Technology▼Solutions tracks oil spills of at least 10,000 gallons (34 tons), lists the Baltic Sea as a hot spot for spills. With the aim of precluding oil spills increase dramatically, says Maria Last year, Finnish coast guard in the environmentally sensitive Gulf Gästgifvars, a project coordinator for planes observed 170 spills in the Gulf of Finland, the Finnish Environment SYKE. Estonia, Finland, and Russia of Finland, Gästgifvars says. Institute (SYKE), Finland’s national enare planning to expand the size and/ “If all oil ports in the Gulf of vironmental research and development or number of oil terminals they operFinland will develop as planned, in center, is planning to create what they ate, she explains. 40−60 years the eastern part of the believe to be the world’s first internaThe marine environment of the Gulf will turn into [a] dead zone,” tional water traffic control system. Baltic Sea is vulnerable and highly predicts Alexey Yablokov of the The Vessel Traffic Management sensitive to any release of oil, and the Russian Academy of Sciences. Information Service (VTMIS) that number of oil spills in Baltic waters SYKE counters that the VTMIS Finland is developing would operate rose steadily throughout the 1990s, system could reduce the number analogously to the air traffic control according to the Helsinki Commisof spills by 80% in the next 10 years. systems that regulate and safeguard sion (HELCOM), a joint effort of nine Instead of 20 collisions causing 5000 the world’s skies, says Juha Sarkkula, countries bordering the Baltic Sea to tons of oil to be spilled, the sea would a senior research scientist be soiled by only 1000 tons of at SYKE. The system, which oil from 5 spills, says Jorma would be headquartered at Oil transported through the Gulf of Finland Rytkönen, who made the calSYKE, would track ships by culations for the Technical Estonia, Finland, and Russia are planning to dramatically radar and communicate with Research Centre of Finland increase the amount of oil they ship through the Baltic them via established radio (VTT). “The risk of collisions Sea’s environmentally sensitive Gulf of Finland. channels, he says. It would also is high between Helsinki, 120 factor in meteorological condiFinland, and Tallinn, Estonia, Estonia 100 tions and would work in conbecause of heavy crossing Russia 80 junction with the coast guards traffic including passenger Finland 60 of Finland, Estonia, and Russia ferries and tankers,” 40 to send oil spill containment Gästgifvars explains. 20 crews to spill sites. Finland has been operat0 The system would be in ing a smaller-scale VTMIS on many ways similar to one put its own shores for more than Source: Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). in place in Alaska following a decade, Sarkkula says. The the Exxon Valdez oil spill, says other countries in the Gulf John Robinson, who directed the U.S. protect it from pollution. Shipping is also control traffic around their ports, National Oceanic and Atmospheric particularly treacherous in the gulf, but there has been no central control, Administration’s (NOAA) division in which is famous for submerged perhe explains. The new system would charge of responding to oil spills for ils, according to Greenworld, a noncover a much greater area and be op25 years. Robinson applauds the profit Russian environmental group. erated jointly by Estonia, Russia, and Finns for their foresight. Creating Because the sea is so narrow, spills Finland. the Alaskan water traffic control generally reach the shore in less than The VTMIS will be relatively inexsystem was “probably the most valua day, so “we have to respond very pensive to put in place, on the order able thing we did” in response to the quickly to spills,” Sarkkula stresses. of U.S. $2 million annually, estimates 1989 accident, he says, because “the Oil spills can destroy fisheries, Rytkönen. The proposal also calls for prospect of actually doing something contaminate shellfish beds, coat Finland to put an additional icebreakproductive after one of these spills recreational beaches, harm or kill er vessel in service to monitor ice occurs is real slim.” wildlife, and destroy coastal habitat, conditions in the eastern part of the The risk of spills in the Gulf of and they may be linked to whale Gulf of Finland. “Accidents in the ice Finland is expected to rise sharply deaths, according to NOAA. Because conditions are most unwanted. … in the next few years because the many chemicals in oil spills are toxic, combating [them] is really a nightamount of oil being shipped through they can have serious cumulative efmare,” explains Sarkkula, who is conthe gulf, which includes important fects as they build up in ecosystems, fident that the international VTMIS estuaries and is quite shallow (36 meaccording to HELCOM. The Cutter will be functioning by 2005. ters deep, on average), is expected to Information Corporation, which KELLYN S. BETTS © 2002 American Chemical Society
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
Million tons
Water traffic control to prevent oil spills
AUGUST 1, 2002 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
■
327 A
