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Text consolidated by Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre) with amending regulations of:

25 April 2017 [shall come into force from 25 April 2017].

If a whole or part of a paragraph has been amended, the date of the amending regulation appears in square brackets at the end of the paragraph. If a whole paragraph or sub-paragraph has been deleted, the date of the deletion appears in square brackets beside the deleted paragraph or sub-paragraph.

 

Republic of Latvia

Cabinet
Order No. 283
Adopted 21 May 2010

On the National Contingency Plan for the Cases of Pollution of Oil, Hazardous or Noxious Substances in the Sea

1. On the basis of Section 53, Paragraph one of the Maritime Administration and Marine Safety Law to approve the National Contingency Plan for Cases of Pollution of Oil, Hazardous or Noxious Substances in the Sea (hereinafter - the Plan).

2. The State Environmental Service shall be responsible for the coordination of the implementation of the Plan.

3. The National Armed Forces Naval Forces shall be responsible for the implementation of the measures provided for in the Plan to eliminate the consequences of pollution of oil, hazardous or noxious substances in the sea.

4. The National Armed Forces Naval Forces, the State Environmental Service, the State Border Guard and the State Emergency Medical Service shall, by 1 September 2010, draw up their action plans for the cases of pollution of oil, hazardous or noxious substances in the sea. The State Environmental Service, the State Border Guard and the State Emergency Medical Service shall submit the action plans to the National Armed Forces Naval Forces.

5. The State Environmental Service shall, by 15 December 2010, draw up an action plan for animal rescue in case of oil pollution in the sea and ashore. The measures for the informing the State and local government institutions, associations and local inhabitants and involvement thereof in implementation of the plan shall be provided for in the plan.

6. Cabinet Order No. 190 of 31 March 2004, On the National Contingency Plan for Cases of Oil Pollution in the Sea (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2004, No. 52), is repealed.

Acting for the Prime Minister -
Minister for Finance E. Repše

Acting for the Minister for Environmental Protection -
Minister for Education and Science T. Koķe

 

(Cabinet Order No. 283

21 May 2010)

National Contingency Plan for the Cases of Pollution of Oil, Hazardous or Noxious Substances in the Sea

[25 April 2017]

Content

Terms Used in the Plan
I. Introduction
II. Measures to be taken to achieve the set objectives and the priority measures.
III. Activity Levels
IV. Guidelines for action.
V. Information of the Public and Mass Media Relations
VI. Reports on pollution.
VII. Management and Control
VIII. Communications
IX. Placement of the collected oil, hazardous or noxious substances.
X. Detection of polluter and collection of information
XI. Operational Units
XII. Theoretical and practical training
XIII. Deadlines for the Implementation of the Measures
XIV. Institutions responsible for the implementation of the measures.
XV. Actions of the institutions involved in the implementation of the measures included in the Plan in accordance with their competence
XVI. Claims for compensations for damages in case of pollution.
XVII. Procedures for the submission and assessment of a report.
XVIII. Report on the state of discharge.
XIX. Financing
Annex 1. Alarm Procedure -Activity Levels
Annex 2. Report on the Observed Pollution with Regard to Polluters and Spillages to be Eliminated
Annex 3. Alarm and Notification Procedures
Annex 4. International Cooperation

Terms Used in the Plan

Response Commander (RC) - an official designated by the National Armed Forces to exercise command over the elimination of the consequences of emergencies in case of activity level I, II and III;

Hazardous or noxious substance - any substance other than oil which, if entering into the marine environment, may create hazards to human health, harm living resources and marine animals and plants, damage recreation areas or interfere with other legitimate uses of the sea;

Duty official (DO) - MRCC Riga duty coordinator who works in MRCC Riga 24 hours a day;

Installation operator - the merchant appointed by the licensee to perform oil industry operations in the sea in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the prospection, exploration, and production of hydrocarbons;

Legal advisor (LA) - the expert appointed by the Latvian Maritime Administration who in accordance with his or her competence shall provide recommendations on administrative and legal matters in the measures for the elimination of the consequences of an emergency may also be an expert of the International Maritime Organisation;

On-scene Commander (OSC) - the person appointed by the Response Commander who, within an international operation for the elimination of the consequences of emergencies, exercises tactical command in the sea and is directly subordinated to the Response Commander or duty officer. At the place of event the duty of the On-scene Commander is to manage and carry out works for the localisation and elimination of spillage of oil, hazardous or noxious substances in the sea in accordance with this Plan. The On-scene Commander shall supervise all the formations that have arrived to the place of incident in the sea, and none of his or her subordinate formations or people have the right to intervene with the work of the on-scene commander, cancel his or her commands and orders in works for localisation and elimination of spillage of oil, hazardous or noxious substances;

Coast Guard responsibility area - the geographical area which in accordance with the National Armed Forces Law falls under the supervision of the Naval Forces and in which the Coast Guard within its competence shall carry out the measures related to the elimination of the consequences of emergencies in accordance with this Plan;

Crisis Management Board - coordinates the civil-military cooperation and the operational measures of the governmental authorities in suppression of the threat to the State;

Secretariat of the Crisis Management Board- ensures the work of the Crisis Management Board;

Maritime safety advisor (MSA) - an official of the Latvian Maritime Administration who according to his or her competence shall provide recommendations on maritime safety issues in the measures for the elimination of the consequences of an emergency;

Latvian waters - waters under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Latvia, including coastal waters from the coast line to the base line, waters from the base line to the outer border of the territorial waters, and the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Latvia;

Contracting Party - a member state of the 1992 Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area;

MRCC Committee - a committee that is set up at MRCC Riga in a case of activity level II and III and acts in accordance with the agenda for the MRCC Committee drawn up by the National Armed Forces;

Head of the MRCC Committee - the Response Commander appointed by the National Armed Forces in case of convening the MRCC Committee;

MRCC Riga - the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Riga under the command of the National Armed Forces Naval Forces Coast Guard;

National On-scene Commander (NOSC) - an official appointed by the Response Commander who, within an international operation for the elimination of the consequences of an emergency in the sea, exercises tactical command over the national operational units and acts under the tactical command of the Senior On-scene Commander. This position shall be established only in case of international measures;

Oil - petroleum in any form, including crude oil, fuel oil, sludge, oil refuse and refined products as well as special products, including Orimulsion;

Loading equipment for oil, hazardous or noxious substances - machinery and equipment, which ensures loading of oil, hazardous or noxious substances from a vessel, and unloading therefrom;

Oil exploration and production installation - any installation or structure fixed in the sea, floating or stationary which is used for the exploration and production of hydrocarbons, or for the loading or unloading of hydrocarbons (hereinafter - the installation);

Incident - an incident, including a major accident related to the installation or the connected infrastructure in the sea, that has caused or threatens to cause pollution of oil, hazardous or noxious substances in the sea;

Operational unit - a specialist-led group that can independently implement measures for eliminating pollution and its consequences, to collect pollution and temporarily store it. Operational units work under the tactical command of the On-scene Commander. In international events it works under the command of its National On-scene Commander;

Port aquatorium - port waters within the port boundaries approved by the Cabinet;

Responsibility area of the port authority - the port boundary approved by the Cabinet, except for the outer roadstead, where the port authority ensures implementation of the measures related to the elimination of the consequences of emergencies of discharge of oil, hazardous or noxious substances in accordance with the action plan of the port in case of unforeseen pollution;

Measure - any measure that prevents, reduces or eliminates pollution or allows to control it. In this context, also the purposeful omission of action shall be regarded as a measure;

Case of pollution - a case or a series of cases having the same origin, which results, may result or poses a threat of a discharge of oil, hazardous or noxious substances that poses a threat to the marine environment or to the coastline, or other interests of Latvia or other Baltic Sea countries, and which requires to immediately perform countermeasures and immediate response;

Action management - general coordination and control of the national measures;

Public relations officer (PR) - an official of the National Armed Forces who during the operation for the elimination of the consequences of emergencies acts as a contact person between the MRCC Committee and the mass media;

Communications coordinator (CCO) - an official of MRCC Riga who during the operation for the elimination of the consequences of emergencies ensures work of the all MRCC Riga communications systems;

Initial report - alarm or report received by MRCC Riga duty official;

Tactical command - command over and monitoring of the execution of specific tasks of operational teams, teams or units within the framework of the measures. It is in the respective areas of responsibility applied by On-scene Commanders, National On-scene Commanders, Senior On-scene Commanders, commanders of the coast, heads of operational teams and other teams or units;

Leading country - the member state of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1992, in the response area of which an incident in the sea has happened, and which has been entrusted to ensure management of the operation for the elimination of the consequences of the emergency;

Environmental Advisor (BA) - an official appointed by the State Environmental Service who at activity level II and III coordinates the execution of the necessary environmental protection measures;

Senior On-scene Commander (SOSC) - the person appointed by the Response Commander of the leading country who has been entrusted with exercising tactical command over the operation for the elimination of the consequences of an emergency under the subordination of the Response Commander. Senior On-scene Commander shall be appointed only in case of international measures.

I. Introduction

The elimination of the consequences of an oil spill, discharge of hazardous or noxious substances caused by an incident in the sea shall be organised in accordance with the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, 1990, Response and Co-operation (hereinafter - the OPRC Convention), the Protocol on Preparedness, Response and Co-operation to Pollution Incidents by Hazardous and Noxious Substances, 2000, (hereinafter - the OPRC-HNS Protocol), the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1992, (hereinafter - the Helsinki Convention), and also in accordance with the National Contingency Plan for the Cases of Pollution of Oil, Hazardous or Noxious Substances in the Sea (hereinafter - the Plan).

The objective of the Plan is to determine the procedures by which the State and local government institutions referred to in the Maritime Administration and Marine Safety Law and this Plan shall act in case of an unforeseen discharge of oil, hazardous or noxious substances into the sea. The Plan determines the sequence of measures for alerting, assessing pollution, control of the situation, operational command and liquidation of the consequences of an emergency in case of unforeseen discharge of oil, hazardous or noxious substances. The Plan shall apply to any incident in the sea that causes or threatens to cause pollution in the Latvian waters outside the port area.

The Plan has been developed in accordance with the laws and regulations of Latvia, the Helsinki Convention, the OPRC Convention, the OPRC-HNS Protocol, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, and its Protocol of 1978 (hereinafter - the MARPOL Convention), the International Convention Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties, 1969, and also with the Directive 2013/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on safety of offshore oil and gas operations and amending Directive 2004/35/EC that has been taken over with the Cabinet Regulation No. 805 of 22 December 2015, Regulations Regarding the Prospection, Exploration and Production of Hydrocarbons.

II. Measures to be Taken to Achieve the Set Objectives and the Priority Measures

1. If an incident has occurred, as a result of which pollution or threat of pollution has been caused to the Latvian waters, coastal waters or any interests related to the waters and coastline, all the institutions involved in the Plan shall immediately take measures in accordance with the Plan.

2. In accordance with the Maritime Administration and Marine Safety Law, the National Armed Forces Naval Forces Flotilla units which carry out the coast guard function (hereinafter - the Coast Guard) shall eliminate the consequences of ship accidents and emergencies, consequences of oil spillage, discharge of hazardous or noxious substances in the sea, and coordinate the works related to the liquidation of consequences in Latvian waters.

3. The Coast Guard shall take the measures in accordance with Chapter IV of this Plan to achieve the set objectives.

4. The elimination of the consequences of discharge of oil, or noxious substances shall be based on a specially developed model adjusted to habitat distribution area depending on the following variable factors:

4.1. place of pollution;

4.2. the volume of pollution and its significance (activity level I, II or III - according to Chapter III of this Plan);

4.3. pollution-specific chemical and physical properties;

4.4. pollution slick drift;

4.5. current velocity and direction;

4.6. season;

4.7. weather conditions;

4.8. location of material-technical and human resources, and their transportation options;

4.9. optimal schedule for the operations to be carried out.

5. Priority measures for limiting further expansion of pollution are mechanical collection of products with collectors or skimmers, restricting pollution with booms. When planning the response to discharges of oil, hazardous or noxious substances, the State Environmental Service shall draw up maps of sensitive areas on the basis of the pollution-sensitive Latvian coastal area mapping scheme at the disposal thereof. In order to prevent pollution of particularly sensitive marine and coastal areas, in exceptional cases, upon coordination with the State Environmental Service, the use of absorbents or such chemicals that promote decomposition of oil, hazardous or noxious substances and for which assessment of their effects on marine environment of the Baltic Sea and human health has been carried out by competent authorities of international and regional economic organisations is permitted.

6. The action plan in case of unforeseen discharge of oil, hazardous or harmful substances in the Latvian port aquatorium shall be available in the respective port authority, and copies of these plans shall be stored at the MRCC Riga and the State Environmental Service. The requirements to be included in the action plan are laid down in Cabinet Regulation No. 82 of 5 February 2008, Standard Requirements for Drawing up the Action Plan for Unforeseen Cases of Pollution in Ports, at Berths, Berth Groups and at Oil or Chemical Substance Terminals.

7. Operational units of the Coast Guard shall ensure preparedness to start from their bases within 2 hours of the receipt of alarm. The Coast Guard shall draw up list of operational units, equipment at their disposal and location thereof, which shall be submitted to the State Environmental Service in accordance with the time limits laid down in Chapter XIII of this Plan.

III. Activity Levels

8. The first activity level (hereinafter - the activity level I) is the preparedness and measures against discharges, the consequences of which may be eliminated with the resources at the disposal of the Naval Forces.

9. The second activity level (hereinafter - the activity level II) is the preparedness and measures against discharges, for the eliminated of the consequences of which in addition to the resources at the disposal of the Naval Forces, resources at the disposal of other State institutions, local governments or merchants need to be attracted.

10. The third activity level (hereinafter - the activity level III) is the preparedness and measures against discharges, for the elimination of the consequences of which in addition to the resources at the disposal of the Naval Forces, State authorities, local governments or merchants, international assistance needs to be attracted.

11. State of emergency shall be declared in accordance with the National Security Law.

12. Alarm procedures, activity levels I, II and III have been laid down in Annex 1 to this Plan.

IV. Guidelines for Action

13. In case of an emergency of vessels or installations, the National Armed Forces units shall carry out the delimitation of the emergency site and the vessels or installations with the use of a floating barrier - booms, by assessing the usefulness of this action at the MRCC Committee in advance.

14. Rescue works of the vessel or installation, prevention of further discharge of oil, hazardous or noxious substances, the removal of the vessel aground, and other matters related to the emergency shall be settled by the MRCC Committee by means of negotiation with the master of the ship in distress or the installation operator, the classification and insurance company by taking into account the interests of these organisations.

15. Upon receipt of a report on the discharge of oil, hazardous or noxious substances, the MRCC Riga and the State Environmental Service shall carry out modelling of a slick drift, if necessary by contacting the State Limited Liability Company Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre. The MRCC Riga shall have at its disposal information regarding the weather conditions and forecast for at least the next 48 hours. Upon initiating measures for the elimination of consequences of an emergency by the Coast Guard operational units, the MRCC Riga personnel shall be guided by the results of the modelling of the slick drift obtained by taking account of the weather forecast.

16. The only work method used by the operational units upon carrying out the elimination of the consequences of an emergency shall be mechanical collection of pollution. Decision on the exceptional cases, when a different working method must be used for responding to pollution, shall be made by the State Environmental Service.

17. In cases where it is not possible to receive an immediate permission of the State Environmental Service, but the delay poses a threat to human life, the need to use a non-mechanical method for responding to pollution shall be immediately reported to the State Environmental Service, by adding all the information on the present situation.

18. All reports on the observed coastal pollution shall be immediately transferred to the State Environmental Service, if the elimination of the consequences in the sea or along the coastline has not been successful or if the pollution of the sea has not been timely noticed.

V. Information of the Public and Mass Media Relations

19. The Response Commander shall appoint a public relations officer who shall be responsible for informing the public through the mass media.

20. A public relations officer shall also be appointed if the mass media interests are expected to increase to such an extent that it creates a disturbance to MRCC Riga or MRCC Committee to take measures efficiently, especially in the situations of activity level II and III. The public relations officer shall be permanently accessible by the mass media and shall provide information in accordance with an announced schedule in regular press conferences.

21. In cases of discharge of oil, hazardous or noxious substances, which lead to an increased interest of the mass media, reports shall be drawn up and distributed at least once a day. Before distribution each report shall be approved by the Response Commander.

22. In case of activity level III the National Armed Forces shall organise press conferences, and the public relations officer shall arrange a press centre in separate premises or building from the MRCC Committee, providing telephone, fax and internet communications.

VI. Reports on Pollution

23. Report evaluation and transfer thereof shall be the responsibility of the MRCC Riga.

24. In those cases of pollution of oil, hazardous or noxious substances which correspond to the activity level II and III, and also in situations where the interests of other coastal Sates of the Baltic Sea are threatened, the MRCC Riga official appointed by the MRCC Committee shall send a report on pollution (POLREP) to the international communication centres referred to in the Helsinki Commission Manual on Co-operation in Response to Marine Pollution, including to the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) of the European Commission, through the use of the communications system of the MRCC Riga.

25. Following the receipt of the report the MRCC Riga shall:

25.1. evaluate the source of the report (for example, rapporteur's experience as to how to accurately report the observed situation may be quite different, which often leads to exaggeration of the severity of the situation);

25.2. if necessary, contact the rapporteur for further questioning;

25.3. verify whether a false report has not been received;

25.4. verify the initial report on the scene and complete the report form laid down in Annex 2 to the Plan;

25.5. carry out pollution monitoring by:

25.5.1. active means - sending of a Coast Guard ship to carry out detection, monitoring and determination of concentration of oil, hazardous or noxious substances, using measuring devices;

25.5.2. passive means - asking the observers of the situation (vessels, aircrafts) to pay attention to the observation area upon passing by.

26. The procedures for reporting a case of pollution have been laid down in Annex 3 to this Plan. The reports shall be divided into primary and updated reports:

26.1. the initial report on pollution submitted by the master of the ship involved in the incident, by a passing vessel, or any person who detects pollution shall include the following information:

26.1.1. the source, cause, location, volume of pollution;

26.1.2. the type of polluting substances;

26.1.3. whether the discharge has been stopped.

26.2. the updated report on pollution drawn up by the responsible persons (the master of the ship, the responsible official of the installation operator, the National Armed Forces Naval Forces, or other responsible official of the performer of the operational verification) shall include the following information:

26.2.1. the place and time of the discharge;

26.2.2. the pollution source - name of the vessel or installation, call sign, flag, owner of the vessel or installation, port of registration, type and size of the ship, type of cargo, type of other polluters on-board the vessel, the total amount and location thereof;

26.2.3. the data on another source of pollution;

26.2.4. the type and quantity of the discharged substances;

26.2.5. whether the discharge has been stopped;

26.2.6. the weather conditions (wind and current direction and speed);

26.2.7. the pollution slick movement;

26.2.8. the measures taken at the scene of the incident;

26.2.9. what additional help is needed (for example, a doctor, divers).

27. Once the vessel or installation has been identified as the polluter, the MRCC Riga shall initially collect the following information thereon:

27.1. the ship's name, nationality and port of registration;

27.2. the number assigned by the International Maritime Organization (IMO);

27.3. the type and size of the ship;

27.4. the damage of the ship;

27.5. the type of cargo, total amount and location;

27.6. the make and type of fuel, total quantity and location of other polluting substances on-board the vessel;

27.7. the quantity of the discharged substance;

27.8. the location of the discharged source on the hull of the vessel, discharge time and conditions (such as the location from which the discharge of oil, dangerous or noxious substance has occurred);

27.9. the assessment of the possibility of further discharge;

27.10. the current hydro-meteorological conditions in the sea;

27.11. the name of the owner, the insurer and the local agent;

27.12. communication options, such as frequency, warning signals.

28. The MRCC Riga shall collect information similar to that referred to in Paragraphs 26 and 27 of this Plan also if the polluter is not a vessel or installation.

29. The MRCC Riga on the basis of information received on pollution shall evaluate the available information on the physicochemical properties of the given polluter in order to forecast the development of the event and to take action. Particular attention shall be paid to the location and amount of fuel on the vessel.

30. The MRCC Riga shall carry out forecast for further movement of pollution and determine the areas threatened by pollution.

31. Reports to be sent to foreign countries in case of pollution in order to inform about the incident, in case of a request for assistance and on other occasions as instructed by the MRCC Committee shall be drawn up and sent by the responsible official appointed by the MRCC Committee in accordance with Paragraph 1 and Annex 4 to this Plan.

VII. Management and Control

32. An official appointed by the National Armed Forces - the Response Commander, upon receiving a report on spillage of oil, hazardous or noxious substances, shall act in accordance with Annex 3 to this Plan, and shall be directly responsible for proper implementation of any measure commenced in accordance with the Plan, and thus shall be considered as the head of all operations related to the implementation of the Plan. If necessary, the Response Commander may invite an expert from any authority involved in the implementation of the Plan.

33. Depending on the situation and the activity level, the MRCC Riga shall supplement the personnel with officials previously appointed by each of the institutions involved in the implementation of the Plan:

33.1. a communications coordinator (CCO);

33.2. a legal adviser (LA);

33.3. a public relations officer (PR);

33.4. an environmental advisor (BA);

33.5. a maritime security advisor (MSA);

33.6. a legal adviser of the State Chancellery (if objective conditions indicate that there will be a need for recovery of compensation for damage).

34. In case of activity level II the On-scene Commander (OSC), the National On-scene Commander (NOSC in international events), the Senior On-scene Commander (SOSC - when Latvia is the leading country in international events) shall be directly subordinated to the Response Commander.

35. The MRCC Riga shall assess and determine the nature, extent and possible consequences of the pollution and shall ensure operational activities for the liquidation of the consequences in accordance with the work descriptions drawn up by the National Armed Forces Naval Forces and Annex 2 to this Plan. If interests of another country are affected or threatened, the MRCC Riga shall inform the relevant services of this country in accordance with the list of international communications centres specified in the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) Manual on Co-Operation In Response to Marine Pollution and Annex 4 to this Plan.

36. The MRCC Riga shall operate in accordance with Cabinet Regulation No. 674 of 2 December 2003, Regulations Regarding Search and Rescue of Persons in Case of Aviation and Maritime Emergencies.

37. The MRCC Committee shall operate in accordance with the agenda for the MRCC Committee developed by the National Armed Forces. The main task thereof is to help the Coast Guard in operational and administrative matters to implement the operation for elimination of the consequences of emergencies in case of activity level II and III. The functions of the head of the MRCC Committee shall be performed by the Response Commander appointed by the National Armed Forces.

38. The MRCC Committee shall involve the responsible officials of the National Armed Forces, the Latvian Maritime Administration, the Maritime Department of the Ministry of Transport, the State Border Guard, the State Environmental Service, the State Fire and Rescue Service, port authorities of Riga, Liepāja and Ventspils, and also, if necessary, officials from other ports and institutions shall be attracted for ensuring implementation of specific tasks.

39. Action of the duty officer:

39.1. The duty officer of the MRCC Riga shall 24 hours a day accept reports on pollution by oil, hazardous or noxious substances and shall be responsible for immediate transfer of these reports to the Response Commander;

39.2. the duty officer shall work with all means of communication at the disposal of the MRCC Riga, shall receive and distribute all incoming reports, shall send all outgoing reports on the activities of elimination of the consequences;

39.3. after receiving a report on pollution and assessment thereof, the duty officer shall immediately:

39.3.1. send the nearest Coast Guard ship, other possible vessel or an aircraft to verify this fact;

39.3.2. report on the situation to the Response Commander or official substituting him or her;

39.3.3. establish contact with the vessel in distress, the responsible official of the installation operator or the person who has reported the case of pollution;

39.3.4. request the updated report from the vessel, the responsible official of the installation operator or aircraft, which has been sent for the verification of the received report;

39.3.5. carry out initial assessment of the pollution and the activity level;

39.3.6. request the Coast Guard, or other source of information to provide updated information on the case of pollution;

39.3.7. if the information on pollution is confirmed, inform the Response Commander;

39.3.8. if according to the assessment of the duty officer the pollution shall be classified as a pollution of the second or third activity level, the head of the MRCC Committee shall be summoned and, following his or her instructions, also other members of the MRCC Committee;

39.3.9. the representatives of the institutions involved in the Plan shall be summoned and informed of the pollution, and the institutions shall be assigned specific tasks for commencing elimination of the consequences;

39.3.10. prepare and send a report on pollution (POLREP);

39.3.11. prepare and send a report on discharge of hazardous or noxious substances;

39.3.12. organise and coordinate works for the elimination of pollution until the arrival of the Response Commander and takeover of the command;

39.3.13. upon an order of the Response Commander summon additional personnel of the MRCC Riga.

40. Action of the Response Commander:

40.1. executes the command over the works for the elimination of the consequences of an emergency in case of activity level I, II and III;

40.2.upon receipt of the report of the duty officer on the possible pollution, he or she shall immediately arrive to the MRCC Riga and analyse the incoming information, clarify it and specify the activity level;

40.3. he or she shall carry out works for the elimination of pollution of activity level I in the sea in accordance with the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) Manual on Co-operation In Combating Marine Pollution, and appoint:

40.3.1. the On-scene Commander (OSC);

40.3.2. the official responsible for recording all activities and conditions;

40.3.3. the official responsible for tracking and recording expenses;

40.3.4. the official responsible for drawing up of the report;

40.3.5. the official responsible for informing the public and communicating with the mass media;

40.3.6. inform the State Fire and Rescue Service of pollution or potential pollution in the sea coast.

41. In a case of activity level II and III, the MRCC Committee shall be convened, and it shall be headed by the Response Commander. Until arrival of the Response Commander and takeover of command, the duty officer shall be responsible for the command over the works for the elimination of the consequences of activity level II and III.

42. Action of the head of the MRCC Committee - the Response Commander:

42.1. he or she shall be responsible for the proper execution of the Plan, based on the initial and additional information regarding the incident;

42.2. he or she shall be responsible for senior command over operations of activity level II and III and general cooperation within the limits of the existing technical capabilities;

42.3. upon receipt of a notice from the duty officer on pollution of activity level II or III, the Response Commander shall immediately arrive to the MRCC Riga and together with the MRCC Committee analyse the incoming information, clarify and specify the activity level;

42.4. inform the Minister for Defence and the Secretariat of Crisis Management Board of the need to convene the Crisis Management Board;

42.5. execute command over pollution elimination works in case of activity level I and III, based on the Helsinki Commission Manual on Co-operation in Combating Marine Pollution and appoint:

42.5.1. the Senior On-scene Commander (SOSC) for the command over the international operation;

42.5.2. the official responsible for recording of all activities and conditions;

42.5.3. the official responsible for tracking and recording expenses;

42.5.4. the official responsible for the drawing up of the report;

42.5.5. the official responsible for informing the public and communicating with the mass media;

42.5.6. inform the State Fire and Rescue Service of the pollution on the sea coast;

42.5.7. if necessary, the public relations officer in accordance with Chapter III;

42.6. the Response Commander shall coordinate with the members of the MRCC Committee the measures for the elimination of the consequences that have not been previously included in the Plan.

43. The maritime safety advisor:

43.1. shall be responsible for drawing up proposals on the choice of the type and amount of equipment for the elimination of consequences needed for the performance of operations;

43.2. shall evaluate all proposals received from other Latvian or foreign governmental authorities, the private sector or private individuals for assistance with equipment and labour force;

43.3. shall prepare proposals on how to relieve the polluter or potential polluter from its cargo or fuel;

43.4. shall be responsible for safety during the measures for the elimination of consequences;

43.5. shall coordinate action, technical and environmental protection advice provided by the MRCC Committee, and deliver them to the Response Commander.

44. Communications coordinator:

44.1. shall be responsible for the provision of proper and safe communication lines for the needs of the operation in question to the MRCC Riga;

44.2. ensure compliance with the adopted communication plan or arrange additional lines for the communication with governmental authorities, if the plans prove to be inadequate for the needs of incident measures;

44.3. shall be responsible for proper arrangement of the MRCC Riga command premises throughout the course of implementation of the measures.

45. The public relations officer:

45.1. shall act as a point of contact person between the MRCC Committee and the mass media;

45.2. shall draw up reports to the mass media in order to maintain a constant state of awareness of the media, and, if necessary, organise press conferences.

46. The On-scene Commander:

46.1. shall implement tactical command of all operations related to the elimination of the consequences of pollution in the sea;

46.2. shall ensure execution of all orders of the Response Commander or the MRCC Riga and report on a regular basis to the MRCC Riga on the situation, and also continuously assess the usefulness of various measures for the elimination of consequences and, if necessary, propose deployment of other techniques or technical means;

46.3. in carrying out his or her duties shall follow the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) Manual on Co-operation in Combating Marine Pollution.

VIII. Communications

47. The radio communication circuit between the executive bodies in joint operations for the elimination of the consequences in the Baltic Sea area in accordance with the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) recommendation 17/13 established in the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) manual.

48. Communications at national level:

48.1. upon initially detecting pollution discharge, the MRCC Riga shall verify the truthfulness of the information and collect the required additional information, using all the available means of communication, frequencies and call signals of the bodies involved;

48.2. The MRCC Riga, upon providing communications for the implementation of a measure, shall constantly improve and periodically verify the previously planned communication plan, or any part thereof;

48.3. The MRCC Riga shall be equipped with the means of communication, which ensure communication with the State Fire and Rescue Service structural units;

48.4. in case of pollution, communication at the international level shall be ensured in accordance with Annex 4 to this Plan.

49. The MRCC Riga shall be responsible for the provision of all types of communication at the international level during the elimination of the consequences of pollution. To ensure the communication systems the Contracting Parties shall exchange liaison officers. The decision to appoint and send liaison officers shall be taken by the MRCC Committee.

50. International communication between the Contracting Parties:

50.1. a formal report, the task is which is to warn and inform about the incident, ask for assistance, provide assistance, to confirm receipt of a report shall be drawn up by the MRCC Committee. The MRCC Riga shall send such reports on pollution electronically or by fax and they shall be transferred through the national action communications centre of each Contracting Party;

50.2. the MRCC Riga shall provisionally verify the authenticity of any official report by sending device callback number, which is printed on the report. When a further verification is needed a callback shall be made or a fax shall be sent to the number of the official communications centre;

50.3. urgent contacts shall be simultaneously ensured by telephone. Any question, request, decision, plan, goal, consideration, available resources and options shall be immediately confirmed with a formal report.

51. Communication between the competent authorities of the Contracting Parties and the operational command:

51.1. the competent authority of the leading country and the competent authority of the assisting country shall communicate with the operational command through any of the means of communication referred to in Paragraph 52 of this Plan, intended for this purpose. All important decisions for assistance shall be approved by the competent institutions of the Contracting Parties in accordance with the above-mentioned procedures;

51.2. the liaison officer of the assisting country shall ensure communication between his or her authority and operational command. Otherwise, the operational command has the obligation to provide the necessary information at least once a day.

52. Communication between the assisting country and its operational groups - the assisting country shall liaise with its National On-scene Commander and the operational groups through their liaison officers and the operational command, or directly, as long as the location falls in the communications reception area. Communication with naval units shall be ensured by radio in the MF, HF or VHF coast transmitter range, or by the mobile (GSM) or satellite phone.

53. Mutual communication between the operational command, Senior On-scene Commander and air operations (activity level I: from the coast to the scene):

53.1. operational command shall be provided by the country in the response region of which the action takes place;

53.2. the MRCC Riga shall be responsible for the provision of this communication. If the Republic of Latvia is the leading country, the MRCC Riga shall has an obligation to establish and maintain communication between the operational command, the Senior On-scene Commander (SOSC) and the aircrafts involved in the operation;

53.3. depending on the infrastructure and internal organisation of the leading country, communication shall be maintained:

53.3.1. directly from the operational command with Senior On-scene Commander, by using telefax, radio, internet, mobile phone or mobile telefax;

53.3.2. from coast radio stations, using telefax or telephone between the operational command and the coastal station, as well as by radio-telephone or internet between the coastal station and the Senior On-scene Commander;

53.4. radio frequencies between the Senior On-scene Commander and flight coordinators shall be assigned by the MRCC Riga;

53.5. for direct mutual communication, communication with the vessel and the MRCC Riga, aircraft shall use marine frequency radio. Computer images captured by remote observation from the air shall be transferred from the aircraft to the operational command and the Senior On-scene Commander by means of radio telephone or image transmission system. If the aircraft is not equipped with a marine frequency radio, the Air Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) communication system shall be used.

54. Communication between the Senior On-scene Commander and the National On-scene Commander (activity level II: the scene):

54.1. it shall take place through one or several international marine frequency radio channels, which in each particular case shall be determined by the MRCC Riga;

54.2. for this purpose the vessel from which the Senior On-scene Commander or the National On-scene Commander operates, shall be equipped with two marine frequency stations with channel No. 16 in a standby mode;

54.3. the leading country shall have the obligation to obtain the appropriate authorisation from its national governmental authority on the measures for the elimination of the consequences in the sea. Such authorisation shall be issued as a general authorisation to use these frequencies during the measures for elimination of the consequences or during training, or the authorisation shall be issued separately for each operation for elimination of the consequences or verification thereof;

54.4. the first radio communication shall take place in channel No. 16;

54.5. the working language between the Senior On-scene Commander and the National On-scene Commander from other countries shall be English.

IX. Placement of the Collected Oil, Hazardous or Noxious Substances

55. The temporary placement of the collected oil, hazardous or dangerous substances in the sea within the limits of its technical abilities shall be ensured by the Coast Guard.

56. If the geographical location of the measures is far from the shore or the port and storage equipment for temporary placement in the ships for the elimination of the consequences of an emergency are not suitable or they cannot be transported to the place of measures, as the means for temporary placement tankers, barges for transportation of oil products, oil tankers for transportation of asphalt, or other similar equipment shall be hired.

57. Since the oil on the water surface becomes viscous, it is necessary to as far as possible supply the temporary placement containers with heating devices to facilitate future loading on the land transport.

58. Hazardous or noxious substances shall be placed in suitable containers, taking into account the properties of the substance.

59. State Limited Liability Company Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre shall organise transportation, disposal or placement of the oil, hazardous or noxious substances collected on the shore.

X. Detection of polluter and collection of information

60. Polluter detection and collection of information shall be ensured by the National Environmental Service in cooperation with the Coast Guard.

61. For the detection of the polluter the State Environmental Service shall:

61.1. record the name, organisation, contact telephone of the rapporteur;

61.2. verify the received report using:

61.2.1. an aircraft;

61.2.2. a vessel;

61.2.3. other means.

61.3. verify the information regarding the source of pollution:

61.3.1. start identification of the polluter;

61.3.2. determine the type of pollution;

61.3.3. clarify the extent of pollution;

61.3.4. initiate identification of other potential polluters in this area, if the identification of the potential polluter has not given a positive result.

62. The State Environmental Service shall organise the collection of information:

62.1. record all contacts with polluters, electronically and documentary;

62.2. organise air observations:

62.2.1. photograph or capture with a video camera;

62.2.2. visually observe and complete the report form in Annex 2 to this Plan;

62.3. take oil product samples;

62.4. take samples of hazardous or noxious substances;

62.5. summarise weather forecast for the calculation of the pollution drift;

62.6. draw up record-keeping documentation.

XI. Operational Units

63. The national communication centre shall be the MRCC Riga.

64. The following operational units and equipment warehouses of the National Armed Forces shall be based in the ports of Riga, Ventspils and Liepāja:

64.1. the operational unit in the Port of Riga - the region of responsibility: the Gulf of Riga;

64.2. the operational unit in Ventspils port - the region of responsibility: Kolka - Užava;

64.3. Port of Liepāja - the region of responsibility: Užava-Nida.

XII. Theoretical and practical training

65. Each institution shall ensure training of employees from its own resources, and the institutions financed from the State budget - within the framework of the allocated budget funds.

66. The National Armed Forces shall organise a national-level training once in every three years. The National Armed Forces together with the State Environmental Service shall elaborate a programme for the national level training activities. The MRCC Committee established during the training shall conduct the implementation of the approved programmes, which have been elaborated in accordance with the guidelines of the State Environmental Service.

67. The Coast Guard together with the State Environmental Service shall take part in the annual international training and working group meetings organised within the framework of Helsinki Commission.

68. The MRCC Riga shall draw up and approve the curriculum for the National Armed Forces units in accordance with the procedures laid down by the commander of the National Armed Forces.

69. Masters of ships or heads of operational units who are previously appointed to take part in the organisation of measures, shall be obliged to take care that the employees of the operational units within the limits of their responsibility and competence are trained to a level that ensures effective participation in the measures.

XIII. Deadlines for the Implementation of the Measures

70. Each port authority shall draw up an operational plan for unforeseen cases of pollution, in accordance with Cabinet Regulation No. 82 of 5 February 2008, Standard Requirements for Drawing up the Action Plan for Unforeseen Cases of Pollution in Ports, at Berths, Berth Groups and at Oil or Chemical Substance Terminals, which shall be approved by the State Environmental Service. Copies of the approved plans shall be submitted by the port authorities to the MRCC Riga and the State Environmental Service. Changes or additions to the port plan shall be submitted to the State Environmental Service by 30 December of each year.

71. In case of activity level II and III the MRCC Committee shall be placed in the premises of the MRCC Riga immediately after the call of the Response Commander. The MRCC Committee shall operate from the moment it is convened until the execution of the operational part of the incident. The Response Commander shall decide on the completion of the operational part of the incident. Each of the institutions abovementioned in Paragraph 38 of this Plan shall by 1 June 2010 appoint the responsible official and his or her deputy for the representation at the MRCC Committee, and submit the contact information of these persons to the MRCC Riga. The appointed persons shall be reachable 24 hours a day all year round.

72. In order to organise the work of the Committee, the MRCC Riga shall ensure premises with at least seven work stations equipped with computers, audio and video recording equipment, pollution drift calculation software, search and rescue software and the related office equipment.

73. In accordance with the requirements of the laws and regulations and international laws binding on Latvia, the National Armed Forces units, related to the implementation of the national plan, shall ensure continuous operational preparedness by meeting the following criteria:

73.1. preparedness of the first response units to leave their base within two hours after receipt of an emergency signal;

73.2. reach any possible place of discharge in the region under the supervision of the State of Latvia within six hours of the receipt of the signal;

73.3. well-organised, relevant and meaningful performance of response measures at the place of discharge as soon as possible, not exceeding 12 hours;

73.4. within a period of two days eliminate the consequences of pollution in the sea by means of mechanical collection devices. The possible discharge amount shall be determined in accordance with the potential risk of discharge, which once every 5 years shall be determined by the State Environmental Service;

73.5. 24 hours after the receipt of accurate information regarding the amount of discharge ensure adequate and suitable storage facilities for the collected or processed oil, as well as for hazardous and noxious substances.

XIV. Institutions Responsible for the Implementation of the Measures

74. The institutions responsible for the implementation of measures include:

74.1. The Coast Guard - ensures, coordinates and carries out pollution elimination works in the sea;

74.2. The State Environmental Service - coordinates the implementation of the national contingency plan for the cases of pollution of oil, hazardous or noxious substances in the sea.

75. Institutions involved in the implementation of the measures provided for in the Plan: the Coast Guard, the MRCC Riga, the MRCC Committee, the Aviation Rescue and Coordination Centre (ARCC), the Latvian Maritime Administration, the State Environmental Service, the State Fire and Rescue Service, the State Border Guard, the Emergency Medical Service, the Ventspils Free Port Authority, the Freeport of Riga, the Liepāja Special Economic Zone Authority, the Salacgrīva Port Authority, the Skulte Port Authority, the Lielupe Port Authority, the Engure Port Authority, the Mērsrags Port Authority, the Roja Port Authority, the Pāvilosta Port Authority, the local government of the Latvian coastline.

76. The institutions involved in the execution of the measures provided in the Plan shall ensure the implementation of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) recommendations on ensuring adequate response capacity and on building national response capacities in the case of spillages of oil and other hazardous or noxious substances.

XV. Action of Institutions Involved in the Implementation of the Measures Included in the Plan According to their Competence

77. In case of action level III the head of the MRCC Committee and the State Fire and Rescue Service may propose to the Minister for Defence or the head of the Secretariat of the Crisis Management Board to convene the Crisis Management Board.

78. The National Armed Forces:

78.1. Naval Forces shall coordinate and carry out search and rescue work in the sea, eliminate consequences of emergencies and the pollution, and also participate in ecological monitoring;

78.2. Naval Forces shall ensure and coordinate the operation for the elimination of the consequences of pollution in accordance with Chapter IV;

78.3. the appointed official shall perform the functions of the Response Commander;

78.4. Naval Forces shall develop the agenda of the MRCC Committee;

78.5. The Coast Guard shall eliminate the consequences of accidents of vessel and emergencies of discharge of oil, hazardous or noxious substances into the sea, and coordinate the works related to the elimination the consequences in the Latvian waters, according to Plan and emergency plans;

78.6. The MRCC Riga shall establish operational telephones of governmental authorities and a list of international communications centres, send it to the relevant government authorities and update it on a regular basis;

78.7. The Coast Guard upon carrying out elimination of the consequences of emergencies of oil, hazardous or noxious substances shall act in accordance with the international and Latvian laws and regulations, work descriptions developed by the MRCC Committee and this Plan;

78.8. The Coast Guard after collection of oil, dangerous and hazardous substances in the sea shall hand them over to State limited liability company Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre in the closest port, which is equipped with loading facilities for oil, hazardous or noxious substances.

79. The State Environmental Service shall:

79.1. carry out pollution survey, determine the amount of pollution, organise pollution monitoring;

79.2. in cooperation with the Coast Guard develop procedures for marine pollution surveillance from air, ensure its implementation and perform technical support improvement;

79.3. maintain the electronic database of the State system for emergency elimination, containing the list of equipment for eliminating the consequences of an emergency at the disposal of the State, port administrations and terminals, and also links to all the involved State institutions;

79.4. for the elimination of the consequences of pollution, hand over technical means for the elimination of the consequences of an emergency at the disposal thereof to the operational authority of the Response Commander;

79.5. carry out investigation of the case of pollution, collection of evidence, calculation of damaged caused to the environment and, if necessary, preparation of the case for the court;

79.6. in cooperation with the Coast Guard ensure taking of pollution samples and sending to a laboratory:

79.6.1. taking of samples;

79.6.2. if the sample collection lasts longer than a day, taking of samples from the spillage shall be scheduled for each following day;

79.7. if necessary, allow the Response Commander to use chemical substances (e.g., dispersants) for the elimination of the consequences of pollution;

79.8. approve the operational plans for unforeseen cases of pollution in ports, at berths, berth groups and at oil or chemical substance terminals developed in accordance with Cabinet Regulation No. 82 of 9 February 2008, Standard Requirements for Drawing up the Action Plan for Unforeseen Cases of Pollution in Ports, at Berths, Berth Groups and at Oil or Chemical Substance Terminals, and control the implementation thereof in accordance with the requirements of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) recommendation concerning the minimum ability to respond to spillages in oil terminals.

80. In case of a case of pollution in the sea the Latvian Maritime Administration shall act as an expert and advisor in the matters related to maritime safety, crew of the ship involved in the incident, assessment of passenger safety and technical condition of the ship, and other matters related to maritime safety.

81. The State Fire and Rescue Service after receipt of the information regarding coastal pollution in accordance with the activity level shall organise performance of measures in accordance with the relevant civil protection plans.

82. The Aviation Rescue and Coordination Centre (ARCC) shall liaise with the MRCC Riga, and in accordance with the instructions of the Response Commander shall attract aviation technical means and aircrafts for the assessment of pollution and elimination of the consequences of pollution.

83. The Emergency Medical Service, if necessary, shall provide emergency medical assistance in case of emergency medical situations and disasters in the sea.

84. The port authority shall control the protection against pollution, ensure elimination of the consequences of pollution in the area of responsibility of the port authority, and participate in the elimination of the consequences of pollution in the sea. In case of activity level II and III, upon a request of the Response Commander, it shall transfer to the authority of the Response Commander the vessels and equipment for the elimination of the consequences of pollution and support personnel at its disposal, provide other forms of technical support in accordance with this Plan, including acceptance of the collected oil from the operating units, and also organise attraction of port merchants for the elimination of pollution of oil, hazardous and noxious substances.

85. In case of activity level II or III, the local governments at the Latvian coastline upon request of the Response Commander shall participate in the elimination of the consequences of pollution.

XVI. Claims for Compensation for Damages in Case of Pollution

86. Compensation for damages caused by oil pollution shall be carried out in accordance with Chapter XVII, Liability for Pollution Caused by Oil of the Maritime Code, the 1992 International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, and the 1992 International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage (hereinafter - the Fund Convention). A claim for the compensation of damage made by oil pollution to the International Fund (hereinafter - the IOPC Fund), shall be drawn up in accordance with the Fund Convention Manual.

87. The State Environmental Service shall, if necessary, provide methodological support to persons who submit a claim to the court for the compensation of damages caused by a vessel causing pollution or another object.

88. A claim for the damage caused to the Republic of Latvia within the meaning of this Plan shall be submitted to the State Chancellery in accordance with Cabinet Order No. 146 of 5 March 2004, On the Concept "On the Establishment of the Mechanism for the Representation of National Interests in Connection with Legal Proceedings".

89. During elimination of the consequences of pollution the head of the MRCC Committee shall request documentary confirmation of the master of the ship, the owner of the ship or the operator of the ship regarding financial guarantees to cover all the costs related to elimination of the consequences of the emergency, including port charges and services, and also damage caused to the port, the environment and third parties.

90. After receipt of the legal and financial guarantees abovementioned in Paragraph 89 from the owner or operator of the ship, the MRCC Committee shall, together with the legal advisor and other members of the MRCC Committee, assess the adequacy and feasibility of these guarantees.

91. Financial guarantees may be accepted from the owner or operator of the ship either by means of a bank transfer - by way of deposit, or as a guarantee of the insurance company or bank. Bank details and current account of the recipient shall be laid down by the head of the MRCC Committee.

XVII. Procedures for the Submission and Assessment of a Report

92. The implementation of the plan shall be assessed in accordance with the criteria laid down in the laws and regulations, as well as in accordance with the criteria laid down in international laws and regulations (Helsinki Convention, OPRC Convention, OPRC-HNS Protocol), assessing the results of annual local and international training, and the efficiency of the actual operations for elimination of the consequences of emergency discharges.

93. The following criteria shall be used for the assessment of the implementation of the plan: the ratio between the actually discharged product volume and the volume collected as a result of elimination of the consequences, harm made by oil, hazardous or noxious substances discharged into the environment and not collected, the ratio of the above-mentioned indicators theoretically calculated in the training, linking them to the deadlines for the implementation of the measures referred to in Chapter XIII of this Plan.

XVIII. Report on the State of Discharge

94. The MRCC Riga shall draw up a full report on the incident, taking into account all the reports drawn up by staff members of all measures, the On-scene Commander, masters of the ships and the responsible official of the installation operator on each of the measures taken in relation to their specific functions.

95. Reports shall be submitted to the MRCC Riga after the performance of the assigned duties or upon request of the MRCC Riga, and also to the Cabinet upon request thereof.

XIX. Financing

96. The implementation of the Plan shall be ensured by the governmental authority within the framework of the allocated State budget funding.

97. Implementation of Paragraphs 59 and 78 of the Plan by the State limited liability company Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre shall be financed from the State budget funding for unforeseen cases.

Acting for the Minister for Environmental Protection -
Minister for Education and Science T. Koķe

 

Annex 1
National Contingency Plan for Cases of Pollution of Oil,
Hazardous or Noxious Substances in the Sea

Alarm Procedure - Activity Levels

1. Activity level I

2. Activity level II and III

Acting for the Minister for Environmental Protection -
Minister for Education and Science T. Koķe

 

Annex 2
National Contingency Plan for Cases of Pollution of Oil,
Hazardous or Noxious Substances in the Sea

[25 April 2017]

Report on the Observed Pollution with Regard to Polluters and Spillages to be Eliminated

1. State  
2. Service  
3. Date  
4. Observation time (UTC)
5. Pollution:  
5.1. oil, hazardous or noxious substance  
5.2. geographical co-ordinates  
5.3. drifted from  
5.4. length (km)
5.5. width (km)
6. Type of the hazardous or noxious substance
(volatile, sinking, soluble, floating)
7. Area covered with oil products (km2)  
8. Colour of oil products in accordance with the 1983 Bonn Agreement Oil Appearance Code (BAOAC code) (% of slick area):
8.1. silvery grey without distinct chromaticity characteristics  
8.2. reflects in the colours of the rainbow  
8.3. blue or metallic  
8.4. brown with separate black slicks
that do not break when the water is waving
 
8.5. dark brown, black  
9. Estimated volume of pollution (m3)  
10. Discovered (with remote surveillance devices/visually)  
11. Need to eliminate consequences (yes/no)  
12. Weather conditions:  
12.1. wind direction  
12.2. wind speed (knots)  
12.3. wave height (meters)  
12.4. current direction  
13. Possible polluter:  
13.1. discharge has been observed (yes/no)  
13.2. a ship, an oil exploration and production installation,
including a stationary or floating platform, other object
 
13.3. name  
13.4. flag state  
13.5. home port  
13.6. hull colour  
13.7. funnel marking  
13.8. draught  
13.9. location  
13.10. movement direction  
13.11. speed  
14. Photographs taken (yes/no)  
15. Radio communication with the potential polluter (results)  
16. Port of call  
17. Other ships in the vicinity (names)  
18. Samples taken (yes/no)  
19. Notes, other information  
20. Observer's name  
Signature    

 

Annex 3
National Contingency Plan for Cases of Pollution of Oil,
Hazardous or Noxious Substances in the Sea

Alarm and Notification Procedures

Action Scheme in Case of Marine Pollution

Acting for the Minister for Environmental Protection -
Minister for Education and Science T. Koķe

 

Annex 4
National Contingency Plan for Cases of Pollution of Oil,
Hazardous or Noxious Substances in the Sea

International Cooperation

[25 April 2017]

The Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1992, (hereinafter - the Helsinki Convention) is a fundamental international legal basis for cooperation between the Baltic Sea countries in the prevention of marine pollution.

This convention and recommendations thereof determine rules for international cooperation and procedures for oil discharge measures in the Baltic Sea as which are included in the Helsinki Commission Manual on Co-operation in Response to Marine Pollution (Manual on Co-operation in Response to Marine Pollution (Volume I), Manual on Co-operation in Response to Marine Pollution (Volume II) and Manual on Cooperation in Response to Pollution Incidents on the Shore (Volume III)).

- In accordance with Regulation 1 of Annex VII to the Helsinki Convention, the Contracting Parties undertake to maintain the ability to respond to pollution incidents threatening the marine environment of the Baltic Sea Area. This ability shall include adequate equipment, ships and manpower prepared for operations in coastal waters as well as on the high sea.

- In accordance with Regulation 4 of Annex VII to the Helsinki Convention, the Contracting Parties shall as soon as possible agree bilaterally or multilaterally on those regions of the Baltic Sea Area in which they shall conduct surveillance activities and take action to respond whenever a significant pollution incident has occurred or is likely to occur.

- In accordance with Regulation 7 of Annex VII to the Helsinki Convention, the Contracting Party shall, when a pollution incident occurs in its response region, make the necessary assessment of the situation and take adequate response action in order to avoid or minimize subsequent pollution effects. If there is a possibility that the slick of oil, hazardous or noxious substances will drift into a response region of another Contracting Party, that Party shall without delay be informed of the situation and the actions that have been taken.

- In accordance with Regulation 8 of Annex VII to the Helsinki Convention, the Contracting Party which is implementing measures in the sea to prevent or minimize the effects of oil discharge is entitled to call for assistance from other Contracting Parties. Contracting Parties shall use their best endeavours to bring such assistance. They shall facilitate the transport and movement into, through and out of its territory of vessels, aircrafts, personnel, cargoes, materials and equipment involved in oil discharge measures.

The help of the ships of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) shall be requested in accordance with the procedure specified in the Handbook of the EMSA Network of Stand-by Oil Spill Response Vessels.

The general action management responsible official is the head of the MRCC Committee. He or she shall be assisted by liaison officers of the assisting countries and a representative of the national or regional cooperation institution who acts as an advisor.

Under the subordination of the Response Commander action command and command structure, a tactical on-scene team shall be established (usually in the sea in case of joint operations) and the Senior On-scene Commander (SOSC) shall be appointed from the leading country (hereinafter - the Senior Commander). Contingent of the operational groups of the leading country and assisting countries shall be subordinated to the National On-scene Commander (NOSC) of each country (hereinafter - the National Commander). The National Commander (NOSC) shall operate under the supervision of the Senior Commander (SOSC).

Heads of special joint functions and individual units shall work under direct subordination of the National Commander (NOSC) and Senior Commander (SOSC). For example, reconnaissance or transport flights shall be coordinated by an operational command or a special flight coordinator.

Guidelines for Action

Latvia as the leading country shall ensure:

- administrative, operational and strategic support to foreign assisting units;

- clearly defined tasks for each unit; organisation of practical cooperation between units from different countries;

- a good awareness of all units regarding the overall situation;

- a close connection with command structures of the assisting countries in order to ensure the possibility, if necessary, to transfer the foreign assisting units to the national command structure.

Operationally independent foreign assisting units, as much as possible, shall be each assigned its own tasks in certain geographical areas. Execution of the tasks shall be commanded by the respective National Commander (NOSC), who shall constantly maintain close radio communications with the Senior Commander (SOSC).

If necessary, different operational units may be temporarily transferred under the authority and subordination of other National Commanders (NOSC).

If assistance is provided in the form of equipment or action, non-independent unit, the operational command and tactical team of the leading country shall be responsible for the integration of this unit or equipment in the measures for the elimination of the consequences.

If the pollution crosses the border of the response region of a neighbouring country, the operational command and control (i.e., functions of the leading country) shall be transferred to the country in the response region of which the basic mass of pollution is located.

The time schedule for transferring the operational command shall be discussed in negotiations between the two countries, taking into account the general picture and all its development trends.

The countries concerned shall decide upon the number of units and the amount of equipment to transferred to the disposal of the new leading country, and how the measures for the elimination of the consequences shall be continued.

Emergency preparedness organisations of the Contracting Parties shall continuously inform each other about cases of pollution, its size and location alongside with the information on the measures taken and their effectiveness.

As regards the activities in the border areas, the neighbouring countries shall consult each other by taking into account the priorities and adequacy of resources.

There is a possibility that the use of reagents will affect the interests of neighbouring countries, therefore decision on the use of such chemical substances shall be made only when the opinion of neighbouring countries on their use has been taken into account.

Latvia as the leading country shall initiate the investigation of discharge in its response region and report on the results of this reconnaissance to other Contracting Parties the response region of which borders with the response region of Latvia. If the slick spreads across two or more response regions, the emergency organisations of the Contracting Parties the response regions of which are affected by the pollution shall agree upon coordinated investigation of the discharge area, in order to avoid reconnaissance duplication.

If necessary, the Coast Guard shall contact experts from other countries on the response to the collection and transportation of hazardous or noxious substances through the MAR-ICE Network web-site established by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) where information from the chemical industry experts on response to chemical pollution in the waters of the European Union may be operationally obtained. The support of EMSA shall be requested through the European Union's civil protection mechanism or through a direct contact with the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) of the European Commission.

Guidelines for Communication

In cases of pollution response when two or more Contracting Parties are involved, they shall be entitled to appoint not more than two liaison officers to the respective national centres responsible for the measures for the liquidation of the consequences.

Exchange of liaison officers is not dependent on whether the operations for the elimination of the consequences are carried out only by national resources, or involving loaned equipment and human resources of other Contracting Parties.

Liaison officers shall have the right to participate in meetings and conferences regarding elimination of the consequences, as long as they do not concern strictly internal national interests.

If the respective question concerns the territory of their country, at meetings the liaison officers shall make recommendations and statements on matters directly concerning elimination of the consequences and resource allocation, etc.

The same discretionary obligations shall apply to the liaison officers as apply to the centre's personnel; however, they do not have any restrictions as to the content of the report to own national governmental authorities.

Liaison officers shall not have any administrative liabilities against the hosting country with the exception of those the hosting country has set for the functioning of the exchange. A liaison officer shall take care for accommodation, meals, etc. A liaison officer to the extent possible shall be provided with access to telephone and fax. The functions of a liaison officer shall be bilateral, so that the country he or she represents could be able to communicate their opinion and wishes, especially when joint action or loan of equipment is required. This dual-channel function is of invaluable importance.

Liaison officers shall coordinate reconnaissance activities involving aircraft and helicopters with their national State administration institutions, eliminating overlapping of the functions.

If two countries which are affected by the same pollution, decide not to use liaison officers, they shall exchange daily reports.

The Senior Commander (SOSC) and the National Commander (NOSC) shall communicate with each other as needed.

 


Translation © 2018 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)

 
Document information
Title: Par Nacionālo gatavības plānu naftas, bīstamo vai kaitīgo vielu piesārņojuma gadījumiem jūrā Status:
In force
in force
Issuer: Cabinet of Ministers Type: order Document number: 283Adoption: 21.05.2010.Entry into force: 21.05.2010.Publication: Latvijas Vēstnesis, 83, 27.05.2010.
Language:
LVEN
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{"selected":{"value":"25.04.2017","content":"<font class='s-1'>25.04.2017.-...<\/font> <font class='s-3'>Sp\u0113k\u0101 eso\u0161\u0101<\/font>"},"data":[{"value":"25.04.2017","iso_value":"2017\/04\/25","content":"<font class='s-1'>25.04.2017.-...<\/font> <font class='s-3'>Sp\u0113k\u0101 eso\u0161\u0101<\/font>"},{"value":"21.05.2010","iso_value":"2010\/05\/21","content":"<font class='s-1'>21.05.2010.-24.04.2017.<\/font> <font class='s-2'>Pamata<\/font>"}]}
25.04.2017
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