- The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, through the General Directorate of the Coast and the Sea, has carried out a drill to combat pollution caused by a possible spill on the coast of Suances.
- The exercise, developed on the 27th and 28th.
- The objective of this operation is to evaluate the cooperation between the different Administrations, Organizations, Institutions and companies in the event of a contamination.
The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, through the General Directorate of the Coast and the Sea, has carried out a drill….., says an article published on CVBJ website.
Drill to combat pollution caused by a oil spill
The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, through the General Directorate of the Coast and the Sea, has carried out a drill to combat pollution caused by a possible spill on the coast of Suances (Cantabria) to verify the effectiveness of the existing coordination mechanisms in the National Response System, both in the maritime and coastal subsystems.
When will it be carried out?
The exercise, developed on the 27th and 28th, was carried out in collaboration with the institutions involved, including the Suances City Council.
Objective
The objective of this operation is to evaluate the cooperation between the different Administrations, Organizations, Institutions and companies in the event of a contamination event that would affect, in this case, the coast of Cantabria.
The meeting divided into two days. The first of these, which took place in the Government Delegation, focused on carrying out a theoretical coordination exercise between the different contingency plans that would be activated in the event of a contamination event of these characteristics.
The objective of this activity has been to evaluate the operational cooperation (response capacities and available materials) between the different administrations, organizations and institutions in the event of coastal pollution.
The second day, which took place on Suances beach, consisted of an operational deployment, both on the coast and at sea, to train all the personnel who could intervene in the event of a real emergency.
Simulation
In exercise a pollution episode produced as a result of a spill of IFO 380 fuel oil from a ship about 6 miles north of Comillas was simulated. The figurative spill occurred through a crack in the side of the ship in direct correspondence with a cargo tank.
Therefore, the joint activation of the National Maritime Plan and the Territorial Emergency Plan for Civil Protection of Cantabria (PLATERCANT) was simulated and the coordinating body that establishes the National Response System was constituted, made up of the State Administration and three representatives of the autonomous administration.
Disaster oil spill by the Prestige oil tanker
This is the fourteenth drill carried out by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge within the framework of the State Plan for the Protection of the Ribera del Mar against Pollution.
No Spanish has forgotten, almost 20 years later, the disaster of the spill caused by the Prestige oil tanker off the coast of Galicia in 2002.
More than 110 people participated and different means of response were mobilized: a helicopter, an advanced command post and a reception center for oiled fauna of the Government of Cantabria, the Salvamar Deneb of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, a vessel of the Civil Guard Maritime Service, three Red Cross vessels and material for the fight against pollution at sea and coast, such as cylindrical and sealing barriers, collection instruments and storage tanks from MITECO.
Prevent another ‘Prestige’
Images of the Prestigue disaster, the pre-oil spill in Galicia caused by the sinking of the Prestige oil tanker, are still stored on the retina of all Spaniards. The accident affected 2,000 kilometers of the Spanish, French and Portuguese coastline.
On November 13, 2002, the Prestige tanker crashed in a storm while carrying 77,000 tons of heavy fuel oil off the coast of a Morte.
The main victims of the oil spills are the fauna and flora of the place. Fish are poisoned by consuming prey with crude oil and the entire food chain is affected and can even affect humans. In addition, hydrocarbons destroy the eggs or produce malformed offspring.
Bivalve mollusks, especially those that live clinging to rocks, die from suffocation due to the oil layer.
These spots also obstruct the passage of light, so they do not allow the photosynthesis of algae, significantly altering the underwater ecosystem.
Marine birds and mammals become impregnated with oil and end up dying, either intoxicated or from hypothermia as the layer that protects them from the cold is damaged.
The oil spill also causes notable damage to the coastal landscape, but its biodegradable nature allows much of it to be removed.
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Source: cvbj
