The UK and Ireland Spill Association is running a Marine Spill and Plastic Pollution Conference on 11 and 12 June 2024 at the National Oceanography Centre Southampton.
The Conference is focussed on exploring two current dilemmas for spill and incident responders:
The increasing adoption of less polluting fuels is encouraged by the International Maritime Organisations’ drive to decarbonise shipping by 2050. A consequence of this is that responders are dealing with pollution from spills involving existing hydrocarbon products such as Marine Diesel and VLSFO.  At the same time, they are expected to prepare to attend fuels involving emerging propulsion fuels such as methanol, ammonia and hydrogen often with LNG/LPG and possibly Li-Ion batteries also involved as alternate means of propulsion.
Concurrently the proliferation of plastic already existing in the marine environment is being added to by increasing plastic nurdle spills which are often into fragile coastal marine environments. These disrupt already delicate marine ecosystems, affect coastal fishing activity, have a long-lasting pollution effect and persist in the environment for centuries. The imperative to recover lost nurdles quickly with minimal harm to the existing coastal environment is clear. However little guidance and best practice exists. Our Plastic Pollution Working Group has been developing this over the last 24 months using member experience gained from attending spills in UK waters and overseas. The goal has and remains to provide best practice guidance for ALL who respond to or have responsibility for contingency planning to ensure environmental protection.
Conference speakers are drawn from experienced response professionals, regulators, manufacturers and academics and are all delivering sessions that aim to share knowledge, inform and stimulate discussion with both the audience in the room but also those who may wish to see the recorded sessions after the conference.
An exhibition accompanies and supports the conference with the aim of providing practical solutions to the topics being discussed in the conference from which some speakers are drawn.
For more details on how to attend, exhibit or sponsor this cost-effective event please visit the website: here.
For further information please contact:
Mark J Orr
Executive Director
UK and Ireland Spill Association
Mob: 07864 707408
Tel: 0333 444 1890
info@ukeirespill.org