The Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan, or SOPEP, is a prevention plan carried on board tankers >150 GT and other vessels >400 GT. In this plan you get an overview of possible procedures in case of an
oil spill
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into th ...
. In the plan is also mentioned who you should contact (list of authorities, oil cleanup teams and
port state control
Port state control (PSC) is an inspection regime for countries to inspect foreign-registered ships in port other than those of the flag state and take action against ships that are not in compliance. Inspectors for PSC are called PSC officers (PS ...
) and how to report this event to the nearest
coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...
station.
A typical shipboard oil pollution plan contains:
* An action plan with instructions for the oil pollution prevention team. This is a list of duties the crewmembers have to fulfil in case of an oil spill.
*General information about the ship
*Procedures to contain the discharge of the oil into the sea in accordance to
MARPOL
The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978, or "MARPOL 73/78" is one of the most important international marine environmental conventions. MARPOL 73/78, MARPOL is an amalg ...
regulations (regulation 37 of annex I)
*Drawings of fuel/oil lines
*Location of SOPEP boxes
The plan should be written in accordance to the
International Maritime Organization
The International Maritime Organization (IMO, French: ''Organisation maritime internationale'') is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The IMO was established following agreement at a UN conference ...
regulations.
Panama Canal Ship Oil Pollution Emergency Plan
The PCSOPEP (Panama Canal Ship Oil Pollution Emergency plan), which became effective 1 January 2005. Under these regulations,
vessels present a plan for Canal waters and pay tariffs for the availability of personnel and equipment for oil spill response. In return, the ACP (Panama Canal Authority) acts as the sole Oil Spill Response Organization (OSRO) for vessels in transit or awaiting transit of the Panama Canal.
Oil spill box
This box is equipped with anti- pollution equipment.
Consists of :
*1 x 4 WB510SN, oilboom 3m x dia. 13m
*1 x WSWL100F, oil sweep 48 cm x 30 cm
*6 x WSO410, oil socks 120 cm x dia. 7.5 cm
*2 x oil Truckpack KTO 100
*200 x WP200S, oil pads 50 x 40 cm
*50 x YPB200S, oil pads 50 x 40 cm
*1 x PPE105, PVC protective gloves
*2 x MTL103, disposal bags
[
] Oil Spill box 7 barrel is equipped with anti- pollution equipment.
Consists of :
*4 x WB510SN-03, oilboom 3m x dia. 14m
*1 x WSWL100F, oil sweep 48 cm x 30 cm
*6 x WSO120-20, oil socks 120 cm x dia. 7.5 cm
*2 x TP40, oil Truckpack 40 litre
*200 x WP200, oil pads 40 x 40 cm
*50 x GBP100H, universal pads 50 x 40 cm
*1 x PPE105, PVC protective gloves
*2 x OCS6012-100, IMO disposable bags
*1 x VB-0103, Safety goggle
*1 x Non sparking hand pump
*1 x 10 steps action plan
*1 x screw driver
References
http://www.gl-group.com/pdf/SOPEP_Procedure_Manual.pdf (PDF) Procedure Manual Germanischer Lloyd
OPA90 oil spill kit 7 barrel 1100 liter
http://www.protectasolutions.be/nl/imo-sopep-2-barrel-spill-kit-400-liter-317.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20111215122414/http://www.pancanal.com/eng/op/notices/2011/N12-2011.pdf (PDF), Panama canal authority (Operations Department), N/12/2011
http://www.gl-group.com/pdf/SOPEP_SamplePlan.doc (DOC)
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External links
* http://www.marineinsight.com/misc/maritime-law/what-is-ship-oil-pollution-emergency-plan-sopep/
* http://www.imo.org/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/OilPollution/Pages/Shipboard-Marine-Pollution-Emergency-Plans.aspx
Shipping and the environment