At a conference sponsored by the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) held at the UNH Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC); arctic researchers, indigenous people, industry representatives and government officials concluded that the infrastructure needed to respond to an emergency like an oil spill or vessel collision in the Arctic Ocean is inadequate.
With the seasonal transit of the Northwest Passage becoming a reality, an increase in Arctic shipping traffic is inevitable. The energy, fishing, shipping and cruise industries all see opportunities for their operations in the Arctic Ocean.
UNH CRRC Co-Director Nancy Kinner says of the issue, “The reduction of polar sea ice and the increasing worldwide demand for energy will likely result in a dramatic increase in the number of vessels that travel Arctic waters. As vessel traffic increases, disaster scenarios are going to become more of a reality.”
Recommendations Coming Out of the Opening the Arctic Seas Conference
The Opening the Arctic Seas: Envisioning Disaster & Framing Solutions Conference was held in Durham, New Hampshire on March 18th to 20th during 2008. A Workshop Report is available as a PDF download from the CRRC website. Workshop participants developed their recommendations based on five scenarios that reflect potential Arctic shipping incidents. An example of a prospective incident reviewed was the collision of a oil tanker and a fishing vessel causing a major oil spill.
Some of the recommendations coming out of the meeting include:
- Develop and enact legislation that insures safe vessel operations in the Arctic
- Pursue a Search and Rescue (SAR) response agreement among Arctic nations
- Update bathymetric data and navigational maps of the region
- Improve scientific knowledge of oil spill response measures to be taken in cold water
- Pre-locate oil spill and emergency response equipment in strategic locations
- Designate ports or area of refuge for vessels in distress
NOAA CRRC Co-Director Amy Merten concludes, “Now is the time to prepare for maritime accidents and potential spills in the Arctic. This report clearly indicates that international cooperation and adequate resources are key to saving lives and protecting this special region.”
The demands of energy exploration, new fishing grounds, adventure tourism, and reduced shipping distances combined with thinning polar ice will lead to an unavoidable increase in vessel activity in the north. An oil spill or collision incident involving a vessel operating in the Arctic is inescapable and efforts made now to mitigate the consequences will prove much more effective than those taken after the fact. This certainly is the lesson learned from the grounding of Exxon Valdez.
Copyright © 2009 by Alan Sorum
