Operational emergency plan for the defense of the sea and coastal areas from accidental pollution by hydrocarbons and other harmful substances

With the Decree 29 January 2013, n. 34 it is approved the Operational emergency plan for the defense of the sea and coastal areas from accidental pollution by hydrocarbons and other harmful substances. The Plan is contained in an Annex A, which forms part of the Decree.
The Plan is the instrument of the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory and the Sea (MATTM) for the organization of the emergency intervention for the defense of the sea and coastal areas from pollution caused by accidents and for the coordination of operations against accidental and non accidental pollution in national territorial waters, ecological protection zones as well on high seas as long as there is a real threat to national interests.
This operational plan applies as long as the emergency is such that it can be addressed with the means and structures provided by the same. In particular, this Plan regulates: - the coordination between the involved structures and the organizational measures to be adopted at central and local level in order to allow the Heads of Maritime Departments an effective direction of the clean-up operations falling within the second operational stage, referred to in paragraph 2.3; - the economic and financial procedural measures to be put in place at central level to support the interventions to be carried out locally (recognition of debt, compensation for damages, etc.); - the international agreements implementing measures to be adopted at central and peripheral level together with the competent authorities of the neighboring countries or of the countries interested by the ongoing marine pollution; - the implementation measures deriving from the “National emergency plan for the defense against pollution of hydrocarbons or other harmful substances caused by marine accidents by defining high value areas and national escort assets.
The measures contained in this Plan are applied in cases of pollution that they take place in the ports, in the bays and in the coastal zone of jurisdiction, as well as in the territorial sea, in the Italian ZPE where established, falling within the area of competence of a Maritime Department, and, on the high seas, in the area of responsibility of the Maritime Director, if designated.
The Plan defines two different types of emergencies, local and national and different operational situations, from the first to the third stage, depending on the severity of pollution.
The Plan further describes the duties of the responsible authorities and the international cooperation. It also describes in details the crisis management and the duties of the involved parties.
The Plan sets an obligation to report pollution upon whoever become aware of it and discipline the assistance to be provided to the ships that need it.
A whole paragraph is dedicated to the pollution resulting from maritime accidents involving hazardous toxic and harmful substances. The spill into the sea of such substances is treated like the spill of hydrocarbons in the case of substances similar to them for characteristics of insolubility, volatility and non-reactivity with water. In other cases, the mode of intervention is related to the characteristics of the single products and their relationships with the context in which the spill occurred.