Volume 15/Number 8/August 1984

commission with power to endorse all oil and mineral exploitation. So far it has proved impossible for the nations involved to agree on its functions and composi- tion. A conference to be held early next year in Rio de Janeiro will concentrate on these issues.

Another major issue is the problem of sovereignty; some of the consultative parties to the treaty claim terri- torial rights in the Antarctic.

Throughout all stages of the talks, representatives of environmental groups have been pressing for a complete ban on any minerals prospecting in Antarctica. They claim that the continent should be left as a wilderness to protect the "incredibly rich and varied wildlife". Their efforts have been reflected in negotiations, with more consideration being given to the environment. However, the question of whether any minerals actually exist in Antarctica or the surrounding seas has still not been answered. A Japanese politician, Hideo Den, who opposes mineral exploitation of the continent, claims that Japanese scientists have discovered uranium there, but this has not been confirmed. The US Geological Survey has estimated that large quantities of both oil and natural gas may exist in the west Antarctic continental shelf.

Ocean Incineration Plans Cancelled Proposals to burn toxic wastes aboard ships in the Gulf of Mexico this year will not go ahead. The plans caused strong protests from local residents, fishermen and envi- ronmentalists. The American Government reached this decision when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) overruled the recommendation of its own inspec- tors that a firm, Chemical Waste Management, should be given a permit to burn 15 million litres of waste. How- ever, this decision does not rule out possible future burns in American waters, but the EPA did call for a "comprehensive research plan" to investigate ocean incineration. Regulations governing ocean incineration will be announced by the end of this summer, before any incineration permits are issued.

could drive tourists away. A spokesman for the Associa- tion of County Councils said they want to be sure the havens are not in sensitive areas, where there could be damage to shorelines, but he is still waiting to see the list.

The Association will also be pressing for full compen- sation following any spill of oil or dangerous chemicals in safe havens, covering not only clean-up operations but also any loss suffered by the tourist industry. However, the government has already said that it will limit compen- sation to clean-up costs.

Rear-Admiral Michael Stacey of the Marine Pollution Control Unit has said that on balance it is better to bring a stricken vessel inshore for attention, and unloading oil in a haven is much more likely to be successful, although he admitted that if a transfer.operation went wrong, a beach might receive more oil than if the ship had stayed off- shore.

ACOPS Report The Advisory Committee on Pollution of the Sea (ACOPS), which is based in London, has recently published its Yearbook. The ACOPS Yearbook 1983 is a compendium of events of marine pollution throughout the world, extending to legal and scientific work. Included is ACOPS Annual Survey of Marine Oil Pollu- tion around the coasts of the UK, especially in ports, during 1983. It shows that reported incidents involving non-tanker vesels have decreased by 53% since 1981. An area of significant increase is the North Sea Offshore Oil- fields, where the downward trend of the last two years has given way to a 27% increase, involving 72 separate incidents.

Not only does the Yearbookrecord these incidents, but it contains accounts of activities by ACOPS and has a comprehensive review of events in the UK Parliament, the work of the EEC and other inter-governmental and non-governmental bodies and measures taken by the oil and shipping industries. In addition there are comments on recent research into safety and technical issues.

Copies of the Yearbook may be obtained from ACOPS, 60 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1ES, UK.

Safe Havens Secret A secret list of safe havens around the UK coastline, where vessels damaged at sea can be towed, has been drawn up by the British Government. The move is a response to a number of marine disasters involving oil tankers, whose cargoes might be salvaged if the plans go ahead. The Department of Transport's marine pollution control unit has listed about 200 bays, coves and inlets following recommendations from the 1981 Royal Com- mission on Environmental Pollution. In the event of an accident at sea, the unit could direct damaged vessels up to the size of a 250 000 t supertanker into calm waters.

However, there is likely to be strong opposition from some councils, especially those with holiday beaches, the main objection being over the threat of greater environ- mental damage if a cargo rescue operation goes wrong. It is feared that a strong smell of oil and machinery noise

CONCAWE Recommendations Following the publication of EEC directive 76/464 on pollution caused by discharges into water, the oil com- panies' European organization for Environmental and Health Protection (CONCAWE) commissioned prepar- ation of a report 'The environmental impact of refinery effluents'. This report concludes that standards based on traditional parameters of water quality are generally sufficient, but they urge that agreement should be sought throughout Europe on the analytical methods to be used.

From an initial review of basic approaches to the determination of hydrocarbons in water, the CONCAWE study team concluded that infra-red pro- vides the best basis for measurement in effluent streams from oil refineries.

CONCAWE recommends that to improve the

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