Please click for more information on the following news articles:
- ITOPF Seminar & Reception - 13th October 2010 (24th August 2010)
- New Technical Adviser (9th August 2010)
- ITOPF Wins Ocean Environmental Protection Award (30th June 2010)
- ITOPF Sponsors Steamship Mutual in Three Peaks Challenge 2010 (16th June 2010)
- New edition of ITOPF Handbook Just Published (20th April 2010)
- Hugh Parker Retires from ITOPF (1st April 2010)
- Vacancy at ITOPF (29th March 2010)
- Tanker Spill Statistics 2009 (8th February 2010)
ITOPF Seminar & Reception – Wednesday 13th October 2010
ITOPF will be holding an afternoon seminar on Wednesday 13th October 2010 at the City Presentation Centre, London EC1. The seminar is free of charge and will provide an opportunity for those involved in all aspects of marine spill response to familiarise themselves with the work of ITOPF and to meet our staff. The seminar will be followed by a drinks reception.
A copy of the seminar programme, a booking form and location map are provided below. Whilst there is no charge to attend the seminar, numbers are limited, so to secure your place, please complete the booking form and send it to Ms Terry Goodchild (terrygoodchild@itopf.com) as early as possible. If you know of others who you think would benefit from attendance at the seminar, please feel free to circulate the details.
View Seminar Programme (PDF 235KB), Booking Form (Word 38KB) and Location Map (PDF 58KB) 24th August 2010
New Technical Adviser
Dr Rebecca Coward has recently joined ITOPF as a Technical Adviser. Rebecca has a degree in Marine Environmental Science and conducted research and development into non polluting antifouling technology as a postgraduate. Prior to joining ITOPF in 2010, she was involved in pollution tracing, identification and remediation of watercourses in the Thames region on behalf of Thames Water. Rebecca's appointment brings the total number of staff available to respond to spills to twelve. 9th August 2010
ITOPF Wins Ocean Environmental Protection Award
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Dr Karen Purnell accepting the award from Adam Dupré of Ocean Intelligence. |
We are delighted to announce that ITOPF has won the Ocean Environmental Protection Award at the Sustainable Shipping Awards 2010, held in London on 24th June. This award recognises the company or organisation that has made the most significant contribution to the reduction and prevention of pollution of the oceans by ships and covers areas such as oil pollution, ballast water treatment and hull coatings. Judged by a panel of key figures involved in shipping and the environment, ITOPF received the award in recognition of its “holistic and proactive approach” to ship-source pollution.
Dr Karen Purnell, ITOPF’s Managing Director, was presented with the award at a dinner attended by 150 representatives of the maritime sector, commenting “I am very pleased to accept this prestigious award, which recognises the long-term commitment of our shipowners and their insurers to ensuring that best practice in oil and chemical spill response and planning is promoted through the work of ITOPF”. She also played tribute to ITOPF’s Chairman, Bjorn Moller, CEO of Teekay Corporation, for his continuing support and thanked the team at ITOPF for their role in making this award possible. 30th June 2010
ITOPF Sponsors Steamship Mutual in Three Peaks Challenge 2010
ITOPF is pleased to support Steamship Mutual’s efforts in the Three Peaks Challenge on 18-20 June. The three man P&I Club team is competing on behalf of the Sailors’ Society, a charity which provides practical help, welfare and spiritual support to seafarers The challenge is to climb and descend three of the highest peaks in Great Britain (Ben Nevis, Scottish Highlands, Helvellyn, Cumbria and Snowdon, Snowdonia) within a period of 24 hours. We wish Steamship the best of luck. 16th June 2010
New Edition of ITOPF Handbook Just Published
The 2010/2011 edition of the ITOPF Handbook is now available. The Handbook contains a wealth of valuable information and guidance for those likely to be involved in spills of oil and chemicals from ships. This year’s edition contains updated information on oil spill statistics, compensation and staffing. Information is also provided on ITOPF’s technical and information services, the fate and effects of marine oil spills, clean-up techniques, organisation of spill response and planning, status of international conventions and ITOPF publications.
Browse the pages of the ITOPF Handbook or download the full version in PDF format (3Mb)
Hard copies of the Handbook are also available. They are free to ITOPF Members and Associates, as well as to closely related groups. Single copies are also available to others on request - contact Terry Goodchild. 20th April 2010
Hugh Parker Retires from ITOPF
On 25th March, friends and colleagues, past and
On 25th March, friends and colleagues, past and present, joined Hugh Parker at the Tower Bridge Walkways to celebrate his retirement from ITOPF. Hugh was the most senior member of ITOPF’s spill response team, having attended almost 100 incidents worldwide during his 30 year career, including the EXXON VALDEZ, SEA EMPRESS and PRESTIGE.
Hugh trained as a chemist and joined ITOPF as a Technical Adviser in 1980 from the UK government’s Warren Spring Laboratory, where he worked on the development of aerial techniques for monitoring and combating oil spills at sea. In 1998 he was appointed Technical Team Manager and ten years later became ITOPF’s first Technical Director, reflecting his key role in developing the Federation’s strategy in its core activity of spill response.
ITOPF’s Chairman Bjorn Moller has paid tribute to Hugh for “his tremendous contribution to ITOPF and to the industry over the past 30 years” and has noted that his "efforts have been a big part of creating ITOPF’s reputation as a world class organisation and an undisputed leader in its field”. For his colleagues in the office, Hugh’s deep knowledge, extensive experience and wise counsel will be greatly missed.1st April 2010
Vacancy at ITOPF - FILLED
ITOPF is seeking an additional Technical Adviser to join its small London-based team.
MARINE POLLUTION ADVISERAn international, non-profit organisation involved in all aspects of combating oil and chemical spills in the marine environment is seeking a new Technical Adviser to join its small London-based team. ITOPF's work is varied and challenging. It involves giving advice world-wide on the most effective methods for responding to oil and chemical spills from ships, minimising their impact on economic resources and the environment, and the provision of compensation. Further details of ITOPF's activities can be found on the website at www.itopf.com. Candidates should possess a degree in a scientific, engineering or related discipline. Relevant practical experience of pollution control, and/or the effects of pollution on marine resources is desirable. The successful candidate must be willing to travel extensively, often at short notice, and be able to work under pressure. Good written and oral presentation skills, strong interpersonal skills and computer literacy are all vital. Fluency in a language, in addition to English, would be a considerable advantage. Starting salary will be commensurate with experience and include a generous benefits package. View:- Job outline (PDF 130Kb) Application Form (WORD 29Kb) Completed applications should be sent to: Carol Remnant, |
29th March 2010
ITOPF Tanker Spill Statistics 2009
For the first time since ITOPF began collating tanker spill statistics, no major oil spills were recorded from tankers last year. Defined as 700 tonnes or greater (> 5,000 bbls), the number of major spills from tankers has consistently been reducing over recent years such that the average number of major spills for the decade (2000-2009) is about three. This is less than half of the average for the 1990s and just an eighth of the average for the 1970s. The same is true for medium sized spills from tankers (7-700 tonnes, or 50 – 5,000 bbls) where the average number of spills occurring in the last decade was 14, half of that experienced during the previous decade. Consistent with the reduction in the number of oil spills from tankers, the volume of oil spilt also shows a marked reduction. In some cases, the total quantity of oil spilt in the last decade was less than had been spilt previously in a single year. Last year the volume of oil spilt was the lowest in ITOPF’s history of collating statistics on tanker spills.
Nevertheless, there is obviously considerable annual variation in the incidence of oil spills and the amounts of oil lost, as a single major incident can severely distort the statistics for a particular year. Indeed, already the recent collision between a tanker and a vessel towing barges in Texas, USA, means that the record for 2009 will not be maintained; such is the unpredictable nature of accidents. Having said that, the statistics for the last decade reflect the downturn in accidental spills from tankers that has been evident since the end of the 1970s. This reduction can largely be attributed to the combined efforts of the oil/shipping industry and governments (through the International Maritime Organization) to improve safety and pollution prevention.
Against a background of reducing major tanker spills, smaller operational spills and bunker spills from non-tankers continue to occur. In our experience, even minor incidents can generate significant claims for environmental damage and economic loss, many of which can require a substantial contribution from ITOPF staff and ensure that we remain busy.
Further details on the number and quantity of spills from tanker accidents since 1970 are available on the Statistics page of our website and in our annual Statistics Package. In addition to the regular annual figures, information on the decreasing trend in the number and volume of major spills over the decades is displayed. 8th February 2010