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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY
Rn: 03-033 CONTAINER TERMINAL PLOCE PAGE: 16
B.2.5. POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE OPERATION IN
CASE OF ECOLOGICAL EMERGENCY WITH OCCURRENCE RISK
ASSESSMENT
B.2.5.1 OVERVIEW OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE
OPERATION IN CASE OF ECOLOGICAL EMERGENCY
Since the Port of Ploce is of local significance at present, but envisaged as a
county port and intended mainly for the passenger transport, no bigger
incidents that may cause large scale ecologic catastrophes are expected to
occur. However, since it is a public port that also cargo ships may enter, there
may be accidents that could cause ecological catastrophes and have negative
environmental impacts. The location of the Port of Ploce in the center of the
town increases the number of potential environmental impacts since not only
the natural but also the cultural environment may be affected.
Pollution of the shore, which is usual in case of accidents, causes public
distress and affects recreational activities such as swimming, sailing, diving. It
also has effect on the hotel and catering business and the whole tourism
sector. Rates of the oil pollution removal are contingent, among other factors,
on the quantity and type of oil.
The whole Ploce shore line is a recreational zone used by both locals and
tourists. Activities exercised at present and anticipated with the plans include
swimming, sailing, diving and other sport and underwater activities. Oil spills
may spread due to sea currents and/or unfavorable wind and contaminate the
whole harbor and beaches, including those outside of the harbor and not
distant from the harbor and the town center.
Impacts of individual oil spills on the aforementioned activities are rather
short-term but any tourism impact is more an issue of winning back the
confidence, once the clean up has been performed.
Ecological emergency may occur during operations with oil and oil derivates:
- In case that fuel tanks are damaged and oil leaks into the sea
- In case of fire and/or explosions on ships
- In case of emergency during ship maneuvers (crash, capsize, etc…)
Oil spills would eventually pollute the harbor aquatorium and the vessels in it,
but also the surrounding beaches in the bay and in the town. Such pollution
would have negative impacts on the plankton, sea birds and other sea
organisms. In case of unfavorable meteorological conditions (strong winds
and storms), the pollution might spread to several beaches situated to the
north and to the south of the harbor. This would temporarily make the use of
the shoreline zone for swimming and large-scale recreation impossible. In
addition, oil spills and sea pollution would produce an unpleasant aesthetic
impression.
Fire on ships, in addition to the initial air pollution, would create also a hazard
of the explosion of the fuel tank or the gas bottles on the surrounding vessels.
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