Americas News
"Major Weaknesses" in Arctic Oil Spill Response Plans, Says Environmental NGO
WWF-Canada (WWF) Thursday said "major weaknesses" in plans for oil spill response in the Arctic has left remote Arctic communities to face "almost certain environmental catastrophe."
The announcement comes alongside WWF's release of new research that identifies "major issues" related to the availability of appropriate oil spill response equipment, training resources, and communications infrastructure.
WWF says the lack of spill response capacity, coupled with growth in Arctic shipping and extreme weather events, means Arctic communities are increasingly vulnerable.
"Community members are often the first responders to any spill, and need access to effective and reliable equipment to contain and clean up oil," explained WWF.
"Though the chances of a large-scale oil spill in the Arctic are currently small, the consequences would be significant. As sea ice melts and ship traffic increases, there is an opportunity now, while traffic is still relatively low, to put measures in place to respond to spills, or prevent them from happening in the first place."
In order to respond to gaps identified by the new research, WWF says the use of HFO by ships should be phased out, response time standards in the North should be aligned with those south of 60 degrees latitude, community-based response plans should be developed, funding for community responder training should be increased, consultations with Inuit organisations should be carried out, and scientific and traditional knowledge should be utilised to identify preferred shipping routes and areas to be avoided.
"Shipping in the Canadian Arctic is only going to increase. We've already seen a large cruise ship traverse the Northwest Passage, and new proposals for increased shipping for major mining projects are emerging due to longer open-water periods," said Andrew Dumbrille, WWF-Canada senior specialist for sustainable shipping.
"The gaps identified in these reports are extremely concerning. It is not right that these communities should bear the heavy consequences of a ship-based oil spill, and not be given the tools and training necessary to limit the damage. We need to make serious changes to oil-spill response plans in the Arctic before our luck runs out."
As Ship & Bunker reported in October, the Clean Arctic Alliance, a coalition of not-for-profit organisations, underlined concerns previously raised by some of its members, which include Seas At Risk, Transport & Environment (T&E), and WWF.
