Contingency plan activated
to help respond to emergency
Nairobi/Daejon, 18 December 2007 - An emergency
response plan has been activated by the United
Nations Environment Programme to help the
Republic of Korea respond to the worst oil
spill in its history.
On 7 December, the oil tanker Hebei Spirit
collided with a barge 100km south of Seoul,
releasing 10,500 metric tonnes of crude oil
into the sea. The oil slick is affecting approximately
160 km of coastline near an important habitat
for birds.
As well as threatening to enter Cheonsu Bay,
which is home for about 400,000 migratory
birds, the spill has hit key fishing grounds
and is expected to damage the livelihoods
of up to 27,000 aquaculture workers in the
area. The emergency has triggered a major
clean-up operation involving 200,000 people
-mostly volunteers -as well as 327 vessels,
17 airplanes and 13 helicopters.
In response to the disaster, an oil spill
contingency plan was launched by UNEP's Northwest
Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) upon the request
of the government of the Republic of Korea.
As part of this, NOWPAP member countries China
and Japan have sent around 60 tonnes of sorbents
to RoK, and Japan has sent in a team of experts
upon the Korean government's request.
A joint UN-EU rapid environmental assessment
team was also sent on site to help the authorities
to mitigate the effects of the spill. Additional
support has come from the United States coastguard,
which has sent a team to give expert advice,
and a private company in Singapore which is
providing aircraft support.
Notes to editors
The Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP)
comes under UNEP's Regional Seas Programme.
NOWPAP's Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan
was developed in full cooperation between
UNEP and IMO (International Maritime Organization).
It was adopted in 2004 by China, Japan, the
Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation
to deal with large oil spills emergencies.
According to this contingency plan, member
countries inform each other of oil spill accidents
and provide assistance to the country in need.
NOWPAP's Regional Activity Centre, MERRAC,
located in Daejon (Korea), is serving as the
'nerve centre' for the activation and implementation
of the regional contingency plan. It is also
the operational link between NOWPAP countries
and the Korean Government, which is responsible
for the recovery of the spilled oil and the
cleanup operations.
The joint EU-UN team sent to RoK is made
up of experts from the European Commission's
Monitoring and Information Centre as well
as from the Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit
(OCHA is the UN's Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs).
Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson
Anne-France White, Associate Information Officer
