Civil Protection Department

National intervention plan against hydrocarbons or other noxious substances pollution caused by marine accidents

Article 11, paragraph 4 of Law No 979 of 31 December 1982, identifies the responsibilities of the Department of Civil Protection in the field of marine pollution by hydrocarbons or other harmful substances in cases of national emergency.

The law states: "When the emergency cannot beis tackled using the resources at the Ministry of Merchant Marine, the Minister of Merchant Marine (*) calls on the Minister of Civil Protection to promote the declaration of a state of national emergency. In this case, the Minister of Civil Protection takes over all operations on the basis of national emergency plan adopted by the organs of the National Civil Protection.Service."

The Plan discliplines the procedures for the intervention of the Department and the central and peripheral structures of the national civil protection service, for the defense of oil spills or other harmful substances, directing all actions aimed at:

• safeguarding human lives and economic and environmental interests;
• eliminating risks, narrowing damages and carrying out reclamation activities;
• implementing, coordinating with relevant institutional bodies all the necessary steps for the resumption of normal life and free fruition of the areas affected or threatened by pollution.

The Head of Department has the "strategic direction" of operations, namely the unitary conduct of all activities at central and peripheral to the ground and at sea, aimed at the protection of oil pollution or other harmful substances.
The Maritime Authority (at sea) and the Prefect (the coast) for your jurisdiction, have the "operational direction", that the authority delegated to an officer to use the forces assigned to the operations of defense against pollution of oil or other harmful substances in a specific area of ??intervention and to believe or to delegate the tactical leadership of the forces deployed.

Purpose of the plan. The plan shall establish standards for the executive to exercise promptly the direction of all operations aimed at harm reduction and rehabilitation at the same time, discipline forms and manner of execution of action that the State authorities, central and peripheral, with the cooperation of the Regions and local authorities, should put in place to achieve the best possible action for remediation and containment of the damage can be caused to people and environment from marine pollution by hydrocarbons or other harmful substances.

Plan application. The Plan is applied in all possible marine and coastal pollution, whatever its sources and situations that have originated them, every time it is declared a national state of emergency under Article. 5 of Law n.225 of February 24, 1992, or in exceptional emergency situations that may compromise the integrity of life, pursuant to art. 3 of Law No. 286, December 27, 2002.
With the plan you can manage the national emergency and to complete in the shortest possible time, the operations of harm reduction aimed at reclamation started under the coordination of the Chief of the Maritime jurisdiction (in the local emergency phase, ie when pollution still remains the responsibility of the Maritime Authority and the Ministry of Environment).

Operational phases for the management of national emergency. The operational phases for the management of national emergency are divided into:

• Warning phase, which starts when there is news of the declaration of local emergency;
• Phase of national emergency, which is activated following the declaration of a state of national emergency under Article. 5 of Law n.225 of February 24, 1992 Decree of the President or the Council of Ministers under Article. 3 of Law No. 286, December 27, 2002.

Following the activation phase of national emergency, the Head of the Civil Protection Department takes over all operations by linking up with the Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea, head of the local phase of the emergency.

Plan Structure. The Plan is divided into 9 chapters: 1) plan details, 2) the operational level, 3) emergencies, 4) oil pollution, 5) pollution from other noxious substances; 6) transportation; 7) disposal and recovery; 8) communications; 9) relationships with the media and an appendix with formatted messaging.

There are also 10 annexes: 1) procedures for convening staff MM and ?.p. and SSI-COEMM MATTM at the DPC, 2) chemicals (dispersants and absorbents) used recognized manufacturer and supplier, and 3) techniques used in combating marine pollution by hydrocarbons, 4) coastal areas are particularly sensitive list - list of Prefectures jurisdiction; 5) Extract from "Guidance on the control and cleaning techniques of coastal oil spills; 6) hazardous substances; 7) operations for temporary storage and sent for disposal or recovery of oil and other products recovered; 8) operational offices of central government departments and agencies which requests should be sent in case of emergency; 9) Community cooperation; 10) distribution list.

(*) The powers of the abolished Ministry of Merchant Marine in the fight against pollution are now vested in the Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea (pursuant to Article 1 - paragraph 10 - Law of 12.24.1993 No 537).