HISTORY OF THE
INTERNATIONAL SPILL
ACCREDITATION SCHEME bunker oil were washed ashore over 200 miles along the Brittany Coast with some parts being buried by 20 inches of oil. The effect on sea life, shellfish in the Brittany estuaries and rivers was significant as was the aggressive clean-up which lacked environmental sensitivity, leaving once thriving marine environments scoured by chemical dispersants, sand and mud
Mark Orr and John Dawes with input from Roger Mabbott and John McMurtie (ISCO)
removal which was never replaced. These incidents, occurring in relatively close succession, caused Europe to wake up to the risk it carried in allowing lightly regulated vessels to navigate their waters with inadequate maritime
The birth of many oil spill control organisations was the loss of 25-36 million gallons of crude oil following the loss of the SS Torrey Canyon which, due to a navigation error, struck rocks by Seven Stones reef between the Cornish mainland and the Isles of Scilly on 18 March 1967. The inadequacy of the response, the environmental impact and the fact that the loss was close to well populated shorelines led to many changes in international regulations such as the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage in 1969 and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973. In February 1971, SS Walfra ran aground off Cape Agulhas, South Africa, following engine problems and a lack of suitable towing vessels that could pull her to safety. Part of her was towed out to sea and sunk but the loss, estimated to be up to 14 million gallons, caused significant and well publicised harm to wildlife and to the environment. In March 1978, in very heavy weather in the Bay of Biscay the steering on the SS Amoco Cadiz failed. Whilst a tow was established it kept breaking and many attempts were made to re-establish it. The Force 10 winds were too much for the tow and she struck Portsall Rocks, just off the Brittany coast. The cargo of 220,800 tons of crude oil and 4000 tons of
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pollution incident plans as demonstrated by the response to each of these pollution incidents. With legislation in place governments responded by improving national plans and developing some international co-operation and agreements to share resources in major incidents. This promoted early discussions in the late 1970s at the Hamburg Ship & Machinery Exhibition to form a British organisation and thus British Oil Spill Control Association (BOSCA) was formed under the auspices of British Marine Equipment Council (BMEC). BOSCA held its first exhibition at St. Catherine’s Dock in London in 1980. The exhibition incorporated a conference which attracted a considerable audience. Slowly BOSCA became involved in the development of national, regional, and local government spill response plans, using local contracting companies. At about the same time Lt Cdr R G (Geoff) Teasdale was tasked, through the Royal Navy and MOD to set up over a period of years very comprehensive stockpiles of pollution control equipment which were operated by Royal Marine Auxiliary Service (RMAS). With large stockpiles at Portsmouth, Devonport and Rosyth and
