This morning (Monday) began two days of a national exercise to deal with the scenario of a sea and beach pollution event in the Gulf of Eilat, particularly sensitive marine areas, with a unique marine ecosystem and protected and rare natural values.
Upon signaling, the scenario was triggered that while a tanker was unloading at the pier at the Eilat EPA terminal, oil (oil) began to flow into the sea following the failure, amounting to an estimated 30 tons of fuel. The incident was initially defined at the level Tier-1And then, the Minister of Environmental Protection, Tamar Zandberg, approved his promotion Tier-3 At the level of national management.
Marine pollution prevention exercise in Eilat – Ministry of Environmental Protection.
The situation room was opened as part of the exercise at the sea pollution prevention station in Eilat, as well as the situation room in Haifa. The director of the national event at the exercise is Fred Arzuan, deputy director of the Marine Unit of the Ministry of Environmental Protection; And the director of the exercise is Nir Lewinsky, director of the northern station in the marine unit of the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
As part of the exercise, the local emergency plans (Eilat Municipality, Nature and Parks Authority) and the factory emergency plans in the Gulf of Eilat (EPA, Eilat Port, Navy) were activated. In the Eilat municipality in the cleaning operations on the beaches.
Oil is the term by law that includes all types of fuels and oils of fossil origin that are transported in the sea including crude oil and distillates such as fuel oil, diesel and gasoline.
Exercise to prevent sea pollution
Photo: Ministry of Environmental Protection
Exercise to prevent sea pollution
Photo: Ministry of Environmental Protection
Exercise to prevent sea pollution
Photo: Ministry of Environmental Protection
Exercise to prevent sea pollution
Photo: Ministry of Environmental Protection
Exercise to prevent sea pollution
Photo: Ministry of Environmental Protection
Exercise to prevent sea pollution
Photo: Ministry of Environmental Protection
Exercise to prevent sea pollution
Photo: Ministry of Environmental Protection
Exercise to prevent sea pollution
Photo: Ministry of Environmental Protection
Exercise to prevent sea pollution
Photo: Ministry of Environmental Protection
Galit Cohen, Director General of the Ministry of Environmental Protection: “About three weeks ago, with the suspicion of an oil slick approaching the shores of Israel, we received a reminder that sea pollution scenarios are not a rare occurrence. As long as oil and polluting fuels are transported in the maritime space, malfunctions will continue to occur unfortunately around the world.
The question is what will be the size of these events, where will they occur, and how will all the bodies operate. Experience shows that exercises are the main key to improving skill and professionalism in dealing with oil pollution incidents, so we perform frequent exercises, in order to be better prepared in the moment of truth. “
According to Fred Arzuan, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Environmental Protection’s Marine Unit and Director of the National Event in the exercise:
Participants will have to deal with oil retention and pumping and prevention of its spread and reduction of damage to the marine environment in general and the many natural values in the Gulf – first and foremost the northern coral reef in the world. The exercise promotes cooperation between the bodies required to act effectively and in a coordinated manner, under the management of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. “
Assaf Haberi manages the Eilat area at the Nature and Parks Authority: Marine pollution in fuels is known to affect many physiological systems of animals in the marine environment, such as marine mammals, sea turtles, fish and various invertebrates, including corals that are the building blocks of coral reefs in Eilat.
Damage to corals is manifested, among other things, in damage to coral tissues, their ability to feed, reproduce and the ability of corals to cope with climate change. Coral bleaching is a phenomenon that threatens the existence of many coral reefs in the world.
Due to the high resistance of Eilat Bay corals to rising seawater temperatures, this phenomenon has not occurred so far in the bay. “Studies show that marine pollution in fuels increases coral susceptibility to the bleaching phenomenon and thus we will lose the rare opportunity we face to protect a very important ecosystem that is declining elsewhere in the world.”
Dr. Michal Stern – Director of the National Network of Marine Emergency Volunteers Association: “In oil pollution incidents, most of the leak lands on beaches, even when all possible means of treating pollution while at sea are activated. Councils and municipalities responsible for caring for and cleaning their beaches Many volunteers from the public and also from a skilled and efficient force that will be involved in managing the event, will help absorb volunteers, beach surveys and more.
For this purpose, the “National Network of Marine Volunteers” was established, in which quality groups of volunteers from all the coastal authorities in the country undergo professional training and participate in exercises similar to the current national exercise in Eilat. “
This exercise is part of an annual training and exercises program conducted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, in order to maintain the competence and skill of the various bodies as part of the annual training and exercises program carried out under the NAP (National Program for Preparedness and Response to Marine Pollution Events).