Use of dispersants

Guidelines for the use of dispersants for combating oil pollution at sea in the Mediterranean region (REMPEC, 2011)

The 2011 Edition of the Guidelines is divided into four independent parts addressing different issues. Each part with a specific objective aims at different end-users and can be downloaded individually from here:

Part I: (Regional approval) which remains unchanged when compared to the version adopted by the Eighth Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (UNEP (OCA)/MED IG.3/5, Appendix I, Antalya, Turkey 15 October 1993), provides a regional agreed guidance on the main elements that should be considered before deciding on the use of dispersants.

Part II: (Basic Information on Dispersants and their Application) provides theoretical information on dispersants and their application. It is aimed at providing background information on the matter to any person interested in the subject.

Part III: (Outline and Proposed Template for a National Policy on the use of Dispersant) has been prepared with a view to assisting coastal States in the development of their national policy on the use of dispersants. It has been developed as a template which can be followed and adapted by the authorities in charge of the development/maintenance of the national policy on the use of dispersants and can also be used for the implementation of national or local contingency plan for dispersants.

Part IV: (Operational & Technical Sheets) is based on the publication entitled “Using dispersant to treat oil slicks at sea. Airborne and shipborne treatment. Response manual” (CEDRE 2005). It provides a set of practical technical sheets which point out the different operational issues when using dispersants. It has been developed for operational users with a view to providing them with the required knowledge for efficient dispersant application.