6 December 2017, Busan. More than 250 experts from P.R. China, Japan, Russian Federation, USA, Canada, and R. Korea have gathered at the 2017 International Maritime Disaster Response Conference in Busan, Korea to explore new measures on addressing maritime emergencies caused by pollution incidents.
The 7th of December 2017 marked the 10th year of Hebei Spirit oil spill incident that occurred near the port of Daesan on the Yellow Sea coast of Taean County, R. Korea. Some 10,900 t of crude oil was spilled in the incident and polluted about 70 km of the western coast of Korea in 2007. Damage claim requisition reached US$3.8 billion. The NOWPAP Marine Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response Regional Activity Center (MERRAC), Korea Coast Guard, Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering, Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation (KOEM), and Korea Environment Institute have co-organized this international conference to commemorate the Hebei Spirit incident, to review lessons learnt of major pollution incidents at sea, policies and the latest technologies on maritime disasters management, and to develop a future work plan for the increased capacity to address maritime disasters.
At the conference, Korea Coast Guard elaborated its new paradigm shift to maritime disaster response and enhancement of national response capacity. U.S. Coast Guard shared their experience in addressing Deepwater Horizon Drilling Rig Oil Spill incident. The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) provided information about major oil spill accidents in Europe. KOEM presented lessons and challenges from large-scale oil spill incidents in the R. Korea. Moreover, representatives from R. Korea, P.R. China, Japan and the Russian Federation updated participants about their national policies and approaches to tackle maritime disasters. The International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds introduced how the international system could address incidents like Hebei Spirit oil spill. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) reported about organization’s activities supporting exchange of technical knowledge, polices and infrastructure related to marine oil spill prevention, preparedness and response. IMO representative emphasized that these activities are relatively well understood and capacities developed, while new risks and challenges of oil spills associated with offshore drilling incidents and exploration in the deeper waters are emerging and would require better understanding and improved response capacity. Experts have also discussed the 4th industrial revolution and the future of maritime disaster response, surveillance modeling and visualization. NOWPAP MERRAC introduced the NOWPAP Regional Oil and Harmful and Noxious Contingency Plan and its implementation at the conference.
In the afternoon of 7 December 2017, the maritime disaster response exercise was held in the port of Busan by the Coast Guard of R. Korea. Conference participants acknowledged with satisfaction and with the appreciation to organizers the importance of this meeting as a platform to share new ideas and demonstrate new response technologies to maritime emergencies associated with pollution incidents at sea.
