HELSINKI COMMISSION HELCOM RESPONSE 6/2005 Response Group Sixth Meeting Klaipeda, Lithuania, 30 November - 2 December 2005

Agenda Item 8 Joint Response Exercises

Document code: 8/1 Date: 04.11.2005 Submitted by:

EET REPORT OF BALEX DELTA 2005 EXERCISE

The Meeting is invited to discuss the findings of the report of Exercise Evaluation Team, EET, on the BALEX DELTA 2005 Exercise, conducted on 31 August 2005 in , Sweden.

Note by Secretariat: FOR REASONS OF ECONOMY, THE DELEGATES ARE KINDLY REQUESTED TO BRING THEIR OWN COPIES OF THE DOCUMENTS TO THE MEETING

Swedish

EET Report

Balex Delta 2005 Conducted August 31st, 2005

Ingmar Bergström

Report Balex-Delta 31st August 2005 Karlskrona, Sweden

Contents:

1. Abstract

2. General schedule 2.1 Scenario 2.2 Participating vessels 2.3 Exercise area 2.4 Weather on scene 2.5 Oil simulation

3. Observers 3.1 Observers 3.2 Exercise Evaluation 3.3 Public Relations

4. Elapse of the evaluation

5. Result and evaluation

6. Thanks and congratulations

Report Balex-Delta 31st August 2005 Karlskrona, Sweden

1. Abstract

According to the decision of the Third Meeting of the HELCOM Response Group and the exercise plan of HELCOM, confirmed during the Fourth Meeting of HELCOM Response in September 2004 Helsinki, Sweden arranged and hosted the annual HELSINKI CONVENTION Operational Exercise BALEX DELTA 2005.

The organiser of Balex Delta 2005 was the Headquarters and the Swedish Coast Guard Regional Command South.

The aims of this exercise were to: test the response capability of the contracting parties, test the response procedures incl. combating equipment, train the co-operation between response units and train the communication between on-scene and staff functions.

This exercise also served as an exercise between Sweden and Denmark within the Copenhagen Agreement and between Sweden, Denmark and Germany within the SWEDENGER plan.

The operation was co-ordinated by the Response Commander Captain Sven Bergquist, SOSC Lars Hulthén on board KBV 181. NOSC:s were working on board their vessels.

Parallel to the Balex Delta 2005, the alarm exercise BALEX BRAVO was conducted.

2. General schedule 2.1 Scenario

On August 30th at 08.00 in the area of UTKLIPPAN, a ferry collides with an oil tanker having a cargo of around 70 000 tons of heavy fuel oil. Besides cargo, the oil tanker has some 6 000 tons of heavy fuel oil and 150 tons of marine diesels as bunker. There was a discharge of around 10 000 tons drifting towards the Swedish coast. Swedish and HELCOM units were tasked jointly to prevent the oil slick going ashore.

Report Balex-Delta 31st August 2005 Karlskrona, Sweden

2.2 Participating vessels The following response vessels, of HELCOM Contracting Parties, participated in the Balex Delta 2005 exercise:

Denmark Gunnar Thorson, Mette Miljoe, Hjortoe Finland Hylje Germany Arkona, Bottsand, Kiel, Vilm Lithuania Sakiai Latvia RK-12 Valpas Poland Kapitan Poinc Sweden KBV 201, 202, 181, 005, 047, 050, 290, 304

All vessels arrived on scene with their standard equipment. In accordance with the Helcom flag rules the participating ships flew the HELCOM flag. HYLJE SAKIAI VALPAS KAPITAN POINC

GUNNAR HJORTOE METTE MILJØ THORSON

ARKONA VILM KIEL BOTTSAND

KBV 005 KBV 181 KBV 201 KBV 202

KBV 047 KBV 050 KBV 304 KBV 290

Report Balex-Delta 31st August 2005 Karlskrona, Sweden

2.3 Exercise area Balex Delta 2005 took place south of Karlskrona archipelago.

Exercise Area

2.4 Weather on scene 31.08.2005 at 0700 Wind E 0-3 m/sec, Sea calm sea Air Temperature 20-22 o C Water temp 15 o C Clear sky and a lot of sun.

2.5 Oil simulation Discharged oil was simulated by using popcorn. The Coast Guard discharged 30 m3 popcorns during the exercise.

Danish ships METTE MILJØ and HJORTOE towing the boom in a U- formation.

Report Balex-Delta 31st August 2005 Karlskrona, Sweden

3. Observers, EET, PR A ship for observers (m/s Vitaskär) left the port of Karlskrona at 09.00 and took the observers to the exercise area. Lunch was served on board.

M/S Vitaskär a. Observers Nation Observers Name Authority Carsten Rasmussen SOK, NOSC DENMARK 3 Henrik Greis Mogens Timler Kristina Bartolia LATVIA 3 Ojrs Gerke Guntis Drunka Ariel Wojdlewski Maritime Office in Szczecin Leszek Ulman Maritime Office in Gdynia POLAND 4 Tomasz Cepinski Maritime Office in Slupsk Marek Rezsko Maritime Pollution Combating Division at the Polish Maritime SAR, EET,NOSC Måns Jacobsson Director, IOPC Funds Karl-Erik Kulander Swedish Rescue Services Agency Rebecca Hort Riksrevisionen

SWEDEN Åsa Sandström “ Anne Wisten “ Ingmar Bergström Swedish Coast Guard HQ, EET, Olev Luhtein Estonian Ministry of Environment ESTONIA 3 Kristjan Endrikson , Ministry of Internal Affairs Silver Vahtra Mr.Vladimir Deputy Director, Baltic Salvage and Towage Astafyev Co. / State Marine Pollution Control & Salvage RUSSIA 1 & Rescue Administration of Russia (SMPCSA)

Klaus Nitsch Water and Shipping Board in Stralsund, GERMANY 3 Jens Rauterberg Coastal States, (Länder observer) Leszek Szymanski, Havariekommando, EET & NOSC Tadas Navickas Secretary HELCOM 2 Nikolay Vlasov Information secretary Mr Martin Van North Sea Directorate, Nederländerna Kolck , Irland Mr Mick McGarry Maritime Office in Gdynia, Polen Mr Wojciech Faculty of Maritime Studies and Transportation, Wasowsky Slovenia EUMAREX 7 Mr Marko Perkovic Environmental Agency, Ministry for Environment and spatial planning, Slovenia Mrs Zorka Soltar Slovenian Maritime Directorate, Slovenia Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Mr Davorin Fantulin Relief, Ministry for Defence, Slovenia Mr Zvezdan Bozic EMSA 1 Lech Auriga Sen. Project Officer for Pollution Response

Report Balex-Delta 31st August 2005 Karlskrona, Sweden

b. Exercise Evaluation Team Germany Leszek T. Szymanski Poland Marek Rezsko Sweden Ingmar Bergström

c. Public Relations TV- teams and reporters accompanied the exercise on board KBV 290 on a specially arranged press tour.

4. Elapse of the evaluation The Swedish Coast Guard started the Balex Delta 2005 as a staff exercise “table top” August 30th . On August 30th at 09.00 a Polrep was sent to National Contact Points and at 13.00 the participating ships arrived to the port of Karlskrona.

On August 31st 2005 at 06.30 – 07.00 Captains’ meeting and exercise briefing was held at the Information Centre. The HELCOM fleet left Karlskrona at 07.00 for the exercise area.

The HELCOM response grid was tested during the exercise. A Helcom cap was handed over to all participating persons and crewmembers. (annex 1)

5. Results and evaluation This report is based during the exercise and on the debriefing conducted after the exercise on August 31st at 15.30. The observers from the Contracting Parties, the Captains and representatives of the response vessels participated in the debriefing.

The Exercised units was divided in four Strike Teams; Danish Strike Team called ALFA , German Strike Team called BRAVO, Swedish Strike Team called DELTA, and one team called CHARLIE with ships from Poland, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania. (annex 2) All Strike Teams worked very well and in good cooperation.

The teams from ALFA, BRAVO and CHARLIE used both booms and skimmers and showed how to develop the response capacity with all available equipment.

Report Balex-Delta 31st August 2005 Karlskrona, Sweden

Following comments and annotations have been notified:

- It is important for the Strike Teams to get more information from other Strike Teams, to be updated about the status of the operation. - To start the operation in a more realistic way and to save time the “pop corn” should be spread out before the strike teams arrive on site. - The “Helcom grid” was used and functioned well; the RC staff and the SOSC staff underlined the importance of making the Helcom Grid in a thicker material and with holes for using on sea maps. - The radio communication (channels), between units, NOSC and SOSC was changed in accordance with Helcom Response 5 decision and update of chapter 5 of the Helcom Response Manual, and functioned well. - The response capability and the response readiness have been positive checked. - All participating units and teams worked well in very good co-operation. - All aims and objectives were achieved - The exercise was found realistic, well prepared and conducted in a very professional way. - No significant lacks and damages have been notified.

The two German ships Arkona and Vilm salute colleagues of the Helcom Fleet for very good cooperation.

Report Balex-Delta 31st August 2005 Karlskrona, Sweden

Thanks and congratulations

Swedish Coast Guard thanks all participating units and persons for very good cooperation and a very good job. We also give thanks to all supporting units and persons for their help and interest. A special thanks to the cooks and the crew at the information centre for good food and a kind reception.

Congratulations to the Swedish team which won 2005 Balex Delta traditional rowing competition on September 1st 2005.

The trophy that will stay in Sweden until the next competition, in Poland, 2006.

The winning team of 2005

Report Balex-Delta 31st August 2005 Karlskrona, Sweden

Annex 1

HELCOM response grid

1. Be sure that all units use seacharts of the same scale. 2. Place the reference point in the given position. 3. Mark your response area.

NORTH

A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8

B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8

C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8

D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8

E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8

F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8

G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8

H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7 H8

Report Balex-Delta 31st August 2005 Karlskrona, Sweden

Annex 2 The Strike teams

ALFA

BETA

DELTA

CHARLIE

Swedish KBV 181 was used as platform for the SOSC and his staff.