Prepared for an Oil Spill Accident

By Liisa Rohweder, Olavi Liljemark

One of the biggest environmental threats for the whole Baltic Sea and especially for its central parts is an oil tanker accidents. In 2006 the total amount of oil transportation was 140 million tons and it will be as much as 190 million tons by the year 2010.

If an oil spill accident happens, the international cooperation is needed between authorities from Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Russia in order to reduce negative environmental and socio-economic impacts of an oil spill. So far the focus of the international cooperation has been based on the off shore response. The practical target oriented cooperation has not existed so far. Having this in mind, Itä-Uusimaa Rescue Services, which operates under the City of Porvoo and HAAGA-HELIA University of Applied Sciences, decided to set up a project that would raise the level of expertise and improve cross-border cooperation within shore-line oil spill response management by creating workable solutions and establishing new kind of practical management tools and cooperation models among rescue services, coast guards and NGOs in Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Russia. The project "Environmental and Safety Management Cooperation in Oil Spill Response" is about to start in the spring 2009 if it gets financing. The project gathers all coastal authorities (rescues services and coast guard) around the Central Baltic to develop cross-border cooperation in oil spill response management.

Development work is supported by international seminars, workshops, NGO-trainings and a first of a kind cross-border shore-line oil spill exercise. Project activities will be organized in Estonia, Finland (Porvoo) and Sweden. The project is to implement the objectives of the EU Blue Book and the Baltic Sea Action Plan (HELCOM Recommendation) regarding the Central Baltic Sea Perspective.