Pollution Prevention, Response and Compensation - Prevention of Pollution of the Marine Environment from Vessels - page 54

parties are required to establish measures for dealing with pollution incidents, either
domestically or in co-operation with other countries.
The State parties to the OPRC Convention must develop a National Oil Pollution
Contingency Plan (NOPCP). 93 Moreover, they must require their ships to carry a
Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan. 94 Offshore units operating within the
jurisdiction of State parties must develop an Oil Pollution Emergency Plan which is
coordinated with its NOPCP. Parties to this Convention must also ensure that sea
ports or handling facilities within their jurisdiction are well equipped with a
contingency plan and necessary facilities to implement the plan whenever needed. 95
In cases of pollution incidents, ships must report immediately to the coastal
authority. 96 The parties to this Convention must also commit to help each other
in an event of an oil pollution emergency. 97 In 2000, through the adoption of a
Protocol, 98 the scope of the Convention was expanded to include hazardous noxious
substances other than oil.

3.8 Intervention Convention

The need of a convention providing a right to the coastal States to intervene in the
high seas in cases of oil pollution casualties arose for the first time after the Torrey
Canyon disaster of 1967. To avoid serious pollution to the United Kingdom
(UK) coast, the UK government ordered the wreck to be bombed to destroy any
remaining oil by fire. 99 This action was contrary to the prevailing international law
at that time, and subsequent debate led to the adoption of the Intervention Conven-
tion in 1969. 100 The Convention provides a right to the coastal State “to take such
measures on the high seas as may be necessary to prevent, mitigate or eliminate
danger to its coastline or related interests from pollution by oil or the threat thereof,

93 OPRC, art. 6.
94 OPRC, art. 3(1).
95 OPRC, arts. 3(2) and 3(3).
96

OPRC, art. 4.

97

OPRC, arts. 6 and 7.

98

Protocol on Preparedness, Response and Co-operation to Pollution Incidents by Hazardous and
Noxious Substances , opened for signature 14 March 2000, 2003 ATNIF 9 (entered into force
14 January 2007).
99 White ( 2000 ), p. 8; see generally, Cundick ( 1973 ).
100 International Convention Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution
Casualties , opened for signature 29 November 1969, 9 ILM 25 (entered into force 6 May 1975) as
amended by the 1973 Protocol Relating to Intervention On the high Seas in Cases of Marine
Pollution by Substances other than Oil , opened for signature 2 November 1973, 13 ILM
650 (entered into force 30 March 1983) (hereinafter Intervention Convention).