Cromarty Rising

One of the most useful studies providing an assessment of the effects of oil on coastal communities that we have read is the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) Technical Information Paper 12 (Effects of oil pollution on social and economic activites, Technical Information Paper 12. International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation http://www.ukpandi.com/fileadmin/uploads/uk-pi/Knowledge_Base_-_International_Conventions/TIP%2012%20Effects%20of%20Oil%20Pollution%20on%20Social%20and%20Economic%20Activities.pdf).

The paper considers the range of economic sectors that can be affected with coastal communities following an oil spill. They rightly identify tourism and commercial fishing as receiving the biggest impact, however, they also go on to identify a number of other less obvious areas that provide food for thought for the CFPA proposal. These include:

• secondary effects of spray carrying oil inshore subsequently affecting buildings, cars and caravans close to the shore which then require cleaning or repainting,
• secondary contamination from workers and machinery being brought in to conduct a clean up,
• degradation of “brand image” of an area,
• vessel damage in harbours and marinas,
• oil becoming trapped in port structures or coastal defence thereby causing secondary pollution.

The potential impact on coastal civil engineering and shipbuilding is also described – with dredging and coastal engineering, port expansion and vessel repair in yards as being highlighted as activities that can be affected due to the difficulties containing an oil spill around such large areas. Although not immediately obvious, agriculture was also identified as another activity that could be affected – although rare, there are several instance of crops and animals being contaminated, especially where spills coincide with high tides and onshore winds. In the case of the Moray Firth, it follows also that its links golf courses could also be similarly affected. The potential to disrupt coastal communities is highlighted and the report states:

“A major spill of a volatile crude oil close to a centre of population is likely to raise health concerns and complaints of breathing difficulties, headaches and nausea. “

Furthermore the potential to contaminate cultural heritage assets, including buildings, from water or air borne oil droplets is also highlighted.

The ITOPF is not an environmental organisation. It describes itself as “the leading, not-for-profit marine ship pollution response advisers providing impartial advice worldwide on effective response to spills of oil & chemicals.”

Based on this impartial advice, the prognosis for an oil spill in the Moray or Cromarty Firth is not good.