The National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP)

The Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MOEEI) achieves its objectives with respect to development of the petroleum sector by regulating petroleum exploitation, and by ensuring that operations are conducted safely with concern for human health with minimal impact on the environment.

As a consequence, the MOEEI has assumed the role of initiator and co-ordinator of spill prevention and emergency response planning in Trinidad and Tobago, by encouraging the industry and the general public to join in efforts to achieve better preparedness against oil spill emergencies through the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP)*. (***PLEASE SEE NOTE BELOW).

The NOSCP provides co-ordinated response action for the environment from all oil spills, both on land and at sea. In the plan the basic aim for every organization responsible for oil spill combating is:

1. To minimize the overall environmental damage, realistically and safely by coping with the situation as rapidly and efficiently as possible, by using the right equipment at the right time in the operation;
2. To accept that pollution pre prevention is a cheaper option rather than compensation for loss and damage due to oil spills; and
3. To agree to abide by the principle of ‘polluter pay’ for the costs of recovery, clean-up and restoration of the environment. These costs must be assigned to the industry or its insurers and they should not only pay for the cost of dealing with an incident but should also meet the overheads of the clean-up NOSCP organization and the depreciation on the capital equipment.

Goals and Objectives

The NOSCP is intended to delineate responsibilities for the operational response to significant oil spill incidents and thus minimize or prevent damage to the land and marine environment.

The objectives of such a plan are to ensure a timely and effective response to oil spills or threats of oil spills. This is accomplished by:

1. Establishing a viable operational organization with representation from all concerned agencies
2. Co-ordinating the roles of the different sectors to ensure that effective control is exercised when different spheres act to protect the environment against oil spills
3. Identifying the high risks area
4. Identifying priority coastal and other areas for protection and clean-up providing adequate oil spill equipment
5. Providing adequate training of management and operational personnel

Bilateral and Multilateral Agreements

In addition to the NOSCP, Trinidad and Tobago has entered into the following oil spill agreements:

1. T&T/Venezuela Bilateral Oil Spill Contingency Plan
2. The Sub-regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan for the Wider Caribbean made under the Cartagena Convention. This plan was renamed in 1992 as the Caribbean Islands Oil Pollution Preparedness Response and Cooperation (OPRC) Plan.

National Controller (NC)

The National Controller (NC) is the person responsible directly to the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries for the proper implementation of the contingency plan based on initial and supplementary information on oil spill observations.

The National Controller will evaluate the situation and take the necessary actions to activate key personnel in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries and any of the response organizations to the proper state of alert. He will be in charge of the overall command and coordination of any oil combating operation and in particular, his responsibility will include; inter alia:

• Co-ordinating the overall supervision of the clean-up operation and the actions of various agencies in regard to the additional supplies of manpower, equipment and material.
• Periodically updating the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan list of stock-piles resources so as to ensure that adequate protection is continually available.
• Commandeering, if necessary, the available resources from any group within the plan for the purpose of combating an oil spill.
• Assisting in expediting immigration passes for key personnel and custom clearances for other material resources arriving from external sources to be used for combating major oil spills. This activity however, is to be performed in liaison with, and under the direction of the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries.

*** PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PLAN IS A  WORK IN PROGRESS AND AS SUCH, YOUR COMMENTS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. YOU CAN SEND ALL COMMENTS/ SUGGESTIONS TO INFO@ENERGY.GOV.TT. DEADLINE DATE FOR RECEIPT OF THESE COMMENTS IS 30-AUG-2010.

DOWNLOAD THE NATIONAL OIL SPILL AND CONTINGENCY PLAN HERE.