Environmental Statement - Maersk Oil

emergency planning
(Installations)
A ‐ 32
Pollution Control) Regulations 2002 (as
amended by the Energy Act
(Consequential Modifications)
(Offshore Environmental Protection)
Order 2010)
Offshore Chemical Regulations 2002
(as amended 2011) (as amended by the
Energy Act (Consequential
Modifications) (Offshore
Environmental Protection) Order 2010)
Offshore Petroleum Activities (Oil
Pollution Prevention and Control)
Regulations 2005 (as amended
2011)(as amended by the Energy Act
(Consequential Modifications)
(Offshore Environmental Protection)
Order 2010)
Balloch Field Development Environmental Statement
Appendix A – Review of Legislation
In the event of an incident or accident involving an offshore installation where there may be a risk of significant pollution
of the marine environment or where the operator fails to implement effective control and preventative operation the
Government is given powers to intervene.
DECC under agreement with MCA will notify Secretary of State Representative (SOSREP) in the event of an incident if
there is a threat of significant pollution into the environment. The SOSREP’s role is to monitor and if necessary intervene
to protect the environment in the event of a threatened or actual pollution incident in connection with an offshore
installation.
The Energy Act 2008 (Consequential Modifications) (Offshore Environmental Protection) Order 2010 amends the
Offshore Installations (Emergency Pollution Control) Regulations 2002 to ensure that the powers of the Secretary of State
to prevent or reduce accidental pollution extend to accidents resulting from CCS.
These Regulations require all use and discharge of chemicals at offshore oil and gas installations to be covered under a
permit system. Exceedance of discharge limits must be reported.
Amendments to the Offshore Chemicals Regulations 2002, made under Schedule 2 of the Offshore Petroleum Activities
(Oil Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations 2005 (OPPC), increase the powers of DECC inspectors to investigate
non‐compliances and risk of significant pollution from chemical discharges, including the issue of prohibition or
enforcement notices.
Under these Regulations it is an offence to make any discharge of oil other than in accordance with the permit granted
under these Regulations for oily discharges (e.g. produced water). However, it will be a defence to prove that the breach
of permit arose from an event that could not be reasonably prevented.
Permits now extend to pipelines under the 2011 amendments and to carbon sequestration activities under the Energy
Act (Consequential Modifications) (Offshore Environmental Protection) Order 2010.
OSPAR Recommendation 2010/18 OSPAR recommendation 2010/18 on the prevention of significant acute oil pollution from offshore drilling activities came
into force on 24 th September 2010.
According to OSPAR recommendation 2010/18, contracting parties should:
Continue or, as a matter of urgency, start reviewing existing frameworks (i.e. the regulatory mechanisms and
associated guidance applied by the Contracting Parties in the OSPAR area), including the permitting of drilling
activities in extreme conditions. Extreme conditions include, but are not limited to, depth, pressure and
weather
Evaluate activities on a case by case basis and prior to permitting
Oil pollution The Merchant Shipping EC Directive 2005/35 on ship‐source pollution and on the introduction of penalties for infringements states that ship‐