Spill Notification Point

Competent National Authority

Response Arrangements

Spill response is centred at the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of the Lithuanian Naval Force at Klaipeda. The duty officer at the centre would assume the responsibility of on-scene commander.  The Ministry of Environmental Protection is responsible for the formulation and implementation of the National Contingency Plan.  The Ministry of Interior will become involved in any clean-up operations through its responsibility for the fire brigades. The Port Authority is responsible for responding to spills within port jurisdiction.

Response Policy

The spill response policy in Lithuania is not fully known. However, the guidelines established by the Helsinki Commission would most likely be adhered to. The Commission’s guidelines favour mechanical containment and recovery as the primary response option for oil spills at sea. The use of dispersants is allowed as a last resort in Lithuania subject to official authorisation by the Regional Environmental Protection Department of the Ministry of Environment. There is no defined policy for the disposal of recovered oil and oiled waste.

Equipment

Government

A small amount of spill response equipment is available in Klaipeda. This comprises booms and skimmers of varying capacities and capabilities. A part of this is operated by two of the local stevedoring companies and part by the MRCC. In general, the stevedoring companies operate equipment for use within the port area, while the MRCC operates equipment for an open water response. Lithuania has two sets of dispersant spraying systems and limited dispersant stockpiles are available to the Butinge offshore oil terminal.

The Lithuanian Navy operates several vessels suitable for operation in the shallow waters of the Kursiu Marios. The Civil Defense Force can provide manpower for shoreline clean-up. 

Private

There are no private resources in Lithuania.

Previous Spill Experience

The GLOBE ASSIMI (1981) spilt approximately 16,000 tonnes of HFO at Klaipeda. A major clean-up ensued including the removal of large amounts of oiled sand.

Hazardous & Noxious Substances

The Lithuanian Navy would be responsible for dealing with spills of HNS.  Lithuania does not specifically cover response to HNS in its NCP and has not done any risk assessment specifically aimed at marine transport of HNS.  Lithuania’s capability for responding to marine incidents involving HNS is very limited and mainly relies on the same resources as for oil pollution response.  There are no special storage devices or storage arrangements in place for recovered HNS.  Floating cranes and barges may be used for recovery and as temporary storage of packaged goods.  Lithuania does not have a specialised response team for marine incidents involving HNS.  In the case of chemical spills, the Marine Research Department of the Environmental Protection Agency would be contacted for expert advice. (Information from EMSA, 2010)

Compensation

* not yet in force

Regional & Bilateral Agreements

• Helsinki Convention (with countries bordering the Baltic Sea).

Date of issue: December 2011