04 August 2009
The States of Guernsey and Jersey will be testing their response to a major oil spill, with staff and resources put through their paces with an exercise designed to ensure that the Island’s Pollution Plans are up to scratch.
Jersey’s Planning and Environment, Home Affairs and Transport and Technical Services departments will be participating in a table top exercise on Wednesday 5 August at Sir Charles Frossard House in Guernsey designed to test the current Marine Counter Pollution Plan and the Island’s resource capabilities.
The table top exercise has been designed and run by Oil Spill Response, an international company, contracted by the States of Guernsey to provide resources and assistance to the Island should it have to manage a major oil spill. The exercise will then be followed with some live action, when the team will have the opportunity to observe Oil Spill Response staff deploying an oil spill boom off the south east coast of Guernsey.
The Guernsey Home Department Emergency Planning Officer, Catherine Veron stated:
“A major oil spill, is one of the Island’s highest risks and as part of Home Department’s emergency planning responsibilities, it is important to ensure that existing plans are tested on a regular basis. The Marine Counter Pollution Plan was completed and distributed at the beginning of the year and the table top will be a useful method of ensuring that the plan is fit for purpose”.
Jersey’s Emergency Planning Officer, Mike Long added:
“Given our proximity it is clear that working together when dealing with marine pollution makes absolute sense. The States of Jersey tug, the ‘Duke of Normandy’ will be used for the exercise which means we can get a good group of people to see the boom being put to work first hand. In addition to the benefits of working together on an exercise we’re also confident that we’ll be able to negotiate a deal for sorting out an oil spill for the Channel Islands as a whole, which will of course make it a cheaper option for both Islands.”
Notes for Editors
For more information contact
Home Department:- Catherine Veron, Emergency Planning Officer, Tel 01481 717337 or 07781 134410.
Interviews with participants in the table top exercise can be arranged prior to the exercise 08.00 – 08.30 Wednesday 5 August or later in the day after 15.00.
Numbers for observers for the oil spill boom deployment part of the exercise are restricted due to limited vessel capacity and the media is therefore asked that if they want to reserve one space between them on the vessel (departs 1pm St Peter Port Harbour and returns 15.00) then they will need to make arrangements to share the resources.
gov.je