Barbara Hauley
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- Safety Charter Targets Old Tankers, Flags Of Convenience Maritime Reporter, Mar 2000 #20
A backlash against older tankers and flags of convenience, triggered by the December sinking of the Erika off the coast of France, achieved a tangible first step last week with the signing of a Ship Safety Charter by oil majors and ship classification firms involved in the French petroleum shipping industry.
The parties signing the three-page document, including TotalFina, Elf Aquitaine, BP Amoco France, Royal Dutch/Shell France, Esso France, ship classification firm Bureau Veritas and petroleum industries federation UFIP, agreed not to use single-hulled ships after 2008 and, effective immediately, to only use ships over 15 years old if they have passed recent intensive inspections. Charterers will accept ships over 14 years old only if they have been classed by the same society for two years or more.
The charter does away with flags of convenience, calling for shippers and charterers to use only ships flagged by countries in the EU, EEC, or a state that effectively applies specific standards related to safety, inspection and training of crew.
Classification societies, according to the charter, must maintain and provide a technical history of each ship it classifies in the event of a transfer to another society.
The charter, developed in a roundtable discussion held by the French government on Feb. 10, follows nearly two months of widespread calls for tighter rules to prevent another Erika-like accident from happening.
The Erika, a 37,283-dwt, 25-year-old Maltese- flagged products tanker, broke in two and sank during a Dec. 12 storm, spilling about 15,000 tons of fuel oil, which began to wash up on France's Brittany coast on Christmas Eve, polluting 250 miles of beaches, killing or maiming 300,000 sea birds — dealing a harmful blow to the French fishing and tourism industries.
RINA, the Italian society that classed the Erika, reported on Feb. 9 that initial findings into the cause of the accident point to a small structural failure in hull structure. This was followed by a cracking that led to the hull's collapse. "RINA will continue investigations to determine the cause of the initial failure as well as the results of subsequent actions by the master owners and other parties involved," society officials said.
Though not one of the signers of the safety charter, RINA has called for improved exchanges of information between classification societies and has instituted a full audit of all similar ships in its fleet. The society also continues to cooperate with the French government's investigation of the accident and maintains that it acted correctly and followed all relevant standards and guidelines.
Oil giant TotalFina, which chartered Erika, has also refused to accept any responsibility for the sinking of the Erika. However, the company has donated about $125 million to the cleanup effort and, along with several other oil majors, instituted its own tighter chartering policies prior to the signing of the charter.
Although many industry players, including the CGT trade union, feel that the charter's safety proposals, to be debated at a March 28 Council of Ministers meeting in Belgium, are a good first step in the right direction, others insist that such Draconian regulations are unnecessary and won't help the problem.
The captain of the Erika has said that tight budgets mean that safety standards are often ignored. "There are certain things that nobody dares to say, but the job has changed a lot, everything is going too fast, everything is dominated by money," Karun Mathir, still under formal investigation for maritime pollution, said. He added that the Erika's 26- person crew was doing the work that used to require 60 crewmembers.
Stopover times at ports were thus shortened, meaning less time for paperwork, and a phasing out of radio officers led to lessened coordination with insurers, shipowners and shipping authorities, he said.
On the other hand, Lars Carlsson, president of Concordia Maritime, asserts that a series of simple measures could eradicate the problems that led to the Erika incident, but that shippers deserve stricter, "unpredictable and inefficient" regulations if they won't follow such steps. Carlsson has proposed measures including the boycotting of companies that are known to break or bend rules. Oil traders and tanker brokers have said that the outcry for tougher tanker restrictions might fade once the public outcry over the Erika dies down, and have warned that tightening of rules could result in a shortage of appropriate tonnage. Brokers say that nearly 20 percent, 340 ships, of the world fleet of 1,744 tankers between 10,000-50,000 dwt are 25 years of age or over. More than 50 ships still operating were built in the 1960s.
"(The oil companies) depend a lot on older ships, but if they were prepared to pay more for modern ships, it would encourage owners to build more," a broker said.
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January 2023 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 39vehicle deployment and re- from the University of California, Santa mander, former director of the Center for trieval, T-AGS 67 will be a multi-mission Barbara, in 1965, he earned an Army Re- Ocean Exploration, and a tenured profes- ship that will perform acoustic, biologi- serve Commission, ultimately requesting
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August 2022 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 10Interview: Tom Risley “I was country when country wasn’t cool” These Barbara Mandrell lyrics are a ftting introduction to Tom Risley, Director of Energy Programs, Life Cycle Engineering (LCE), an engineer who has a long and distinguished history working with ‘Alternative Fuels’ in the maritime sector.
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June 2022 - Marine News page: 42Commandant. shipyard. Poulin Phillips Phillips Sworn In as Holland Named MARAD Administrator MLA President Ann C. Phillips has been con? rmed Barbara L. Holland, partner at Col- and sworn in as Administrator of the lier Walsh Nakazawa has taken the U.S. Maritime Administration, ? lling helm
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February 2022 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 51, the ? eet. Four LCSs are currently under construction includ- Austal USA was awarded a contract for the detailed design ing the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32). Final assembly is and construction of two U.S. Navy Towing, Salvage, and Res- underway on the future USS Augusta (LCS 34) and modules
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May 2021 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 38his discovery of the Taking his advice to the extreme, Ballard enrolled at UC Titanic, she congratulated him but said: “Too bad you found that Santa Barbara with quadruple major in chemistry and geology, Photographer Emory Kristof and I proudly hold the National Geographic Society flag aloft as we
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May 2021 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 37during our annual lobster dives. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in Army Intelligence as I graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in January 1965, I’m proudly saluting in front of the family car. All photos on spread courtesy of Robert Ballard www.marinetechnologynews.com
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January 2021 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 39greenhouse gas by the ocean. The ? rst research expedition on the all-new R/V Roger Revelle got underway in early November, a mission led by UC Santa Barbara to retrieve ocean bottom seismometers measuring seismic activity and to collect rocks from sea- mounts and underwater volcanoes. “The ship went down
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January 2021 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 35Revelle got underway in early November, an essential re- widely regarded for not only establishing the institution as an search mission led by UC Santa Barbara to retrieve ocean internationally prominent science center, but for solidifying bottom seismometers measuring seismic activity and to col- the decades-lo
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August 2020 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 43service and performance ardex CEO Thomas Miller, PE, has lived a mari- time life, graduating from the University of Cali- fornia, Santa Barbara in 1982, with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a special- Bization in marine structures, serving 38 years with Bardex, starting
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June 2020 - Marine News page: 53designed as a surf rescue ern District, which covers all of Santa alon tube with two rows of rubstrake re- craft, the Ribcraft 5.85 is small enough Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles and San inforcing; electronics package complete to maneuver in shallow waters and be Diego counties. with 12V outlet, handheld
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February 2020 - Marine News page: 35, Christian 10 ATBs in the products and easy chemicals trades. Its ves- Reinauer and Meredith Reinauer, all 7,200 horsepower, are sels include the tug Barbara Ann Carol Moran/barge Loui- linked with 140,000- to 150,000-barrel barges, while its siana and Leigh Ann Moran/barge Mississippi. The tugs Dylan
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January 2020 - Marine News page: 26the vessel and freight after an accident. T e diving boat Conception burns of the coast of Santa Cruz island on September 2, 2019. Credit: Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Of? ce January 2020 26 M
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January 2020 - Marine News page: 24Safety Board (NTSB) The September 2 Conception disaster, which killed 34 • Vice Admiral Brian Salerno, USCG, Ret., people off the coast of Santa Barbara, was a top issue. It Senior Vice President, Maritime Policy, was cited both as a singular tragedy and as one more sad Cruise Lines International
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October 2019 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 23team shows that the reach of plastic extends far- Brandon said the discovery supports the idea of using plastic ther in the oceans. It chose Santa Barbara Basin to look for accumulation as a de? ning signi? er of the Anthropocene, a plastic buried in the sea? oor. There, relatively still waters
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October 2019 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 22Case Study Plastics in the Ocean Photo: © Alejandro/AdobeStock Plastics in Marine Sediment An explosion since WWII he amount of plastic fragments in Santa Barbara The study is the ? rst of its kind in that it examined accumula- Basin sediments has been increasing exponentially tion of plastic over time in
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May 2019 - Marine News page: 24the Port of Charleston in South Carolina. The strong desire to alleviate traf? c congestion along our According to SCPA Chief Operating Of? cer Barbara Mel- interstate system is another reason to invest and develop vin, “To be a responsible neighbor here in the Charleston our Marine Transportation
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April 2019 - Marine News page: 46. 220 Frederick E. Bouchard B. No. 225 Jane A. Bouchard B. No. 230 Ralph E. Bouchard B. No. 242 Morton S. Bouchard IV B. No. 235 J. George Betz B. No. 240 Barbara E. Bouchard *** *** Tug Buster Bouchard: Intercon equipped; not currently married to any Bouchard Barge. Tug Capt. Fred: equipped w/Intercon but not
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January 2019 - Marine News page: 52announced that the new Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of he worked at Kirby Corporation since chairman of its board of directors is Commerce CEO Barbara Leslie has 2006 in myriad key roles. John Steen-Mikkelsen, CEO of Dan- joined the Port of Oakland’s govern- Sluka Joins Rose Point ish ferry operator
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November 2016 - Marine News page: 102Florida business leader, has died at the age of 80. Aaron passed away peacefully after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Aaron leaves behind his wife Barbara, six children, and three grandchildren. Aaron’s father, Captain F.M. Hendry, started the family business more than 90 years ago. Over time, the company
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August 2016 - Marine News page: 88.edu CEO/President: John F. Malloy Website: www.viking-systems.net Website: www.westkentucky.kctcs.edu CEO/President: Lars Henriksen CEO/President: Dr. Barbara Veazey T C : T S :HE OMPANY HE CHOOL T C :HE OMPANY Victaulic is the originator and has West Kentucky Community & been the world’s leading producer
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July 2016 - Marine News page: 54Association of America, Inc. City as a Principal. Angiolino brings of the oceans. (NCBFAA). Ms. Montgomery replaces more than 35 years of insurance in- Barbara Reilly, CAE, who held the po- dustry experience to Integro, with sition for 18 years before resigning ef- primary focus on marine and energy Scholten
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June 2016 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 69Vessel IMO Tugboat Name Barge CG Number Barge Name Type of Barge Barrel Capacity* or CG Number or IMO Number Bouchard Transportation 9053141 BARBARA E. BOUCHARD 998038 B. NO. 240 Tank Barge 141,082 Bouchard Transportation 8835102 BOUCHARD GIRLS 955449 B. NO. 295 Tank Barge 158,822 Bouchard
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May 2016 - Marine News page: 32those who receive municipal water tee, and to its Chairman James M. Inhofe and Ranking supply, hydropower, industrial process and cooling water, Member Barbara Boxer, plus to David Vitter, Chairman of ? ood damage prevention, national security, and irrigation. the Senate Transportation & Infrastructure
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April 2016 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 88as Current Executive Vice President Koichi President EMEA in Vopak. Fujiwara has been appointed as Chair- Bruton Joins Intermarine is replacing Barbara A. Niland as cor- man and President as well as a Repre- Ide Joins Viega Intermarine, LLC, a transporter of proj- porate vice president and CFO upon