4
TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1978
MARINE DEPARTMENT READY TO COMBAT OIL SP ILLAGE
******
HONG KONG IS WELL GEARED TO COMBAT AN OIL SPILLAGE, THANKS TO THE FORESIGHT AND PREPAREDNESS OF THE MARINE DEPARTMENT.
THE DEPARTMENT'S POLLUTION CONTROL UNIT HAS TRAINED MORE THAN 200 CIVIL AID SERVICES PERSONNEL SINCE LAST APRIL.
ASSISTANT MARINE OFFICER, MR. R.A. CASTRO, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE TRAINING, SAID THAT THERE WAS A CONSTANT DANGER OF OIL SPILL IN HONG KONG WATERS BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY SEA TRAFFIC.
THE GROUNDING OF THE DANISH CONTAINER SHIP, ADRIAN MAERSK, OFF LAMMA ISLAND RECENTLY SERVES AS A REMINDER OF THIS EVER PRESENT THREAT.
+BECAUSE OF THIS, WE HAVE TO TRAIN UP AS MANY PERSONNEL AS POSSIBLE IN OIL CLEARING OPERATION TO MEET FUTURE CONTINGENCY, + MR. CASTRO SAID.
THE COURSE HELD ONCE EVERY MONTH IS A COMPREHENSIVE ONE LASTING TWO DAYS.
THE FIRST DAY TRAINING INVOLVES A SHORT THEORECTICAL LECTURE AND +DRY DRILL+ A IMED AT GIVING THE TRAINEES THE BASICS OF ANTI-OIL POLLUTION WORK AND TO FAMILIARISE THEM WITH THE EQUIPMENT DEPLOYED IN OIL DISPERSAL.
ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE COURSE, +WET DRILL+ PRACTICE TAKES PLACE ON BOARD A MARINE LAUNCH. THE EXERCISE IS USUALLY CARRIED OUT AT CHOSEN SPOTS WHERE OIL SPILLAGE POTENTIAL IS HIGH.
MR. CASTRO STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF FIELD PRACTICE SO AS TO GET TRAINEES USED TO ROUGH SEA CONDITIONS AND THE HANDLING OF VAR IOUS EQUIPMENT ON THE POLLUTION CONTROL LAUNCH.
THE EXERCISE ALSO PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TRAINEES TO LEARN HOW TO OPERATE TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT, ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE OF WIND AND TIDE EFFECTS AND TO FAMILIARISE THEMSELVES WITH THE GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF HONG KONG WATERS.
IN HONG KONG THE METHOD ADOPTED IN DISPERSING OIL IS THE USE OF A NON-TOXIC CHEMICAL WHICH IS SPRAYED ON THE OIL SLICK SO AS TO EMULSIFY IT.
IN THE EVENT OF AN OIL SPILL, THE FIRST ACTION BY THE POLLUTION CONTROL UNIT WOULD BE TO STOP THE SPILL AT SOURCE AND DISPERSE THE OIL BY APPLICATION OF CHEMICAL DISPERSANTS. IF POSSIBLE THE SPILL SHOULD BE CONTAINED AND PREVENTED FROM SPREADING TO AN AREA WHERE DAMAGE COULD OCCUR, SUCH AS A FISH FARM OR TYPHOON SHELTER BY DEPLOYMENT OF CONTAINMENT BOOMS.
/5