HELSINKI COMMISSION

Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission

     
     
HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 22/2*

RESTRICTED USE OF CHEMICAL AGENTS AND OTHER NON-MECHANICAL
MEANS IN OIL COMBATTING OPERATIONS IN THE BALTIC SEA AREA

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     * This Recommendation supersedes HELCOM Recommendation 1/8

     
Adopted 21 March 2001
having regard to Article 20 (1), b)
of the Helsinki Convention

THE COMMISSION,

RECALLING Regulation 7 of Annex VII of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1992 stipulating that mechanical means are the preferred response measures, and that chemical agents may only be used in exceptional cases, after authorization has been granted in each individual case,

RECALLING ALSO the IMO Guidelines on Oil Spill Dispersant Application and the Technical Information Paper No. 4 of the International Tank Owners' Pollution Federation,

BEARING IN MIND that new response means, such as bioremediation, fertilization techniques and biosorbents as well as their effective and regular use in oil spill response, are still at development stage,