The following resources represent Ipieca’s key technical reports and good practice guidance on marine spill preparedness and response. This includes the work of the five-year Joint Industry Project with the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP). Our work continues in close cooperation with our industry partners including IOGP.
Marine spill planning covers an array of topics – from contingency planning to sensitivity mapping to regulatory pre-approvals and more – and is the process of developing a spill response capability that is in compliance with the local regulatory framework and commensurate with the marine spill risks of an organization or facility.
Responder training and exercises are essential pre-conditions for effective marine spill response, which requires personnel who understand and can perform a variety of emergency response and incident management functions. When a marine spill occurs, the issue of health and safety, both for the public and marine spill responders, is a serious consideration and identifying the principal issues, their degree of severity, and the practical steps that can be taken to minimize the impact of the spill is critical.
The success of a response to a marine spill incident is based on prior preparedness efforts as well as an understanding and working knowledge of the capabilities that make up the 'response toolkit.' These capabilities can be used in different situations or simultaneously, depending on various factors, with varying levels of effectiveness.
Despite the best efforts of those involved in a response, marine spills may impact marine ecological resources and functions, as well as marine and estuarine shorelines, with various factors affecting impact severity and recovery rate. Spills also have the potential to affect property and impair commercial activity, resulting in economic loss.
