Pollution Prevention and Environmental Response
Prevention first
The core obligation is to prevent discharge of oil and hazardous materials to water. Candidates must know the purpose of the oil record book, the shipboard oil pollution emergency plan, and the requirement for a declared person in charge during transfers. Understand that transfers require adequate containment - drip pans, scuppers plugged, and overfill protection.
Response
When a spill occurs, the priorities are: stop the source, contain the spread, notify, and record. Notification goes to the appropriate authority and the responsible company representative. Do not use dispersants or other agents without authorization. Absorbent materials and booms are used to contain and recover, not to hide the release.
Traps to expect
- Believing a small sheen is exempt - any discharge may require reporting depending on local rules.
- Forgetting to plug scuppers before transfer.
- Assuming the oil record book is optional or only for large vessels.
- Using unauthorized cleanup agents.
- Failing to record the event and the response actions.
Worked rule of thumb
Use the "stop, contain, notify, record" sequence for every release, however small. If in doubt about reporting, report - an unnecessary notification is far less costly than an unreported discharge. Confirm local reporting thresholds rather than assuming a universal number.