Preparedness and Post-spill MoU on Assessment and Restoration

Representatives of the International Group of P&I Clubs (IGP&I) and the US Department of the Interior (DOI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Washington, DC on 1st November 2011. The purpose of the agreement is to promote co-operation, both in terms of preparedness activities and post-spill impact assessment, as required for ship-related OPA 90 incidents. The MoU is not limited in its duration and is valid for incidents occurring in the EEZ of the United States and its territories. 

The US Department of the Interior is a Federal Trustee under the provisions of the United States Oil Pollution Act 1990 (OPA90). The Department maintains a Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program which co-ordinates the injury assessment and restoration of the various natural and cultural resources managed by the six DOI Bureaus. The many and varied trustee resources over which DOI has responsibility and authority include hundreds of millions of acres of public and Indian lands, a great variety of natural wildlife refuges and national parks, migratory birds, anadromous fish, certain marine mammals and most threatened and endangered species. 

The International Group of P&I Clubs provides third party liability coverage for more than 90% of the world shipping fleet, including more than 95% of the ocean-going tanker fleet. This P&I insurance arrangement is based on the individual Clubs (the ship-owners' third party liability insurers) and a pooling arrangement between thirteen members of the International Group for major claims.

 

Although not a signatory to the MoU, ITOPF is a key player in the co-operative arrangements foreseen in the technical paragraphs of the agreement. As is true for a similar MOU with the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) , ITOPF's role as outlined in the agreement is to assist in the sharing of relevant technical information and the undertaking of relevant joint studies during the technical assessment and restoration planning process. It is to be anticipated that ITOPF's participation will facilitate the co-operative approach and minimise delays in implementing restoration projects.