Ole Kristian Bjerkemo

Outline• Geography, weatherand climate• Legal basis for theNorwegian Oil SpillResponse• Background andresponsibility of NCA• OSR in Norway –operations and cooperation• How to be prepared forthe next incident?
• Improvement of thepreparedness• Conclusions

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Geographical area of responsibility• Territorial Norway– Inland and territorial waters
to 12 nm• Economic Zone
– 200 nm/ border limits• Svalbard and Bear Island– 200 nm Fisheries
protection zone• Jan Mayen– 200 nm Fisheries
protection zone

Legal basis for the preparedness
The Pollution Control Act (1981)
Main principles - acute pollution:
••••
•
••

“Polluter pays”.
Obligation to notify.
Emergency response system.
Contingency planning requirements.
Obligation to respond.
Obligation to provide assistance.
Obligation to provide information.

Regulations relating to health, environmentand safety in the petroleum activities

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The three pillars of theNorwegian spill response• Private industry preparedness – offshore oilindustry– Climate and Pollution Agency (Klif) is the regulatory agency
for the preparedness– Operating companies are responsible for the activity– NOFO (Norwegian Clean Seas Organisation for OperatingCompanies) provide the spill response resources.

• Municipal preparedness– In each municipality– Organised into 34 intermunicipal preparedness regions• Governmental preparedness– Norwegian Coastal Administration are the responsible
authority for Governmental preparedness.

Norwegian Coastal Administration(NCA)• Authority under The Ministry for Fisheries and Coastal
Affaires.

••••Main tasks:
Piloting and Vessel Traffic Services (VTS)Navigational AidsConstruct, improve and maintain coastal channels andfishing harbours, transport-planning activities
Acute pollution – at sea and onshore– Manage governmental oil spill response – primarily spills fromvessels and wrecks– Co-ordinate the national contingency– Regulatory authority for industry and municipal oil spill
response operations

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NCA’s Emergency Response
against Acute Pollution• A 24-hour response for:– recording, assisting andmonitoring polluters'
handling of acute pollution
within the scope of thePollution Control Act– follow up illegal spills
together with otherauthorities and the police• Mobilize theGovernmental
Emergency response andestablish incident
command

Photo: Bonn Agreement

Total NCA equipment available• 16 main depots and 10 supplementary
depots containing a total of:– 45 000 metres of oil boom,– 140 oil recovery devices,– boats, beach cleaning equipment etc..,• 4 NCA Oil Recovery Vessels• 4 Emergency Towing Vessel + Coast
Guard vessels• 1 Surveillance Aircraft• 8 Coast Guard Vessels with oil booms
and skimmers and pumping systems(12 in 2010)• Agreements with e.g. private
contractors and oil industry (offshoreand refineries)4

Main equipment depots

NCA depots

NOFOdepots

Supplementarydepots

Other private depots

Co-operation with others
Coast Guard

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How can we be prepared?

Training and exercises (1)• ”ØDS” (”Depot Exercise”)• Several larger full scale exercises• Joint Governmental and Industry
exercises6Training and exercises (2)• Oil spill response is part of
CG officers basic training(one week of special coast
guard course)• Follow up training fordedicated OSC• Initial training when vessel isequipped and enters service as
oil spill response vessel• Towing exercises for ETV’s

Petrozavodsk –Bear Island –Barents SeaMay 20097

Full City – July 2009

Thank you for your attention!

“working to keep our coast and waters among the safest and purest in the world”

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