Water, Sewage & Effluent September October 2018 | Page 8

The organisation will enable South Africa to maintain
a national system for preparedness and response to
major marine pollution.
SA sets up body
to manage marine
pollution
The National Department of Transport — for
the first time in the history of the South African
maritime transport sector — has established an
Incident Management Organisation (IMOrg).
The organisation will enable South Africa to
maintain a national system for preparedness
and response to major marine pollution, as
well as to assess the level of preparedness and
response, the department says. The IMOrg will
also ensure that there is a standardised national
approach towards managing oil spills on the
South African coastline.
The organisation consists of institutions such
as the South African Maritime Safety Authority
(SAMSA), National Disaster Management
Centre, Petroleum Agency of South Africa,
Department of Environmental Affairs, and
Department of Mineral Resources.
The IMOrg is charged with managing oil
and gas spillages, as well as to undertake sea
rescue missions for distraught vessels and
seafarers within the 2  798-kilometre South
African coastline.
The IMOrg is chaired by the department
and has adopted the Incident Management
System (IMS) as the preferred model for oil spill
response in the marine environment. The use of
IMS is promoted by the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) to which South Africa is a
member state. The IMOrg is also endorsed by
the Ocean Economy Inter-Ministerial Committee
on Operation Phakisa.
The department will put in place a legislative
framework to support growth and development
in the shipping as well as oil and gas sectors. u
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Water Sewage & Effluent September/October 2018