Marine oil spill response exercise minimises impacts on our coastal environment
A simulated marine oil spill at Te Ana Marina in Lyttelton last week provided our staff the opportunity to practice deploying marine oil spill response equipment and talk through probable response options.
Exercises like these are held at least twice a year for trained responders across the region to ensure we remain prepared for a variety of incidents in the coastal marine area.
Stakeholders and industry members attended to observe how these responses are managed and to gain some understanding of the team’s capabilities and limitations.
Responders deployed a range of response equipment including a mobile incident control point, boom sets, oil skimmers and holding tanks. The orange land/sea booms, for example, are rolled out then filled with water and air. These booms can protect sensitive areas and assist the recovery of oil on water.
“The equipment requires specialist training, so it’s essential to have regular exercises to maintain the capabilities of our responders,” says coastal response and readiness lead Emma Parr.
Staff preparing oil spill response equipment
Marine oil spills are responded to using a three-tier approach laid out in the Maritime Transport Act 1994, with regional councils being responsible for planning and responding to Tier 2 (regional) marine oil spills. Regardless of the type of spill, the goal is always to minimise the environmental impacts on Canterbury’s precious coastal area.