New initiative addresses threats from marine chemical and oil spills

A new government-backed initiative has been launched to provide a more integrated and robust approach to chemical and oil spills in the marine and coastal environment. 

The "PREMIAM" project (pollution response in emergencies - marine impact assessment and monitoring) is led by Cefas scientists and will provide a high-quality and co-ordinated post-incident monitoring and impact assessment service to a range of government and other stakeholders.

Chemical and oil spills in the marine environment remain a significant threat. Rapid response, improved preparedness and effective post-incident monitoring and assessment are key to tackling such damaging incidents. 

Better and more effective post-incident monitoring will deliver:

• early evidence of potential impacts
• appropriate ways of investigating the impacts on the wider marine environment
• important information about the efficacy of spill response activities, including the use of dispersants
• a methodology that not only assesses short-term impacts, but also enables the prediction of potential and longer-term impacts
• more effective use of resources, so that unnecessary procedures are avoided and potentially useful ones are not overlooked. 

Cefas' Mark Kirby, PREMIAM's Project Co-ordinator, says: "There are no established expert guidelines in the UK for post-incident monitoring and impact assessment. Nor, indeed, is there a fully co-ordinated mechanism for overseeing the practical aspects of such a programme. 

"So PREMIAM will provide a very useful function that could make a real difference in critical situations. 

"It should enable us to provide, amongst other things, a fast response so that we gain early impact information, easy identification of available expertise at any given time, and a really cost-effective use of resources." 

The PREMIAM initiative will develop and maintain two fundamental things: 

1. impact assessment and monitoring guidelines (the PREMIAM plan)
2. a network of scientific and logistical partners to deliver the plan (the PREMIAM network).

Additional notes 

1. Cefas chairs the PREMIAM steering group, which oversees this initiative. Its membership is comprised of representatives from all the main government stakeholders (including those with regulatory, response and conservation interests), which will ensure an integrated approach.  
2. Through the production of expert guidelines and the generation and maintenance of a national network of experts and service providers, PREMIAM will ensure:
3. • speed - fast response helps to gain early impact or baseline information concerning areas at threat
   • the identification of relevant expertise, and potential availability
   • use of appropriate techniques
   • "best practice" is applied, and the ability to learn from previous responses
   • co-ordination and integration
   • cost-effectiveness. 
4. Potential suppliers of post-incident services (eg, suppliers of analytical or sampling capability, ecological surveys, storage, etc) are welcome to express an interest in becoming part of the network. They should contact premiam@cefas.co.uk or mark.kirby@cefas.co.uk directly. 
5. For more about PREMIAM, visit www.premiam.org.