The first National Oil Spill Contingency Plan was prepared by the MPPA in 1995 and was revised in 1998 and 1999. The NOSCOP received approval of the Cabinet of Ministers in July 2000. A further revision was undertaken under the INSTCOM project to bring the NOSCP in ine with the Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan yet to be finalised and other National and International developments that have taken place over the years.

Aim and Objectives

Protect Sri Lanka;s coast to minimise the effects of oil spills. The main priority is to protect the most sensitive areas.

The NOSCP is intended to delineate responsibilities for the operational response to marine emergencies, which could result in actual, potential, and suspected spillage of oil in to the marine environment. The marine environment includes the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the coastal zone.

Scope and Geographic Coverage

The plan applies to oil spills which cause or could cause damage to the environment of the coastal zone and the sea. It applies to the waters which are in the jurisdiction of Sri Lanka for pollution prevention purposes, including the EEZ or pollution prevention zone and the territorial sea.

The area of response extends to the high seas where the oil spill has the potential to harm Sri Lanka's interests, such as beaches, estuaries, and otehr areas connected to the sea.

Response Phases

For the purpose of the plan, pollution response operations could be divided into five distinct phases:

• Phase I - Notification
• Phase II - Evaluation and activtion of the plan
• Phase III - Joint response operations at sea
• Phase IV - Joint response operations on shore
• Phase V - Demobilisation

According to circumstances, entire phases or parts thereof may take place concurrently wih one or more other phases.

Classification of oil spills

Tier 1 is normally associated with small local events for which response resources exist locally. There will normally be no need to involve external resources for a Tier 1 spill. Examples:

• Oil spill associated with transfer of fuel or bunker at a terminal
• Small harbour and open sea spills

A Tier 2 spill is a larger spill that may occue in the vicinity of a response centre of small spills at distant locations for which ressources from several sources may be required. i.e. - industry and government resources

A Tier 3 is dimensioned for the largest spill, such as:

• Large tanker accidents
• Offshore blowouts

Arrangements will call for the entire oil spill response resources in a nation and may also call for international assistance

Mobilisation Plan