Spill Notification Point

Competent National Authority

Response Arrangements

A revised Barbados National Oil Spill Contingency Plan is understood to have been approved in January 2013. The Plan establishes a National Oil Spill Response Committee comprising representatives from the Barbados Police Force, Barbados Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Department, Coastal Zone Management Unit, Barbados Fire Service and a collection of private sector organisations, including local oil companies under the umbrella of the Marine Oil Spill Action Plan (MOSAP).

The Director of the Environmental Protection Department is the Chair of the Barbados National Oil Response Committee. The Barbados Coast Guard is the first response agency and on-scene co-ordinator for marine spill incidents. The duties of the National Oil Response Committee include providing collective advice and assistance to the OSC so that effective response actions can be formulated and to inform the relevant authorities and the public of the actions taken.

Government policy is to encourage the spiller to undertake the clean-up. The local oil companies are, therefore, required to maintain a response capability for small spills at their installations (Tier 1). For Tier 2 incidents, since government resources are limited, reliance is placed on industry equipment and manpower through MOSAP. For Tier 3 incidents, OSLR Ltd (following its merger with Clean Caribbean and Americas (CCA)), a non-profit oil spill preparedness and response cooperative funded by major oil company members, would be notified.

Response Policy

Physical removal of the spilt oil is the primary response method. However, dispersants approved by the government can be used in accordance with the national dispersant use policy.

The priority for shoreline clean-up is to limit the removal of sand, and manual techniques are recommended.

Equipment

Government

The government does not own pollution equipment, but the Coast Guard and the Port Authority own a number of marine vessels which could be used in the event of a spill.

Private

Reliance is placed on industry equipment and manpower to deal with spills, in particular the state owned oil company, Barbados National Oil Company Ltd (BNOCL). Shell, Mobil, Esso and Texaco also have booms, skimmers, dispersant and spraying equipment. Vacuum trucks, front-end loaders, etc. are available from commercial contractors

Previous Spill Experience

There have been no major spills affecting Barbados although small spills have occurred from routine oil transfer operations.

Compensation

* not yet in force 

Regional & Bilateral Agreements

Cartagena Convention - the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment in the Wider Caribbean Region (a comprehensive, umbrella agreement for the protection and development of the marine environment with states of the Wider Caribbean Region).

Date of issue: September 2014