asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether any precautions against pollution are available in the case of weather hazards or accidents in the delivery of oil to Bantry Bay; and, if so, if he will give details.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Oil Pollution Precautions.
18.
I would refer the Deputy to the statement which I issued on this subject on the 29th October, 1968. The statement outlines the precautions which are being taken to guard against possible oil pollution arising from the operation of the Bantry oil terminal. I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate this statement with the Official Report.
The recent berthing and discharge of the Universe Ireland were inspected by officers of my Department who have reported favourably on the operations.
Following is the statement:—
The coming into operation of the new Gulf Oil terminal at Whiddy Island very naturally directs public attention to the possible risk of oil pollution attendant on the project.
In view of the increasing size and numbers of tankers now in use, there is world-wide disquiet on the subject of oil pollution, more particularly following the Torrey Canyon disaster, which demonstrated the damage which a major oil spillage could cause and the difficulty and expense of restoring polluted coastlines. In order to put the Bantry Bay project into proper perspective, however, it must be borne in mind that every day of the year vast and ever-increasing quantities of crude oil, destined for European refineries, are being transported on the busy shipping lanes which pass close to this country, and that the carryings to and from Bantry will constitute only a relatively small addition to the total volume of oil transported. The average size of tankers is constantly increasing and vessels of 200,000 tons and upwards are becoming numerous. A major oil spillage occurring in one of the major shipping lanes off Ireland, even at a considerable distance from our shores could, in appropriate circumstance of wind and tide, result in serious pollution of the Irish coastline. The reality of this risk was demonstrated at the time of the Torrey Canyon, when a shift in the wind might have caused pollution on the South-East Coast.
Although the off-shore oil traffic may be the greatest threat of pollution, the new traffic to Bantry, which involves the operation of giant tankers in Irish coastal waters, represents an additional risk, against which the following precautions have been taken.
In order to obviate the risk of an oil spillage arising from the collision or stranding of a tanker in Bantry Bay or its approaches, stringent precautions have been taken, including hydrographic surveys of the area and the provision by the Commissioners of Irish Lights of additional shore lights. Officers of the Department have inspected the navigational aids in the approaches and in the Bay and are satisfied that they are fully adequate. The vessels using the terminal are, of course, equipped with the most modern navigational and communications aids. Every factor bearing on the safety of vessels using the terminal is under close examination in the Department.
The more immediate risk at Bantry is that of a small-scale spillage arising from the terminal operations. The Department of Transport and Power has been in constant consultation with the Gulf Company on this risk since the very beginning of the project. The precautions which are now in operation at the Terminal to guard against an oil spillage are being subjected to the closest scrutiny by the technical officers of the Department. The stringent safety arrangements in operation are based on the most modern and highly-sophisticated methods and equipment. The piping and equipment used in transferring the oil has been specially designed so as to eliminate the risk of leakage. All transfer operations will be subject to remote control from a tower overlooking the terminal area, and an operative in the tower will be in a position to close any supply line instantly in case of emergency. If, in completely exceptional circumstances, an escape of oil should occur, a special boom to contain the spillage can be immediately brought into use and supplies of detergent along with the necessary spraying equipment are available both at the terminal itself and on board the four mooring tugs and the three service launches stationed there.
A special barge capable of skimming escaped oil from the surface of the water is available. There are two onshore 500,000-barrel tanks to receive oily ballast water from the smaller tankers arriving empty and to discharge it into the bigger tankers going out empty. In the exceptional case where these tanks become overtaxed, a treatment plant to purify the ballast water before discharging it into the sea has been provided. The day-to-day operating procedures at the terminal will be kept under constant supervision, to ensure that all precautions against pollution are functioning satisfactorily.
The only previous Irish experience of the handling of crude oil in large quantities is that of the Whitegate refinery, where over the past nine years, more than 16 million tons of crude oil, comprising cargoes of up to 60,000 tons, have been handled without any serious case of pollution.
As a member of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMCO), the Department is co-operating in the closest possible manner with that Organisation in its various activities aimed at devising practices and procedures which will reduce the risk of large-scale oil pollution, or deal with it effectively if it occurs. Among the approaches being pursued are the drawing up of routing and traffic separation schemes in busy shipping areas, improved methods of disposal of waste oil, and improved shipborne navigational equipment. Proposals for traffic separation zones off Fasnet and Tuskar made by the Department have been accepted by the Organisation.
No steps taken in Ireland alone can obviate the risk of major oil pollution reaching our coastline. A special Inter-Departmental Working Group was established some time ago by the Minister for Transport and Power to consider and make recommendations on the measures which should be taken to deal with serious pollution of our coastline. The Group is well advanced with its task which includes a review of the numerous studies on the subject already carried out by various governmental, technical and scientific bodies in a number of countries. The objective is to determine the procedures best suited to Irish conditions.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary in a position to say what precautions would be available in the event of a tanker from any other country going past our shores and breaking up, without pollution discharging from Bantry Bay at all?
That is a completely separate problem and is, in fact, at the moment being discussed in co-operation with all other nations by the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation, IMCO, with a view to endeavouring to get over this problem. Arrangements are being made with regard to routing tankers of this nature to obviate the danger of a crash by this type of tanker causing pollution. We cannot visualise arrangements whereby tankers passing by would have any reason for spillage at this stage.
Was it not only a lucky chance that the Torrey Canyon wreck did not throw pollution here? Could the same thing not happen again?
Agreed. That is a major problem and one of the things that it is very difficult to guard against. The only thing that could be arranged would be for those tankers to keep 100 miles off the coast of Southern Ireland but I do not think we could do that.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not consider it worth while to make an effort to get the oil companies together with a view to providing a world solution to the problem, to which we are more liable than most other people because of our relatively long coastline?
As I have already pointed out to the Deputy, this organisation, IMCO, is endeavouring to make those arrangements about which he is speaking—the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation, shortened to IMCO.
Not another IMCO like the one we know on Merrion Strand?
Presumably it will be with a view to cleaning up.