Responding to spills and pollution - Papua New Guinea National Maritime Safety Authority
Whenever the Authority receives a report of a marine pollution incident it initiates a response in accordance with the National Marine Pollution Contingency Plan (NATPLAN). The first action is to make an assessment of the incident, so as to designate the incident to a response Tier level as follows:
- Tier One:
- small spills that are within the response capabilities and resources of an individual port or other facility or vessels and,
- the response and clean-up shall be conducted by the owner or operator of that port or other facility or any vessel under its site-specific contingency plan or onboard contingency plan.
- The incident must be reported to the Authority in any case as required.
- Tier Two:
- medium spills that are within the national capability (NMSA) and resources ofthe NATPLAN and,
- the response and clean-up shall be controlled directly by the Authority under the NATPLAN with support from other parties as required.
- Tier Three:
- large spills that are of a magnitude and/or severity that is beyond the response capability and resources of Papua New Guinea, and/or
- that impacts or threatens to impact across the jurisdiction(s) of our neighboring country(s) and,
- the response and clean-up is controlled directly by the Authority under the NATPLAN with support from others, as well as from neighboring countries and other external assistance, in accordance with the procedures contained in any relevant bilateral and/or multilateral memorandums of understanding such as the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
Once the incident has been designated to a Tier level, the Authority shall oversee, coordinate and control the response to the spill in accordance with the contingency plan relating to the designated Tier level.
National Marine Spill Contingency Plan (NATPLAN)
National Marine Pollution Contingency Plan 2017 Rev 1 With Signed Copy.pdf