IP 39 Agenda Item: ATCM 11, CEP 10 Presented by: Australia Original: English Australian Antarctic Treaty and Environmental Protocol inspections January 2010 Attachments: Report of Australian inspections 2010.pdf 1 Antarctic Treaty – Australian Inspection Team 2010 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC TREATY INSPECTIONS January 2010 Syowa Station (Japan) Molodezhnaya, Druzhnaya IV and Soyuz Stations (Russian Federation) Mount Harding Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) 168 Report of an Inspection under Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty and Article 14 of the Protocol on Environment Protection May 2011 REPORT OF AN INSPECTION UNDER ARTICLE VII OF THE ANTARCTIC TREATY AND ARTICLE 14 OF THE PROTOCOL ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 1. Introduction 2. Overview 2.1 Conduct of the inspections 3. Acknowledgments 4. Molodezhnaya station (Russian Federation) 4.1 General information 4.2 Observations 4.3 Other comments 5. Syowa Station (Japan) 5.1 General information 5.2 Observations 5.3 Other comments 6. Druzhnaya IV Station (Russian Federation) 6.1 General information 6.2 Observations 6.3 Other comments 7. Soyuz Station (Russian Federation) 7.1 General information 7.2 Observations 7.3 Other comments 8. Mount Harding ASPA 168 9. Photographs 9.1 Molodezhnaya Station 9.2 Syowa Station 9.3 Druzhnaya IV Station 9.4 Soyuz Station 9.5 Mount Harding ASPA 168 1. INTRODUCTION Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty provides that each Consultative Party has the right to designate observers to undertake inspections in Antarctica. Observers have complete freedom of access at any time to any and all areas in Antarctica. Parties are obliged to have all areas of Antarctica, including stations, installations and equipment, open at all times to inspection by designated observers. This also applies to all ships and aircraft at points of discharging or embarking cargoes or personnel in Antarctica. The provision for inspection is a key element of the Treaty and is designed to promote the objectives of the Treaty and ensure observance of its provisions. Article 14 of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (the Protocol) also provides for the conduct of inspections, consistent with Article VII of the Treaty, to promote protection of the Antarctic environment and ensure compliance with the Protocol. The Protocol requires that reports of inspections are sent to the Parties whose facilities are subject to inspection and that, after those Parties have been given the opportunity to comment, the report and any comments on it are circulated to the Committee on Environmental Protection, considered at the next Treaty meeting and then made publicly available. This was the seventh inspection program undertaken by Australia since the entry into force of the Treaty in 1961, and the third by Australia since the entry into force of the Protocol in 1998. 2. OVERVIEW 2.1 Conduct of the inspections The Australian inspection team conducted inspections in East Antarctica over a ten day period from 9 to 18 January 2010. The Australian team comprised: Ms Lyn Maddock, Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) Mr Tom Maggs, Strategies Branch, AAD Mr Peter Nagy, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade The inspections and aerial observations were conducted under the provisions of Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty and Article 14 of its Protocol on Environmental Protection (the Protocol). In accordance with Article VII of the Treaty, all Parties to the Antarctic Treaty were notified, in advance, of the names of the members of the Australian observer team. In order to facilitate the conduct of the inspections, the team included a speaker of Russian and Japanese. The activities of the observer team in Antarctica were subject to an authorisation in accordance with sections 12E and 12F of Australia’s Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980 which implements the obligations of the Protocol in Australia’s domestic law. The inspection team was also subject to a permit issued under section 9 of that same Act, for entry into Mount Harding Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA)168. This permit was carried by the inspection team on the visit to the ASPA. The Australian observer team: conducted an aerial observation of Molodezhnaya Station (Russian Federation) on 9 January 2010, as provided for under Article VII(4) of the Antarctic Treaty; inspected Syowa Station (Japan) on 9-11 January 2010; inspected Druzhnaya IV Station (Germany) on 13 January 2010; inspected Soyuz Station (Russian Federation) on 18 January 2010; and, inspected the Mount Harding Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) 168 in the Grove Mountains, Princess Elizabeth Land on 19 January 2010. The inspection team flew to Australia’s Wilkins runway near Casey Station on Australia’s airlink Airbus A319, then to Davis Station (Australia) and inspection sites using the AAD’s ski-equipped CASA 212 fixed-wing turboprop, and Sikorsky S-72 helicopter. The members of the team also visited the Larsemann Hills, where Australia operates a summer facility, conducts scientific activity, and is an active participant in Antarctic Specially Managed Area 6. The team met with personnel at Zhongshan station (China), at Progress station (Russian Federation), and at the site of India’s proposed new station. This visit was to enhance management coordination and cooperation between Australia and other nations active in the area, consistent with the objectives of the ASMA management plan. The visit to the Larsemann Hills did not include formal inspection activities. In conducting the inspections the observer team was guided by the inspection checklists adopted under Resolution 5 (1995). The observers also looked at activities not covered by the checklists. The observers carried with them information exchanged by the Japanese and Russian Governments in accordance with Article VII.5 of the Antarctic Treaty. In accordance with Article 14(4) of the Protocol, copies of the reports were provided to the Russian Federation and Japan for comment. Comments were received from Japan and have been incorporated into this final version of the inspection report presented to ATCM XXXIV. 3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Australia extends its gratitude to the Russian Federation and Japan for their cooperation and assistance with the conduct of these inspections, and for the kind and hospitable welcome provided at Syowa and Druzhnaya IV Stations. Australia thanks Japan for hosting the inspection team at Syowa Station, providing skiway access and aircraft communications support, local area helicopter transport, and fuel. 4. MOLODEZHNAYA STATION (RUSSIAN FEDERATION) 4.1 General information Molodezhnaya Station is located at 67°40.30'S, 45°23.00'E, on the western coast of Enderby Land. It comprises numerous large buildings, mostly elevated above ground and connected by site services. Australia contacted Russia in the planning phase of the inspection tour to determine the state and availability of the Molodezhnaya skiway. Russia advised Australia that the station would be unoccupied and the skiway likely unusable. Russia’s COMNAP data notes that the station is temporarily closed. It was decided to observe the station from the air in accordance with Article VII (4) of the Antarctic Treaty. Molodezhnaya Station has been inspected twice in the past, in 1966-1967, and in 1982-1983, in both instances by the USA. 4.2 Observations An aerial observation of Molodezhnaya Station was conducted on 9 January 2010 from a CASA 212 aircraft. Inspectors were able to obtain a clear view of the station from the aircraft rear ramp. At the time of the aerial observation, there was considerable snow and ice cover evident around and between buildings, facilities and site services. Numerous low-level, low-speed passes were made over the station to allow observation and photography. The observers concluded in general that the station buildings and infrastructure appear to be largely intact. It was not possible to make conclusions in detail regarding the condition of fuel storages, although wind scouring around the bulk fuel storage tanks allowed a view of the ground immediately around the tanks, and while no evidence of secondary containment could be seen, no damage or spillage was evident. Inspectors estimated the capacity of the tanks at in excess of 100 000 litres each. No structural building damage was evident from the observations or the photographs. It is noted however that the inspection was conducted in mid January, when the summer melt might be expected to be approaching its peak. However, there remained extensive snow cover throughout the station complex and in several cases snow partially buried buildings and pipework. The inspection team concluded that, should the station area continue to accumulate snow while it is temporarily closed, it is likely that some water ingress to buildings will occur during future summers, hastening deterioration, as has been the case at other stations in Antarctica. Continued freeze-thaw cycling is likely to rapidly render buildings uninhabitable, and to split pipes. Additional structures and equipment were observed in a complex situated some 12km to the southeast of the station area, understood by the observers to be the site of the former intercontinental runway. The structures and aircraft in this location were substantially buried by snow. 4.3 Other comments Australia recognises that the information which can be obtained by aerial observation is limited, but regards the observation activity as valuable, particularly given the size and complexity