Spill Notification Point

Competent National Authority

Response Arrangements

The Ports Corporation located in Aqaba, the main coastal conurbation and only oil port, is the national agency charged with combating all marine emergencies, including the control of oil pollution from ships. Response at sea, in inshore waters and for shoreline clean-up is all encompassed in this role, along with the formulation and implementation of an effective framework of contingency planning. The Corporation is also responsible for overseeing wider maritime issues, such as the maintenance of navigational aids, pilotage and enforcing safety standards in port. A national contingency plan has been developed in conjunction with Egypt and Israel with and regular contact is made to establish informal arrangements.

Under the terms of the plan the Director General of the Ports Corporation is designated as the National On-Scene Commander and has overall charge of any response mounted in Jordanian waters. The response is co-ordinated under the direct authority of the Director General through the Marine Department of the Ports Corporation from the Hamza Pollution Centre. The Manager of the Marine Department is designated as the OSC at sea and shoreline clean-up is supervised by the Head of the Port Corporation’s Marine Inspection Division. Environmental, fisheries and scientific monitoring and advice would be provided by the Marine Science Station in Aqaba.

Staff at the Hamza Pollution Centre are available to co-ordinate any response. The Ports Corporation has further personnel available to mount an at sea response. In the event of a major incident, the entire Port Corporation’s large work-force may be utilised along with members of the armed forces.

Regular drills and training occur with equipment mobilised and employed by the response teams. Some sensitivity mapping of the area has recently been undertaken by outside consultants.

Response Policy

The primary method of response focuses on the containment and recovery of any spilled oil and the defensive booming of important sites identified within the contingency plan. The sensitivity of the local coastal ecosystems has discouraged the use of dispersants. However, the application of certain approved dispersants may be permitted, with the proviso that the type of oil and weather conditions are suitable and its use is deemed to be the only effective means of response. Authorisation must be obtained from the head of the Ports Corporation prior to application. A list of approved dispersants is maintained.

Disposal of recovered oil and debris would be decided by the Port Corporation, in consultation with the Aqaba Regional Authority. It is envisaged that recovered oil and oily waste would either be land-filled or, where suitable, transported to the Jordan Petroleum Oil refinery.

Equipment

Government

Anti-pollution centres have established at Nuwaeiba in Egypt, Elat in Israel and Aqaba (Hamza) with donations from foreign governments in order to provide resources to respond to medium size spills in the area (up to 200 tonnes). The latter includes boom, skimmers, pumps, combat vessels and dispersant application equipment. The Ports Corporation also maintains an extensive stock of heavy machinery and general equipment suitable for shoreline clean-up.

Surveillance of oil at sea is likely to be carried out with the co-operation of the Jordanian Air Force using fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters.

Private

The Al Mushtaraq Tanker Terminal maintains a limited stock of response equipment. There are no private spill response contractors in the Aqaba region.

Previous Spill Experience

The PROMOTOR (1995) spilt approximately 50 tonnes of fuel oil after colliding with a jetty. On-water containment and recovery was followed by manual and mechanical shoreline clean-up. Additional resources were supplied by Israel.

Hazardous & Noxious Substances

Jordan does not have a contingency plan for HNS, but in the event of a spill, procedures, lines of command etc would follow the oil spill contingency plan.  Jordan has no specific equipment for combating HNS spills over and above that for oil spills.  Jordan experienced an incident involving a spill of LPG in 2006.

Compensation

* not yet in force 

Regional & Bilateral Agreements

• Jeddah Convention (with states bordering the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden)
• Upper Gulf of Aqaba sub-regional contingency plan with Egypt and Israel.

Date of issue: May 2011