Please click for more information on the following news articles:
- International Seminar on Government & Oil/Shipping Industry Cooperation (25th November 2009)
- New edition of Ocean Orbit just published (16th November 2009)
- Technical Support Coordinator Vacancy at ITOPF *POSITION FILLED* (8th September 2009)
- Staff Changes (7th September 2009)
- 2009 Annual Review Just Published (18th August 2009)
- World Oceans Day - 8 June 2009 (4th June 2009)
- New Managing Director at ITOPF (5th May 2009)
- ITOPF Handbook 2009 (27th March 2009)
- EMSA Issues Tender for Stand-by Oil Spill Recovery Vessels (24th February 2009)
- Oil Spills from Tankers Continue to Fall (20th February 2009)
- Technical Information Paper on Aerial Observation of Oil Revised (6th January 2009)
International Seminar on Government & Oil/Shipping Industry Cooperation – “Moving Forward Together”, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Presentations Available
ITOPF and Transpetro jointly organised a seminar at the Copacabana Palace Hotel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Wednesday 18th November 2009. The Seminar attracted over 120 delegates and addressed issues related to cooperation in oil spill preparedness and response and sustainable and responsible operations.
Copies of the presentations are available on our publications pages at:-
http://www.itopf.com/information-services/publications/papers/rio.html 25th November 2009
New Edition of Ocean Orbit Just Published
ITOPF has just published a new issue of its newsletter Ocean Orbit, which this year features articles on incidents in the Bay of Gibraltar, Australia and Taiwan. We also highlight some of our activities in China and report on our involvement in environmental damage issues and HNS. Copies of the newsletter are available free from ITOPF (contact Terry Goodchild) or can be downloaded in PDF format from the Publications page of our website.
If you would like to join the Ocean Orbit mailing list, please contact Terry Goodchild, indicating your preference for an electronic or printed copy. 16th November 2009
Technical Support Coordinator Vacancy at ITOPF - *POSITION FILLED*
ITOPF is seeking a Technical Support Coordinator to join its small London-based team.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT COORDINATOR London - circa £34,000, plus benefits An international, not-for--profit organisation involved in all aspects of combating oil and chemical spills in the marine environment is seeking a Technical Support Coordinator to join its small London-based team. ITOPF’s work is varied and challenging. It involves giving advice world-wide on the most effective methods for responding to oil and chemical spills from ships, minimising their impact on economic resources and the environment, and the provision of compensation. Further details of ITOPF’s activities can be found on the web site at www.itopf.com. As a Technical Support Coordinator you will be responsible primarily for the assessment of claims arising from pollution damage and for preparing reports and letters to facilitate payment of claims. Management and interpretation of technical information held on ITOPF databases, particularly on response equipment and response techniques, will also be an important part of your remit. It is expected that you will be able to gather and input data, interact with data providers and deal with technical queries from third parties, as well as work on specific projects as they arise and provide invaluable office support to our team of Technical Advisers whilst they are attending oil/chemical spills. As a prospective candidate you should possess a degree in a scientific or technical discipline and be highly computer literate, especially in the use and development of databases. The ability to analyse and present technical data is important, as is a working knowledge of geographical information systems (GIS). Numeracy and a good command of written and spoken English are essential. Starting salary would be in the region of £34,000 per annum, plus a generous benefits package including pension scheme and private medical insurance. If you feel you meet the above criteria and would like further details and an application form, please contact: Carol Remnant, ITOPF Limited, 1 Oliver’s Yard, 55 City Road, London EC1Y 1HQ Tel: +44 (0)20 7566 6999 Fax: +44 (0)20 7566 6950 email: carolremnant@itopf.com |
8th September 2009
Staff Changes
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Richard Johnson, Technical Director |
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Dr Michael O'Brien, Technical Team Manager |
As foreseen, on 1 September 2009, Richard Johnson took over the position of Technical Director from Hugh Parker, who has now moved to a part-time role as Principal Technical Adviser. Richard is a marine biologist with a Masters degree in Radiation and Environmental Protection. He has been with ITOPF for almost 15 years and was formerly a Technical Team Manager. Richard has attended over 40 spills, including the SEA EMPRESS and PRESTIGE. More recently, he has been heavily involved in supporting the IOPC Funds and Skuld P&I Club in the assessment of claims for clean-up and pollution damage following the HEBEI SPIRIT oil spill in Korea.
Also on 1 September Dr Michael O’Brien was promoted to Technical Team Manager. Michael joined ITOPF in 2001. He has previously worked in the United States for the NOAA Damage Assessment Center and also in Austria as Assistant Professor for Environmental Economics.
7th September 2009
2009 Annual Review Just Published
ITOPF has just published its latest Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 20 February 2009. If you would like to receive a copy please contact Terry Goodchild or download a PDF version from our Publications page.18th August 2009
World Oceans Day - 8 June 2009
As the United Nations prepares to celebrate World Oceans Day on 8 June, it is timely to reflect how the combined efforts of the shipping industry and governments have improved safety and pollution prevention over the past decades. This is ably demonstrated by ITOPF’s statistics on accidental oil spills from tankers, combined carriers and barges. In 2008 only one major tanker spill (categorised as over 700 tonnes) was recorded. This is in sharp contrast to 1979 which witnessed a record 34 tanker incidents. Medium-sized tanker spills (7-700 tonnes) have also fallen; 7 were recorded for 2008, down from a peak of 95 in 1975. There is obviously considerable annual variation in the incidence of oil spills and the amounts of oil lost, as a single major incident can severely distort the figures for a particular year, but a downward trend in the frequency of oil spills from tankers has been evident for well over a decade (see our Statistics page). It is likely that this can be attributed to the introduction and enforcement of various legal instruments and safety measures which have been implemented following major oil spills. The 20th anniversary of the EXXON VALDEZ oil spill in March served as a reminder of the watershed that this incident created in the public perception of tanker spills and which is probably the single most significant factor underlying the steadily improving safety record of the tanker industry.
It should be noted that despite the downturn in tanker spills, spills from non-tankers continue to occur, and even small incidents can often cause significant environmental damage and economic loss. The demand for ITOPF’s technical services continues unabated and we remain committed to promoting effective response to spills of oil, chemicals and other hazardous substances in the marine environment.
The official designation of World Oceans Day is an opportunity to raise global awareness of the current challenges faced by the international community in connection with the oceans. Further details on events and activities planned are available on the UN's website at http://www.un.org/Depts/los/reference_files/worldoceansday.htm.
4th June 2009
Full Steam Ahead!
ITOPF today announced that Dr Karen Purnell has succeeded Dr Tosh Moller as Managing Director of ITOPF following his retirement on May 5th, 2009.
ITOPF’s Chairman, Bjorn Moller, Chief Executive Officer of Teekay Corporation, paid tribute to Dr Moller: “During his long and accomplished career at ITOPF, Dr Moller has made a major contribution to building, maintaining and promoting the Federation’s reputation for consistent and sound technical advice on ship-source pollution and related matters. We are grateful to him for his many years of dedicated service to the Federation and to the marine industry”. Dr Moller, a marine biologist, joined ITOPF in 1979 and has attended over 90 spills around the world, including such landmark cases as the EXXON VALDEZ and PRESTIGE. Notably, he has also attended numerous pollution incidents in Asia involving damage to fisheries and mariculture resources. Following his appointment as Managing Director in 2003, Dr Moller spearheaded a concerted effort on the part of ITOPF to gain a better understanding of spill response issues in the North West Pacific region, in particular China and Korea.
Dr Moller’s successor, Dr Karen Purnell, joined ITOPF in 1994 and was named Managing Director Designate by the ITOPF Board of Directors at their annual meeting in November 2008. Dr Purnell is a graduate of the Royal Society of Chemistry, with a PhD in chemical physics. Before joining ITOPF as a technical adviser in 1994, she worked on toxic waste management and environmental remediation in the nuclear industry and as a research chemist at several universities. Dr Purnell was promoted to Technical Team Manager in 2003, and has since acquired an in-depth knowledge of ITOPF’s activities. Prominent amongst her achievements is the expansion of ITOPF’s capability to respond to spills of HNS (Hazardous & Noxious Substances) and oversight of an internal programme of HNS emergency response planning, training and exercises. She has also been responsible for developing and strengthening relationships with Trustee groups in the USA and has been working closely with key US agencies and the International Group of P&I Clubs on environmental issues. Dr Purnell has established a constructive dialogue with shipowners and is highly respected in the maritime community.
Looking to the future, Dr Purnell stated that:- “ITOPF’s highly experienced and committed staff are focused on understanding the needs of our ship-owning Members and Associates and ensuring that we continue to deliver the high quality, specialist advice that they and the larger maritime community have come to depend upon. Exciting and challenging times lie ahead and we are well equipped to face them.”
View ITOPF Press Release (PDF 31Kb)
5th May 2009
ITOPF Handbook 2009
ITOPF has just published its latest annual Handbook, which contains information and guidance for those likely to be involved in spills of oil and chemicals from ships. This year's edition contains updated information on tanker spill statistics, spill compensation and ITOPF staff. Information is also provided on the fate of oil spills and their effects on the marine environment, clean-up techniques and the organisation of spill response and planning.
Copies of the ITOPF Handbook are available free to ITOPF Members and Associates, as well as to closely related groups. Single copies are also available to others on request - contact Terry Goodchild or download a PDF version from our Publications page.
27th March 2009
EMSA Issues Tender for Stand-by Oil Spill Recovery Vessels
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) is launching a new procurement procedure for stand-by oil recovery vessels covering two areas: the Northern part of the Baltic Sea and the Western approaches of the Channel & Atlantic.
The 2009 tender will be similar to previous tender rounds. The purpose is to maintain the EMSA network of stand-by oil recovery vessels through the establishment of 3 year renewable contracts with commercial ship owners and/or operators and/or spill response organisations and/or manufacturers.
To date, oil recovery vessels have been contracted in the Baltic Sea, Atlantic Coast, and Mediterranean and Black Sea areas. The current network of at-sea oil recovery vessels includes different type of vessels from small bunker tankers to hopper dredgers as well as offshore supply vessels. These are commercial vessels that can be adapted for oil pollution response activities.
Further information is available in EMSA's information notice and on the EMSA website under the “Procurement” section, please see “EMSA/NEG/1/2009”. 24 February 2009
Oil Spills from Tankers Continue to Fall
Analysis of ITOPF’s Tanker Oil Spills Statistics for 2008 - just published – reveals a continuing downward trend in spill numbers and quantities. In 2008, there were eight incidents resulting in spills of 7 tonnes and above. Of these, just one measured over 700 tonnes, which is three less than 2007 and the lowest year on record. Moreover, the oil spilt during this one incident accounts for over 70% of the total spill volume from tankers for 2008.
Further details on the number and quantity of spills from tanker accidents since 1970 are available on the Statistics page of our website. In addition to our regular annual figures, information on the decreasing trend in the number and volume of major spills over the decades is displayed, plus a figure showing how the number of spills relates to seaborne oil trade. 20 February 2009
Technical Information Paper on Aerial Observation of Oil Revised
ITOPF has revised and republished the first in its series of Technical Information Papers (TIPs) - Aerial Observation of Oil. This TIP aims to present advice and guidance on conducting aerial reconnaissance at sea effectively. Single copies are available free of charge from Terry Goodchild at ITOPF; multiple copies are charged at £1.00, reducing to 0.75p (excluding postage) for bulk orders. Copies can also be downloaded in PDF format from the Publications page. 6th January 2009