Key questions answered on how the UK responds to oil spills – The Independent

Jet fuel has been released into the North Sea after an oil tanker and cargo ship collided off the East Yorkshire Coast on Monday morning.

Here, we answer key questions about how the UK responds to pollution in light of the incident.

– What do we know about the collision so far?

The Stena Immaculate, a US-flagged oil tanker, sustained a ruptured cargo tank after it was struck by the Portuguese-registered container ship Solong in the North Sea at approximately 10am on Monday.

The ship’s management firm Crowley said this has caused “multiple explosions” and Jet-A1 fuel to be released into the water.

“Our first priority is the safety of the people and environment. We will provide more updates as information becomes available,” a statement from the firm said.

Footage of the incident showed at least one vessel on fire, with clouds of black smoke coming out of the oil tanker.

– How will the jet oil spill affect the marine environment?

It is currently unclear how much jet fuel has been released into the water but oil spills in general can harm marine wildlife, kill aquatic organisms and affect fishing and communities if they reach the coast.

Experts say that jet fuels in general, can be less toxic than crude oil spills.

Prof Mark Sephton, professor of organic geochemistry at Imperial College London, said: “The fact that it is jet fuel is significant.

“Jet fuel is dominated by relatively small hydrocarbons, compared to the more diverse and sometimes larger organic structures found in crude oil,” he said.

He added that hydrocarbons are very attractive to bacteria which will degrade them more quickly than larger molecules.

“The fact that we are moving into warmer temperatures will also speed up biodegradation rates. In the end, it all depends on the rate of introduction of fuel and the rate of destruction by bacteria. Let’s hope the latter wins out.”

Green groups have reacted to the incident with concern but say it is too early to assess the extent of any environmental damage.

A Greenpeace spokesperson said: “The magnitude of any impact will depend on a number of factors, including the amount and type of oil carried by the tanker, the fuel carried by both ships, and how much of that, if any, has entered the water.

“Sea and weather conditions will also be important in determining how any spill behaves.

“In the case of an oil spill or any loss of hazardous cargo from the container ship involved, the speed of the response will also be crucial in limiting any impact.”

– Whose job is it to respond to oil spills?

Even if the ships are not British, the UK is responsible for responding to marine pollution within its Exclusive Economic Zone, which reaches up to 200 nautical miles from land.

When there is a big incident at sea, like Monday’s collision, HM Coastguard’s Counter Pollution and Salvage (CPS) Team will be at the frontline, leading the response to control and minimise the impacts.

The team of specialist officers analyses the incident alongside environmental experts and then assesses the required response.

But public agencies will often work together to respond to pollution incidents, the coastguard said.

A local port or harbour authority, which often has its own counter-pollution equipment, has a duty to respond within areas they control, sometimes with the help of an oil spill response contractor.

Commercial companies also have a legal obligation to act if they cause pollution.

Meanwhile, local councils and regulators like the Environment Agency may also get involved if the incident reaches the shoreline.

– How do teams clean up the spill?

After finding the source of the spill, teams will work to stop the fuel from spreading using a variety of methods.

They can deploy inflatable tubes called booms, which are hundreds of metres in length and are laid on the water’s surface to stop the oil from spreading.

Teams can also use mechanical devices called skimmers, which are designed to float on the surface and pump contained oil into waste storage units.

Both booms and skimmers are less effective in rougher conditions.

Other options include combined containment and recovery systems, where booms and skimmers operate as a single unit.

These systems are towed by vessels, can be matched to the conditions, are more flexible in their uses and can cover both shallow and deep offshore waters.

Another major clean-up option is chemical dispersion, which involves spraying a specially formulated dispersant from modified aircraft or boats.

This chemical aims to speed up the process of breaking up the oil, with a similar effect to washing up liquid on grease.

While these chemical solutions are designed not to cause more harm to the environment than the oil would on its own if left untreated at sea, there are strict rules around their use.

And finally, some oils are light enough to be significantly broken up through degradation, which involves mixing up the surface, such as driving a boat through the water to help scatter the oil into smaller drops, speeding up the natural action of the waves, wind and tide.

– How effective are these tools in scooping up oil from the water?

While teams can use the toolkit to collect oil, this is usually when the amount spilt is easily contained.

Serious incidents may see thousands of tonnes of oil dispersed into the water.

In these cases, the whole toolkit can be deployed, but the spill is more likely to have a detrimental impact on the environment and reach coastlines, resulting in the need for large clean-up operations on beaches.

– How is the Government responding?

Baroness Sue Hayman, an environment minister, told Parliament that the situation is an “emerging picture”.

She said the department is speaking closely with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for Transport and Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Lady Hayman also says the Environment Agency is engaging with any clean-up needed.

Downing Street said details of the cause of the collision were “still becoming clear”.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We thank the emergency services for their rapid response. I understand the Department for Transport is working closely with the coastguard to help support the response to the incident.

“We’re obviously monitoring the situation, we’ll continue to co-ordinate the response and we’re grateful to emergency personnel for their continued efforts.”

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has deployed a team to conduct a preliminary assessment of how the collision occurred, the spokesman said.