Oil Spill Simulation
45 Participants Participated in an Oil Spill Simulation in Barru
As many as 45 participants from 17 Port Mangement Units (UPP) in Indonesia participated in Oil Spill Response Simulation by using Oil Spill Response Equipment (OSRE). In less of three hours, the simulation area had been cleaned from oil spill.
The oil spill response simulation was held by the Directorate General of Sea Transportation (Ditjen Hubla) in cooperation with Slickbar®Indonesia and Oil Spill Combat Team (OSCT) Indonesia.
Head of UPP Port of Garongkong, Mewawati Agustini, explained that along with increasing transportation between islands via modes marine transport modes in Indonesia, every port in archipelango faces increasing risk of oil spills. “Oil spill may occur from ship collision, ship crashed into a reef or jetty or other causes”.
Therefore, we need oil spill response equipment and trainned personnel to deliver effective oil spill response,” she shared a written statement on Sunday (3/4). She mentioned that there are at least 35 ships of all sizes and types docking in Garongkong Port, Barru per month.
Mewawati is certain that in the next few years, the numbers will increase, in all ports throughout Indonesia.This means that the risk of oil spill incidents also increases.
Meanwhile, Slickbar® Indonesia’s Technical Director, Doni Satya explained that the oil spill response simulation held was a pratical training of a four-day in-class training held earlier in Makassar.
He added that the series of trainings was a part of services for the purchase of 17 sets of oil spill response equipment done by the Directorate General of Sea Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation from Slickbar® Indonesia.The oil spill response simulation’s scenario was a Tier-1 oil spill incident, meaning that it can be responded by the local port management unit.
“This is the implementation of Transportation Ministry’s Regulation No. 58 Year 2013, that every port must have oil spill response equipment, because the water around the port have oil spills risk, ” Doni explained
He mentioned that theres is a high frequency of oil spill cases in Indonesia between four to five times per year. Possibly, it is due to the high numbers of ports in Indonesia.
Until today, it is very possible that if an oil spill incident occours, especially in small ports, the response is minimum, or even none. When in reality, if the spill washes ashore, it would damage the surronding ecosystem
