MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN SEAPORTS

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1 Bulletin of the Maritime Institute Gdansk, 1995, 22, 1 Andrzej Tubielewicz, Prof. PhD, Econ. Department of Port Development Maritime Institute, Gdansk, Poland MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN SEAPORTS Abstract Protection of natural environment is becaming an increasingly important aspect of port management. Environmental problems concern among others: protection of oil terminal basins, safety in port, pollution generated during cargo handling, industrial pollution, in that storage and utlisation of wastes. In the paper reference is made to the works of the European Sea Port Organization and to international law developed by!mo. At a time when increasing efforts are being made to stimulate economic growth, and when international trade in goods and services is increasing, the ports and their neighbourhoods are being subjected to greater and more complex pressures. Larger and busier ports, increasing demand for tourism, exploitation of resources, including offshore oil exploration and production, inshore fisheries and mariculture, industry in the coastal zone, and many other activities have significant effect on the port region and on the adjacent coastal area. Port expansion, involving dredging and land reclamation, increased handling, storage and processing of hazardous substances in ports, development of port industry can have a significant environmental effect in the marine and coastal areas, and can influence the health and safety of the coastal population. As an integral and crucial part of marine transport and of regional activities, the port must be an active member of the coastal environmental society. These activities involve large numbers of port workers and port town residents, and can have serious effects not only on the port and city areas, but also in the neighbouring countries, on the neighbouring coasts and on related waterways. When ports are used for the loading, receival

2 56 W. Tubielewicz or handling of ship generated or industrial waste, further and more serious environmental problems may appear in the land and sea areas concerned. It also must be remembered that ports are an essential component of the national transport infrastructure, and hence are indispensable to trade and economic development. Ports play a pivotal role in ensuring safe and efficient shipping. It is therefore vital to have ports which are efficient and adequate for the needs of the country, and which are at the same time environmentally safe. Therefore environmental problems are very important for port management, port development, and in general - for coastal zone management. Many ports in highly industrialized countries have experienced serious degradation of their environments. The changes in shipping and ports have created new dimensions with respect to safety, environment protection and operation. Marine safety is not limited to the sea, it must be equally observed in the port area. Ports have become more integrated into, and involved in the life of the people in the local communities. It is a direction which needs to be carefully looked at in the coming years. Coastal resources are vital to people living in the coastal zone, and it must be remembered that integration of environmental and development objectives requires a greater attention not only of port authorities but also of the local administrations. In the light of all the challenges we face, even at local level we cannot get away from our participation in the ozone hole and greenhouse effect generation, and in much of the contamination of the seas. Ports need to contribute further to the creation of an environment in which people can live. Ports must be fully prepared to take concerted action, together with all involved sectors, to develop and implement a balanced national environmental policy, in which the position of ports would be accurately reflected. Port Authorities ought to be responsible for the use and conservation of port environment and for ensuring that necessary social and environmental considerations are included in plans of port development and in port operations. Regardless of introduced improvements, protection of port environment from all forms of pollution must continue to be a central objective of the port industry. For example, European Sea Port Organisation (ESPO) has prepared the "Environmental Code of Practice" which creates an environmental framework, within which ESPO members and other European ports should adress environmental issues. The Code covers the subject of protection of

3 Main environmental problems in seaports 57 the environment, which is at the heart of transport operations and development. The ESPO Code provides: a checklist of the environmentally crucial areas which require the attention of port management, recommendations on best procedures and environmental targets, a basis for establishing and encouraging common policies and procedures, and for promoting exchange of information on best environmental practice, an environmental action plan for everyone involved, dealing with concerns which have become a part of day-to-day planning and operations. This paper covers in general terms the approach to dealing with problems of oil pollution, port safety, and industrial pollution in sea ports. Some remarks on environmental problems of the Polish Port Authorities are also mentioned. 1. OIL POLLUTION PROBLEMS IN OIL TERMINALS When tanker operations begin in an oil terminal, occasional oil pollution incidents become inevitable, and this fact must be accepted by the Port Authority. Antipollution measures become necessary, and they should be aimed at preventing spilled oil from reaching the shore. The Port Authority must ensure that antipollution services are under its control. Oil pollution emergency plans for ports should be developed in accordance with the following principles: 1) Every pollution incident must be reduced to a reasonable minimum. 2) When pollution occurs, antipollution measures must be taken immediately; acceptance of responsibility and acceptance for payment should be considered in second order only. 3) The steps taken must be designed to keep at an absolute minimum the possibility of any oil getting ashore. 4) Removal of oil from sea surface is always to be preferred over chemical dispersion, but in certain cases, particularly with crude oil, dispersants may be the most effective measure. 5). The equipment must be kept constantly in full preparedness and must be continuously modernized.

4 58 W. Tubielewicz 6) Human error is, and always will be, the single most important cause of oil pollution. it should be emphasized that human error is not a synonym for sheer carelessness, and may be the result of tiredness, language problems, or even plain ignorance. 7) The main contamination of port and sea waters comes not from tanker operations but from industrial effluents, sewage, urban and river runoff, natural seepage, offshore oil production, and ships other than tankers. 8) Big ports must be equipped to receive ballast water and tank washing water*. Oil terminals must be equipped with technical means sufficient to deal with average spills. Larger spills have to be dealt with by using other antipollution services and will require national response. The Port Authorities should support strongly efforts to improve control and enforcement of the requirements of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships MARPOL, and have for some time been carrying out a regular programme of port inspection of ships, targeted specifically at pollution control, with attention given not only to equipment and operational standards but also to cheking if vessels have used appropriate reception facilities for oil and chemical washings. The provision of MARPOL reception facilities, and their integration into a port coastal management strategy is of fundamental importance to good environmental practice. Another important international document is the International Safety Guide for Oil Tankers and Terminals (ISGOTT), developed jointly by the International Chamber of Shipping, the International Chamber of Shipping, the International Association of Ports and Harbours, and the Oil Companies International Marine Forum. 2. PORT SAFETY Port safety has become a vital aspect of port management. In a port, where hundreds of thousands of tonnes of cargo are handled, it is impossible to achieve a zero accident and damage level. "Safety is not * At North Harbour in Gdansk, residues of oil are treated as follows: gravitation, heating, oily water separation, oil condensation, oil refining, water flotation, aeration, filtration. Refined oil is used as combustible fuel.

5 Main environmental problems in seaports 59 something for freaks but for sensible people who want to achieve an economical goal in a sensible manner." Roughly speaking, there are three levels of accidents: 1) the everyday ones, 2) the larger scale incidents, and 3) the disasters. The first two cathegories are fairly easy to control, although in the case of (2) they can be of damaging consequence in the immediate environment. Disaster control means in fact controlling a large scale incident so that it cannot develop into a disaster. For years Port Authorities have had disaster contingency plans, and the scenarios are continuously verified and updated. These scenarios relate to every concievable type of major incident such as: large spills, explosion and fire on board vessels, and serious nautical incidents. Awarness, training of personnel, financial investment, and day-to-day operational alertness are factors ensuring the safe approach and departure of ships, easy navigation, safety of ships and crews, minimum disturbance of the environment and successful implementation of safety. Modern ports ought to have a Vessel Traffic System which controls the efficient movement of ships and ensures that collision and grounding are extremely rare events, and provides information, including weather and sea forecasts. With respect to port safety, the Port Authority should be actively involved in finding ways to resolve all possible problems in order to ensure: safe approach and departure of ships to and from port, safe movement of vessels to/from berth, safe mooring of vessels, easy and safe cargo handling, intermediate storage and port traffic, safety of ship crews, installations and environment, quick and accurate flow of important information relating to ships and cargoes, safe storage and securing of cargo inside cargo transport units, safe transport, handling and storage of dangerous substances in the port area.

6 60 W. Tubielewicz Considering the transport and handling of dangerous goods in the port area, the international and national codes, rules, regulations and codes of safe practice should be duly taken into account by the Port Authority. The most important instrument is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS '74) and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods' Code (IMDG Code). The IMDG Code is recognised as the standard for safe transport of packaged dangerous goods by sea, and because ports are closely linked, it is taken as standard in port operations. 3. CARGO HANDLING POLLUTION Cargo handling has environmental implications both inside and outside the port area, in addition to important safety implications to port employees, which are nevertheless outside the scope of port ecomanagement. Port environmental policy, so far as cargo handling is concerned, should be to minimize nuisance and environmental impact caused by the operation of the port, in particular with reference to: -dust, - atmospheric pollution due to leakage and emissions, - water and soil contamination caused by leakage and spillage, - noise. Dry bulk cargo such as grain, coal, phosphate, sulphur, etc. may generate dust during handling. It is widely accepted that 1% of the cargo is lost in the process of transportation. Loss of product is the consequence of physical handling. But it means not only a loss in financial terms, it also means an environmental threat since most of the product will end up in the port environment- not only as dust and atmospheric pollution, but also as a contamination of dredged material. The Port Authorities should aim at implementing policies and strategies for gradual adaptation of existing plants to the best available technology. Best means the most effective in preventing, minimizing or rendering harmless emissions of pollutants, but also acknowledges that there may be more than one best technique. Technology can be defined as all processes aimed at eliminating or reducing levels of nuisance. The developed plans should also include the number of staff, working methods, training, supervision and manner of operating the processes.

7 Main environmental problems in seaports INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION The port plays a leading role as an industrial waste collection centre and a source of atmospheric and water pollution. The main polluter in the Port of Gdansk is the chemical industry, particularly: - sulphur plant and terminal, - fertilizer factory and terminal, - crude oil refinery, and - thermal-electric power plant. Emissions of sulphur dust are connected with processing and handling of sulphur in the Siarkopol plant, and lead to degradation of environment and destruction of existing vegetation and of ruins of an old stronghold which is located close to the sulphur plant. The fertilizer factory emits phosphate dust during the discharging and storage processes, and is a source of solid industrial waste in the form of phosphate gypsum. Similar problems with solid waste -in the form of ash - appear in the activity of the thermal-electric power plant. Planning of the port industrial area must take into consideration the environmental and pollution prevention aspects. Particular attention should be given to thinking in a linear way, with a beginning, a middle and an end. Linearity is the concept we use to devise industrial processes in terms of inputs, processes and outputs, with waste and pollution as unintended outputs. There is now a pressing need to encourage the introduction of the right kinds of industrial structures and processes and to seek to implement the technical wisdom in meeting these challenges. We have to take care of environmental health exactly as if we were taking care of our own health. The main objective is to develop the Port Industrial Area while guaranteeing the safety of the industrial and urban population. The plan should also provide for measures to combat industrial nuisances: monitoring industrial and port liquid and solid wastes, quality of water and land areas, monitoring of air pollution, dumping and destruction of liquid and solid wastes, environmental training of port and industrial staff, modification of industrial processes in such a way as to reduce and eliminate the amount of generated waste, recycling of waste or the reuse of it in other industries.

8 62 W. Tubielewicz Not only pollution from port industry must be kept in mind, but also from urban and agricultural areas, which can be important sources of pollution with serious impact on the biosystem in the coastal area - especially the coastal waters. A very important source of pollution are rivers. Therefore all the action against port pollution must be a public action and an element of the national and regional environmental policies. 5. THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS OF POLISH PORTS In Poland the Port Authorities are state joint stock companies responsible for managing and developing port areas belonging to these companies. Operating in the ports industries and enterprises are independent organizations, with their own protection systems subject to the regulations of the Regional Environment Inspection and Municipal Departments of Environment. Poland has signed the MARPOL and Helsinki Conventions, and the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Forestry and the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Economy (Maritime Offices) are responsible for the implementation of these Conventions. MARPOL is the principal international agreement, the purpose of which is to control pollution of the marine environment from ships. Its impact on ports results primarily from the requirement for reception facilities in ports and terminals to handle ship generated waste without causing undue delay to ships. Two annexes contain regulations for the prevention of pollution by oil and bulk noxious liquid substances. In meeting the requirements of MARPOL, at a very early stage in port planning a clear understanding must be reached between each of the parties involved- ship owners/operators, terminal operators, Port Authority, and waste transporters - regarding their respective areas of responsibility in order to minimize uncertainity in their actions. How these and other parties allocate their responsibilities amo1, themselves will be of critical importance to the success of the port management program. At present MARPOL does not regulate ship generated air pollution, however control of air polluting emissions from ships, particularly vapour emissions generated during loading, unloading, lightering and bunkering operations, will have significant influence on port operations. A vital role in port management and development is played by the London Dumping Convention, which among others regulates the disposal at sea of dredged material. We strongly support the concept of beneficial

9 Main environmental problems in seaports 63 use of dredged material in such a manner that it is environmentally and economically acceptable, but it must be remembered that a significant part of the total volume of sediments, especially from river estuaries, is very polluted. The efficient operation of a port and the environmental impact of port development are of direct and continuing relevance to the aims and objectives of common efforts of all parties involved in port activities. In Polish conditions, an important role has been assigned to the close cooperation between these parties. The Gdansk Port Authority with all the port users ought to prepare an Environment Charter. The main objective is to protect the local environment. The Charter would define the rules of conduct to be followed and the areas to be protected. Eg., recently problems were caused by the expansion of the port in vicinity of wildlife reserves in the Visla estuary. An important role play: monitoring of industrial and port liquid waste and of water quality in port basins, monitoring of air pollution, destruction of liquid waste, operation of the dump for ordinary solid waste, conservation of wildlife reserves and other protected areas, treatment of toxic waste dumped in the port area together with stronger environmental measures. The Port Authority and the port users must be under an obligation to the coastal society to invest in protection of environment. Special investments have already been made by port industries with the objective of reducing air and water pollution and preventing technological risks. Port Authorities are now becoming increasingly convinc~d that protection of environment is necessary not only for the municipality but also for the port, and that everyone must be involved.