The Cedre: center for documentation, research and experimentation on accidental water pollution
Cedre is a French non-profit organization created in 1978 in the aftermath of the Amoco Cadiz oil spill in a commitment to improving accidental water pollution preparedness and strengthening France's emergency response system. It is responsible for preparing documentation, conducting research and carrying out experiments on pollutants, their effects and the specialized methods and resources used to abate them. It provides nationwide advice and expertise on both marine and inland waters. Its services are accessible 24/7 for national and local authorities who are officially in charge of coordinating the emergency response, regardless of the spill's severity. Backed by a team of about 45 people, Cedre has an annual budget of roughly €4 million, three-quarters of which is financed by subsidies or contracts from governmental agencies, public organizations or industry associations.
 Web site: www.le-cedre.fr
Civil Liability Convention (CLC)
The first CLC was signed in 1969 in the wake of the Torrey Canyon oil spill to ensure that persons who suffer oil pollution damage obtain compensation without difficulty or delay. CLC is an international convention signed in its existing form in 1992, at the same time the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC) was set up. Together, they form an effective system for compensating victims of oil pollution damage resulting from tanker spills. The fact that responsibility does not have to be determined ensures timely compensation. The CLC covers tier-one compensation, i.e. shipowner liability. Liability limits are based on the ship's gross tonnage, up to a maximum of 59.7 million Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) for the largest vessels ($81 million at January 15, 2003). If compensation available under the CLC is inadequate, the IOPC Funds provide a second tier.
CROSS (Regional Rescue and Surveillance Centers)
CROSS centers are responsible for managing the operational aspects of missions carried out by the French government in the areas of rescues at sea, navigational safety and surveillance of fishing activities.
Enhanced Survey Program (ESP)
EPS is a special oil tanker inspection program. The Enhanced Survey Program for oil tankers—IMO resolution A.744(18)—provides for an enhanced vessel survey every five years.
OCIMF (Oil Companies International Marine Forum)
OCIMF was formed at a meeting in London on April 8, 1970. It was initially the oil industry's response to increasing public awareness about marine pollution, particularly by oil. Today, it deals with maritime safety in general, and more particularly the safe operation of oil tankers and terminals, supporting continuous improvement in construction and operation standards. The OCIMF provides a forum for analyzing and discussing the development of international conventions and national legislation. The oil industry participates by contributing its professional expertise and its knowledge of governmental and inter-governmental bodies. OCIMF membership currently comprises 42 oil companies worldwide.
Web site: www.ocimf.com
Polmar
When a spill occurs along the coast or at sea, the Polmar offshore and onshore emergency plans are implemented to organize and coordinate pre-identified pollution control measures. Maritime prefects are responsible for implementing the Polmar offshore plan. In the case of the Erika oil spill, it was the prefect of Brest who was in charge. If an incident occurs along the coast, the prefects of the departments concerned are responsible for implementing the Polmar onshore plan, under the supervision of the Interior Ministry. At the time of the Prestige oil spill, the southwest region's emergency response was coordinated by the prefect in Bordeaux.
Registro Italiano Navale (RINA)
RINA is an Italian company that provides certification and classification:
On behalf of the flag state, certification societies apply the rules set out in international conventions such as SOLAS and MARPOL, perform surveys and inspections, and issue official certificates attesting that ships comply with official regulations.
Classification is a private-sector business that consists of verifying that ships comply with safety regulations and standards from design to operation, particularly concerning their structural integrity and the reliability of their machinery and equipment.
Ship Inspection Report program (SIRE)
The SIRE system is a database set up by the OCIMF in 1993 to centralize technical information on oil tankers gathered during inspections performed by oil companies while the vessel is in port and other information provided by shipowners and managers. The database contains up-to-date technical and operational data on tankers, allowing oil company vetting departments to check that a vessel is well maintained, fitted and crewed before chartering it. It is an important resource for verifying the general condition of a vessel and the abilities of its crew, but for practical reasons vetting inspections do not include an assessment of the vessel’s structural condition.
Special Drawing Rights (SDR)
This is the currency used by the IOPC Funds to calculate compensation limits. To simplify matters, compensation limits in this document are given in millions of euros.
Tonnage
Tonnage refers to a vessel's payload capacity. It is also used to calculate port, pilotage and other charges. |
