New rapid response service gives expert advice on oil spills

The Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management has contracted IVL to provide expert support in the field of oil spill management. The soon-to-be-launched Swedish Marine Pollution Response Advisor will form part of Sweden’s environmental protection system, enabling a rapid response and the implementation of appropriate measures in the event of emergencies such as oil spills and other environmental incidents.

It's encouraging that Sweden once again has expert support available to assist on site, in the event of an acute pollution incident, says Jonas Pålsson, senior analyst at the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management.

The Swedish Marine Pollution Response Advisor will provide expertise on the environmental impact of various types of oil and other hazardous substances in case of emergencies, and will be on site to provide practical advice on environmental priorities at sea and on land.

Urgent pollution incidents, such as oil spills, often involve high-pressure situations where decisions must be made quickly. To be able to make the right assessments, we need staff on site who can advise on the environmental priorities that need to be made, and who have knowledge of Swedish contingency planning, emergency services and remediation methods, says Jonas Henriksson, oil spill expert and head of the Swedish Marine Pollution Response Advisor at IVL.

On several occasions, stress and insufficient knowledge have led to poor decisions being made – or no decisions at all. The result: a greater environmental impact from an oil spill that, given the right expertise, could have been avoided. Poor decision-making can also mean that compensation for damage caused by pollution or remediation is not paid out and, in the worst case, that municipalities and private individuals are forced to bear these costs themselves.

The Swedish Marine Pollution Response Advisor will give both large and, not least, smaller municipalities access to enhanced support in the event of major environmental incidents. This strengthens Sweden’s preparedness in these areas.

“Many different stakeholders have long awaited being able to contact an environmental emergency service for guidance on remediation and environmental follow-up in the event of major incidents involving the emission of oil or other harmful substances into our waters,” says Anna Dimming of the Västra Götaland County Administrative Board.

Read more about the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (in Swedish): Havs- och vattenmyndighetens miljöjour External link, opens in new window.

For more information, contact:
Jonas Henriksson, IVL, jonas.henriksson@ivl.se, tel. +46 (0)10-788 65 39
Jonas Pålsson, Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, jonas.palsson@havochvatten.se, tel. +46 (0)76-538 61 54