Spill Notification Point

Competent National Authority

Response Arrangements

The National Oil Pollution Contingency Plan of Aruba, drafted in accordance with OPRC ‘90 and approved by the government in 1994, contains the organisational structure for combating oil pollution at sea, in ports and along the coast in Aruba.  The objective of the Plan is to limit and prevent damage occurring as a result of oil pollution and to promote cooperation with the oil industry.  The Plan is scheduled to be replaced (information received June 2005).

The Ministry of General Affairs is the lead agency for spill response, and the government-appointed Crisis Management Director would assume control during an incident.  Two National Oil Pollution Response Teams have been set up (one deals with policy and international liaison and the other with the operational aspects of the spill).  Both teams have a fixed staff of designated governmental representatives and a core of experts, and can be expanded depending on the nature of the incident.  A National Response Centre has been established at the Fire Brigade command centre.

The oil industry, Coastal Aruba Refining, has agreed to provide the first tier of response for the government, after which assistance would be sought from MOU partners and adjacent Caribbean Island States.

Response Policy

Aruba adopts the combined approach of containment and recovery, natural dispersion, the restricted use of dispersant and shoreline clean-up.

Any collected waste oil may be processed through local refineries.

Equipment

Government

The port authorities of Aruba own a limited quantity of response equipment and have tugs to assist in clean-up and salvage operations. The Royal Netherlands Navy operates a supply vessel that carries recovery equipment onboard.  Aruba’s desalination plant has not yet installed its own booms at its seawater intakes.  Aerial surveillance would be undertaken using privately contracted aircraft and aircraft from the Royal Netherlands Air Force and Navy. The Coast Guard for the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba auxiliaries also has access to aircraft and vessels.

Private

Wickland Oil and Coastal Aruba Refining have limited stocks of equipment and dispersant. Smit International Antilles, based in Curaçao, operates tugs and some equipment.

Vacuum trucks are available from several private operators.

Previous Spill Experience

Some 500 tonnes of oil impacted Aruba from the grounding of the ALMAK (1984) in the Schottegat. A limited but effective clean-up operation was conducted by contractors using vacuum trucks under the supervision of personnel from the former Esso refinery.

Compensation

* not yet in force The Netherlands extended the provisions of the CLC and Fund Convention to Aruba with effect from 12 April 2006.

Regional & Bilateral Agreements

• Cartagena Convention (with states of the Wider Caribbean Region).

• Aruba is party to the bilateral MOU –“Oil Pollution Contingency Agreement” - between the Kingdom of the Netherlands (the Netherlands-Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles) and Venezuela under which direct assistance would be available from Venezuela for a spill up to 7,000 tonnes.

Date of issue: April 2008