Ship-to-ship oil transfers
If the SNP and Greens are looking for a mechanism to stop the transfers in the Forth, they could do much worse than to try to force through the Ship to Ship Transfer Regulations, a Statutory Instrument that has been sitting on the shelf since 1999.
As KIMO Chair, I was involved in the final (only?) consultation on this in 2003, after a request by Dorset County Council. The SI was met with charming defensiveness by the Chief Civil Servant, who played a wonderfully straight bat to deflect all criticism and try to defuse the consultees anger. I suggested compromise, that the legislation ban all STS in UK waters except in named harbour areas which have the appropriate level of anti-pollution equipment, and suggested that as Scapa Flow met these requirements it be the only named harbour in the SI (with provision for others to be added).
I had the full approval of Orkney to say this, and as the vessels causing concern were exiting the
Baltic, it was a natural stopping point before crossing the North Sea, or down the west coast of Lewis. The 100+ consultees unanimously agreed that that was the way forward, and the Civil Servant agreed to bring forward a revised draft for implementation in March 2004. We are still waiting for this to happen.
When I spoke to him in Gothenburg last year, he claimed with a straight face that "pressure of work" meant it hadn't been brought forward. Pressure from the tanker owners more like. The Minister, Stephen Ladyman, was equally uninterested and "big oil" had obvious nobbled the UK Government.
As KIMO Chair, I was involved in the final (only?) consultation on this in 2003, after a request by Dorset County Council. The SI was met with charming defensiveness by the Chief Civil Servant, who played a wonderfully straight bat to deflect all criticism and try to defuse the consultees anger. I suggested compromise, that the legislation ban all STS in UK waters except in named harbour areas which have the appropriate level of anti-pollution equipment, and suggested that as Scapa Flow met these requirements it be the only named harbour in the SI (with provision for others to be added).
I had the full approval of Orkney to say this, and as the vessels causing concern were exiting the
Baltic, it was a natural stopping point before crossing the North Sea, or down the west coast of Lewis. The 100+ consultees unanimously agreed that that was the way forward, and the Civil Servant agreed to bring forward a revised draft for implementation in March 2004. We are still waiting for this to happen.
When I spoke to him in Gothenburg last year, he claimed with a straight face that "pressure of work" meant it hadn't been brought forward. Pressure from the tanker owners more like. The Minister, Stephen Ladyman, was equally uninterested and "big oil" had obvious nobbled the UK Government.
2 comments:
Angus,
How can you possibly think "big oil" has nobbled the administration? Bluff and double bluff is the name of the game, until the most cost effective solution, for the oil major, is achieved, even if it means playing the long game. Call me cynical if you like but"Renewables" (Wind and Wave) are the new oil and are swiftly moving in the same direction,as their elder siblings.
Angus
How can you possibly think "big oil" has nobbled our administration.
"Big Oil" will do exactly what it wants in its own time and in whatever country it can squeeze the most out of.
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