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Russia:1999 Sakhalin
II Oil Spill
Time to improve Sakhalin oil spill
prevention and response measures
Alexander's Gas & Oil Connections
Volume 5, issue #6 - 07-04-2000
February 21, 2000
By David Gordon
On September 28, 1999, the people of Sakhalin received a wake-up call.
They learned that oil had spilled from the Vityaz marine terminal, part
of the newly operational Sakhalin-II project. Oil spills are all too possible,
and -- in light of the new offshore oil developments along the north-eastern
shelf of the island -- Sakhalin must take all measures to prevent oil
spills and be
prepared to respond to them.
The Sea of Okhotsk is one of the world's most biologically productive
seas. The sea provides habitat for rich fisheries stocks of crab, shrimp,
pollock and other valuable seafood products. These fisheries provide the
economic basis for the lucrative Sakhalin fishing industry as well as
fishing companies based from
Kamchatka to Japan.
The coastlines of the Sea of Okhotsk still provide spawning grounds for
the healthy, wild Pacific salmon runs that are in decline in other parts
of the North Pacific. The waters near north-eastern Sakhalin provide habitat
for endangered Okhotsk grey whales.
Local scientists believe that spills could threaten the entire Okhotsk
coastlines of Sakhalin and Hokkaido and the shorelines of the Southern
Kurile Islands. Japanese fishermen in Hokkaido -- represented by Hokkaido
Shido-ren, the Hokkaido Educational Federation of Fisheries Co-operative
Associations -- have become extremely concerned about Sakhalin oil development.
Fishermen,
environmentalists and members of the Japanese Diet are calling on the
Japanese government to become prepared for a spill.
"The coast of the Sea of Okhotsk is known as a 'garden in the ocean'
for the abundance of scallop farming," claimed an editorial in the
newspaper Hokkaido Shimbun. "We want Hokkaido to put more effort
into crisis management."
Given the economic and environmental value of the Sea of Okhotsk, it is
not surprising that many in Russia and Japan are concerned about pollution.
Yet government authorities, international companies and public financial
institutions have focused on speeding ahead with efforts to develop Sakhalin
Island's oil and gas fields, while little attention has been paid to improving
the island's capacity to prevent and respond to oil spills.
In order to prevent an Exxon Valdez-style catastrophe on Sakhalin Island,
two environmental organisations -- Sakhalin Environment Watch and the
California-based Pacific Environment and Resources Centre -- invited a
team of independent experts to the island in order to review local spill
prevention and response measures. The organisations are hopeful that the
report will encourage those involved in Sakhalin's development to implement
the highest standards of pollution prevention and oil spill response which
have been put into practice by the oil industry elsewhere.
The investigation resulted in 78 detailed recommendations on applying
global standards to public participation, environmental monitoring, oil
spill prevention and response and liability standards to Sakhalin Island
oil development projects.
Key recommendations include:
- Establishing a Sakhalin Coastal Citizens' Advisory Council;
- Making environmental data collected by oil companies, contractors and
government agencies available to the public;
- Establishing a zero discharge standard for discharges to the sea;
- Conducting a comprehensive vessel traffic risk assessment of the entire
Sakhalin coast;
- Inspecting shuttle tankers upon arrival;
- Notifying all vessels, especially fishing boats, about tanker traffic
in the region;
- Providing escort tugs for large tankers in constricted waterways;
- Updating the Sakhalin Regional Oil Spill Response Plan;
- Increasing the number of oil spill response centres and the stocks of
oil spill response equipment and materials;
- Holding regular surprise exercises to test abilities to respond to a
large spill, including practical liaison with Japanese authorities;
- and Reviewing liability provisions for oil spills in order to raise
the
liability limits to the maximum potential cost of a worst case accident.
Some of the recommendations, such as the one to conduct a comprehensive
vessel traffic risk assessment of the Sakhalin coast, are already being
implemented by Russian government agencies.
In 1979, after the Esso Bernicia accident at Sullom Voe, the Shetland
Islands and the oil companies working there improved their standards for
oil spill prevention and response. Had these standards been in place in
Alaska 10 years later, the Exxon Valdez catastrophe might not have occurred.
After the Valdez disaster in 1989, the US government, the state of Alaska,
and oil companies all improved their standards for oil spill prevention
and response. And now in 2000, we hope that Sakhalin will not have to
suffer a similar catastrophe before it improves its oil spill prevention
and response standards to the same levels required in the North Sea and
Alaska.
Some of these recommendations will take significant public, political,
and private sector commitments to implement. Other recommendations do
not require financial resources for implementation; rather, they require
political will.
Following this independent study, both Sakhalin Environment Watch and
Pacific Environment and Resources Centre remain concerned that Sakhalin
is not yet able either to prevent or respond adequately to a major oil
spill. Work on implementing these recommendations must begin now -- before
oil pollutes the
shorelines of the Sea of Okhotsk.
Source: NewsBase
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