Community Information System on Marine Pollution of Latvia
National structure |
|
I.1. |
Description |
I.2. |
Administrative Contact Point |
I.3. |
Location of Main Stockpiles |
I.4. |
Emergency Numbers for Public Use |
I.5. |
Operational Contact Point |
General information |
|
II.1. |
Spill Response Vessel |
II.2. |
Aircraft |
II.3. |
Strike Team(s) (Land-based) |
II.4. |
Mechanical Recovery Equipment |
II.5. |
Shoreline Clean-up Equipment |
II.6. |
Specialised Material |
II.7. |
Animal Welfare- Special Means (none) |
II.8. |
Storage Facilities |
II.9. |
Cargo Transfer |
II.10. |
Mobile Treatment Plant (none) |
II.11. |
Computer Modelling |
II.12. |
Specialised Laboratories |
I.1. Description
The response to oil spills is organized by the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) of Latvia, adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers on March 31, 2004.
NOSCP stipulates the following responsibilities:
Coordination of the implementation of the NOSCP and the fulfilment of international obligations regarding oil spill response is carried out by Marine and Inland Waters Administration (MIWA) of State Environmental Service (SES) (Ministry of Environment).
Oil spill contingency operations at sea on a national and international level are carried out by Latvian Coastguard (Ministry of Defence).
Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC Riga) serves as a national and international contact point for emergency situations.
Responsibility for counter-pollution measures
AT SEA
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AT SEA
|
ON LAND
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ON LAND
|
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Government level |
Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Environment* |
Ministry of Defence |
Ministry of Interior |
Ministry of Interior |
National Authority |
MIWA of SES |
Latvian Coastguard |
State Firefighting and Rescue Service (SFRS) |
State Firefighting and Rescue Service (SFRS) |
Regional level |
|
Response Commander in MRCC Riga |
SFRS, Regional Offices |
SFRS, Regional Offices |
Local level |
|
On-Scene Commander or Supreme On-Scene Commander |
SFRS Regional Offices |
Fire Brigades and manpower/means from municipalities |
* Legal national and international obligations regarding shipping safety are carried out by Maritime Administration of Latvia (Ministry of Transport)
Operational Organization of Response
At sea and in shallow water:
Latvian Coastguard performs response operations, under coordination of MRCC Riga. It maintains a central office in Riga (MRCC Riga) and has regional strike teams located in Riga, Liepaja and Ventspils. Response strategy: primarily mechanical recovery.
Three levels of management and decision-making exist in Latvia. For small oil spills, the Response Commander of MRCC Riga is leading the response operations. For major oil spills, an MRCC Committee is convened by the Response Commander for overall coordination and management of the pollution. The Committee consists of permanent members from MIWA, Latvian Coastguard, Maritime Administration of Latvia, SFRS, Ministry of Defence and port authorities. In case of major pollution leading to a national emergency, State Emergency Commission is activated under the Ministry of Interior.
Port authorities are responsible for combating pollution inside their area.
On land:
SFRS is responsible for response operations on the coast. SFRS maintains main office in Riga and regional offices located in municipalities along the coastline and they operates its own technical equipment.
Local municipalities take part in response operations to oil pollution on the coast (extra manpower & means).
Coordination of sea and land activities is accomplished through direct contact between involved authorities and respective Commanders.
MIWA approves oil spill contingency plans and coordinates other planning activities. MIWA ensures oil spill contingency planning in three levels: national, for port authorities and for terminal operators.
MIWA carries out regular aerial surveillance flights over Latvian waters and participates in international flights, e.g. CEPCO (cf. HELCOM).
The NOSCP also describes counter-pollution techniques, equipment used for recovery operations and instructions for responsible personnel.
Structure of the First Operational level contingency operation activities
(click to view large picture)
Structure of the Second and Third Operational level contingency operation activities
(click to view large picture)