International exercise BALEX DELTA 2006 on readiness to respond to oil spills at sea

On 4-8 September the annual international exercise BALEX DELTA 2006 on management of oil spills was held in Gdynia, Poland.

 

 

25 rescue ships and three airplanes from Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, Russia and Norway took part in this operational exercise. Lithuania was represented with the rescue vessel Šakiai of the State Enterprise Klaipeda State Seaport Authority.  During the exercise, response measures in the event of oil spill were coordinated among the representatives of different countries.  

 

Also the exercise aimed to check the effectiveness of alarm procedure, response capacities and readiness to respond by the contracting parties, and exercise between the rescue vessels crews.

 

The purpose of the exercise was to check the response time and efficiency of elimination of oil spill at sea by the participating parties.  The participants in the exercise were given opportunity to share information on the latest techniques and facilities for response to oil spills at sea.

 

The Helsinki Commission operational response exercise BALEX DELTA 2006 was arranged by the Polish Maritime Search and Rescue Service in pursuance of the decision adopted at the fifth meeting of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) Sea-based Pollution Working Group.  Next year the exercise is scheduled in Estonia.