Anti-pollution exercise at Port Hercule – one of the “Clean Ports of Monaco”
An anti-pollution exercise took place late Wednesday morning, October 27th, around the refueling station at Port Hercule. This exercise, the first of its kind at this location, brought together all the entities concerned for this type of intervention.
Simulated Oil Spill and Clean Up
The scenario was designed to simulate an oil spill as a result of improper handling by the crew of a ship being bunkered.
Under the command of the Monaco Fire Brigade, the Maritime and Airport Police Division, the Maritime Affairs Department, the Monaco Ports Company and the company managing the bunkering station, the automated systems, the speed of reaction, the coordination and the distribution of the fields of action could thus be tested.
The objective of this exercise is to improve the speed of everyone’s intervention and minimize the material and environmental impacts of this type of pollution as much as possible.
It is part of the certification policy of the Ports of Monaco “Clean Ports” which involves a range of certifications: “Clean Ports Active in biodiversity” and ISO quality and environment 9.001 and 14.001 for Port Hercule (Principality of Monaco).
A RAMOGEPOL pollution prevention and response exercise
Another exercise of this kind, called RAMOGEPOL 21, was organised in May in conjunction with the Prefecture of Haute-Corse and in association with representatives of the Guardia Costiera, the Italian Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Marine and Airport Police Division of the Prince’s Government, Monaco.
Via a simulation of accidental pollution at sea, the aim was to strengthen cooperation and optimise the use of the intervention resources that can be mobilised by the three countries that are Parties to the Agreement.
In this scenario, based on real events that have previously been observed, a damaged oil tanker had just run aground in the nature reserve of the Finocchiarola islands, in the early hours of 26 May, causing oil pollution in this environment with its fragile ecosystem, situated opposite the port of Macinaggio.
Faced with an incident of this type, the French authorities, after initiating the first assessment and response operations, activate the RAMOGEPOL plan, making it possible to mobilise, implement and coordinate numerous French, Monegasque and Italian maritime and air resources (the French Navy, Gendarmerie, Maritime Affairs, Customs, the SNSM, and private means), Monegasque resources (the Marine Police) and Italian resources (the Guardia Costiera and Castalia).
The next RAMOGEPOL exercise will take place in 2022 and will be organised by the Italian delegation.
