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UNEP deploys team of experts to help
with oil spill in Republic of Korea
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EGUA-79ZNE8?OpenDocument
Contingency plan activated to help
respond to emergency
Nairobi/Daejon, 18 December 2007 - An emergency response plan has been
activated by the United Nations Environment Programme to help the
Republic of Korea respond to the worst oil spill in its history.
On 7 December, the oil tanker Hebei Spirit collided with a barge 100km
south of Seoul, releasing 10,500 metric tonnes of crude oil into the
sea. The oil slick is affecting approximately 160 km of coastline near
an important habitat for birds.
As well as threatening to enter Cheonsu Bay, which is home for about
400,000 migratory birds, the spill has hit key fishing grounds and is
expected to damage the livelihoods of up to 27,000 aquaculture workers
in the area. The emergency has triggered a major clean-up operation
involving 200,000 people -mostly volunteers -as well as 327 vessels, 17
airplanes and 13 helicopters.
In response to the disaster, an oil spill contingency plan was launched
by UNEP's Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) upon the request of the
government of the Republic of Korea. As part of this, NOWPAP member
countries China and Japan have sent around 100 tonnes of dispersant to
RoK, and Japan has sent in a team of experts upon the Korean
government's request.
A joint UN-EU rapid environmental assessment team was also sent on site
to help the authorities to mitigate the effects of the spill. Additional
support has come from the United States coastguard, which has sent a
team to give expert advice, and a private company in Singapore which is
providing aircraft support.
Notes to editors
The Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) comes under UNEP's Regional
Seas Programme. NOWPAP's Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan was
developed in full cooperation between UNEP and IMO (International
Maritime Organization). It was adopted in 2004 by China, Japan, the
Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation to deal with large oil
spills emergencies.
Fuentes/Fonts
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EGUA-79ZNE8?OpenDocument
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/SHES-7A9NPC?OpenDocument&query=Hebei%20Spirit
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/Archivo/nota.asp?nota_id=968977
http://ar.news.yahoo.com/s/06122007/59/n-world-968977-derrame-petr-leo-corea-sur.html
http://www2.lavoz.com.ar/07/12/09/secciones/sociedad/nota.asp?nota_id=142357
http://www.radio.uchile.cl/notas.aspx?idNota=42549
http://www.lanacion.com.py/noticias.php?not=174489
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