Spill Notification Point

Competent National Authority

Response Arrangements

The Port and Maritime Organisation (PMO) of Iran is the designated national authority responsible for responding to marine pollution incidents in the waters around the country. Within the PMO, the National Coordination Center for Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation is responsible for coordinating all measures in connection with combating oil pollution, receiving pollution reports, updating the National Plan, training and providing combating equipment to regional sub-centres. 

PMO has the power to impose fines on any vessel polluting Iranian ports and coastal waters. In the event of a spill, all costs and expenses for the use of equipment in order to remove the oil from the sea water will be charged as per an established tariff. In practice, the National Iranian Tanker Company also plays a prominent role in responding to marine oil pollution and is believed to maintain significant quantities of spill response resources in the country.

During 2002 and 2003 Iran developed a National Plan for Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation and the necessary draft legislation to support it, under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization. At the same time, the ports and terminals under PMO initiated the development of local contingency plans or emergency plans. The NCP and associated legislation has now been adopted by Parliament. PMO has actively participated in the development of the Caspian Regional Plan on cooperation in cases of major oil spills, as well as in the ongoing work under the Kuwait Action Plan covering the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Iran, in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme, Shell and other companies has developed sensitivity maps.

Response Policy

Response resources for dispersant spraying and containment and recovery are available for clean up at sea, but a formal response policy is not known.

Equipment

Government

It is not known how much spill response equipment was damaged during the hostilities with Iraq and very little information is also available regarding the replacement of this equipment and the response capability that is currently maintained in the country. There is some evidence to suggest that the PMO and National Iranian Tanker Company currently maintain significant stocks of equipment, including boom, dispersant, spraying equipment, skimmers and vessels, but the exact type and quantities involved are unknown. Spill response resources and co-operation may be made available to the Iranian authorities via fellow members of the ROPME Sea Area.

Previous Spill Experience

Iran is developing its capability for responding to spills of HNS. The PMA is the authority responsible for dealing with spills of HNS, but may contract some of this function out to private companies.  Iran currently does not have a national contingency plan for HNS, but this is under development.  There is no specialised equipment other than that already available for oil spill clean-up.  Iran experienced a spill involving methanol in 2006.

Hazardous & Noxious Substances

Indonesia’s NOSCP would also extend to HNS. The National Team for Oil Spill Response would provide the technical expertise, with input from other institutions, government departments, the private sector and NGOs.  The National Team through its Command and Control Centre would also carry out the response, using personnel, equipment and materials belonging to its member organisations in the vicinity.  The DGST has equipment, see above, which could be utilised for HNS spills and supported by equipment from the oil industry.

Compensation

* not yet in force

Regional & Bilateral Agreements

• Kuwait Convention (with countries bordering the Gulf), administered by the Regional Organisation for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME), based in Kuwait.
• Draft Framework Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, I R Iran, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Turkmenistan)

Date of issue: December 2011