maritime engineering and ports ii, c.a. brebbia & j ...€¦ · university of wales college of...

Guidelines for port environmental

management

E. Paipai*, A Brigden*, C Wooldridge*' HR Wallingford, HowberyPark, Wallingford, Oxon., UK* Harbour Master, PortofTruro, Cornwall UK* Department of Maritime Studies and International Transport,University of Wales College of Cardiff, UK

Abstract

Ports are the most important gateway for trade in maritime countries and thusmake a vital contribution to national economies, and directly or indirectly toemployment at all levels. Despite their vital contribution to national economies,ports nowadays face the most challenging task since the industrial revolutionbecause they are required to respond to the needs of their clients for moreefficient facilities without compromising navigational safety as well as to complywith strict environmental legislation.

Port development and operational activities have the potential to impact onenvironmental and human resources. More often than not the potential for theports to impact negatively on environmental resources depends on the magnitudeof their activities as well as the sensitivity level of the environmental resources.A consistent safeguarding approach to environmental protection in terms ofevery day port operations and long term development plans is recognised byregulators to be the way for the ports industry to deal successfully with theirchallenge.

In November 1999, HR Wallingford completed a project and published a reporton Guidelines for Port Environmental Management for the UK Department ofEnvironment, Transport and The Regions (DETR) [1]. The Guidelines provideinformation on aspects of environmental management, the currently recognisedinternational standards on environmental management and, environmentalmanagement practices in and experiences of certain UK and overseas ports. Thepaper presents the environmental management information and guidance whichis presented in the report in flowcharts, diagrams and tables.

Maritime Engineering and Ports II, C.A. Brebbia & J. Olivella (Editors) © 2000 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISBN 1-85312-829-5

198 Maritime Engineering and Ports II

Introduction

Ports are the most important gateway for trade in maritime countries and thusmake a vital contribution to national economies, and directly or indirectly toemployment at all levels. Port development and operations have the potential toimpact cm environmental and human resources. For example, ports require largeareas of land for berths and handling facilities and these areas arc usuallyclaimed from intertidal areas of high nature conservation value. Day-to-dayoperations can result in the introduction of contaminants into the ambient air,surface water, ground water supplies, soil and hartxmr sediment.More often than not the potential for the Ports to impact negatively on

environmental resources depends on their close proximity to highly sensitiveenvironmental resources. This situation coupled with the ever-increasingpressure from regulators and environmentally aware groups onto ports to conducttheir business in the most environmentally responsible way, has left ports withthe most challenging task since the industrial revolution. That is, the task tosatisfy their customers by responding to their needs for newer, larger, and moreefficient facilities as well as to satisfy environmental regulators by complyingwith laws and stringent numerical environmental quality standards.

In 1999, HR Wallingford completed a project on Guidelines for PortEnvironmental Management for the UK Department of Environment, Transportand the Regions (DETR) (!]. This paper introduces these Guidelines and theEco-Information project, which currently evaluates the progress measuredagainst the 1996 ESPO benchmark survey on implementation of environmentalpolicies [2].

The purpose of the guidelines

The information given in the Guidelines is intended to be generic in recognitionof the variety of activities and operations in UK ports and harbours, irrespectiveof their size, location and administrative framework, and is thus applicable to themajority of small to medium-sized ports. The Guidelines do not intend to beexhaustive and cover the environmental aspects of all port-related and supportingindustry, such as oil refineries, but they do intend to provide guidance on theenvironmental effects and management of workshops, garages andfilling/bunkering stations found on port and harbour land. The information on theenvironmental issues and impacts is not detailed because there are a number ofrecent UK research projects on good practice guidelines for port and harbouroperations, including the recreational activities, taking place in or near the UKmarine designated areas under the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives.

The Guidelines intend to provide information on the aspect of environmentalmanagement, on the currently recognised international standards onenvironmental management and on environmental management practices andexperiences in other ports. The Guidelines intend to provide suggestions onenvironmental management practices but do not intend to mandate actions to betaken by port and harbour authorities on environmental management There is


Maritime Engineering and Ports II 199

no legislative requirement for environmental management system to be taken upby the Ports Industry. Instead there is general consensus that setting up certainenvironmental objectives and targets which are meaningful and measurable, caneffectively contribute in improving environmental performance regardlesswhether a formal environmental management system is in place or not

Recognising the variety of port and harbour operations and the range of portstaff with environmental responsibilities, the information provided in theGuidelines is aimed at those who will be taking the decision to identify theirport's status quo in terms of environmental performance, as well as to those whoneed hands-on advise on environmentally responsible development andoperational activities.

The structure of the guidelines

The Guidelines are written in six (6) chapters (including the Introduction) on thefollowing subjects:

Port and harbour development and operational activities, potentialenvironmental impacts and associated environmental legislation.Port and harbour activities vaiy widely, with some activities however beingcommon to a large number of ports if not all. By and large, the port activitiescan be divided into two major groups, namely the development activities and theoperational activities. For instance, building renovation, new buildingconstruction, land reclamation are some of the development activities common toall ports. Maintenance activities such as paint stripping and painting, the storageand handling of cargo, and vehicle and equipment maintenance are some of themost common operational activities in ports. The majority of port developmentactivities on land and at the land-water interface concern construction works withthe associated transfer stations for construction material and possibly demolitionworks and debris. Some of the operational activities occur at the land-waterinterface as well as on-land such as cargo handling, equipment maintenance andvessel repair.

Port and harbour activities can have significant impacts on manyenvironmental resources. Environmental impacts are likely to result from twomajor groups of port and harbour activities, namely the development andoperation activities. The impacts are normally of local nature, although activitiesin rivers or estuaries can be of regional nature. The impacts from thedevelopment activities are normally of a similar time scale as the developmentactivity itself, except in cases where the alterations to environmental resourcesare permanent, (e.g. the disappearance of a fisheries nursery grounds, or changesin sediment transport on the coast). The impacts from the operation activitieslast at least as long as the operations do, unless the cumulative effect over aprolonged period of operation has resulted in permanent and irreversible changeor loss of the environmental resource.



Magnitude and significance of environmental impactsThe magnitude and significance of the potential impacts on environmentalresources depend on a number of parameters, such as; the nature, extent,intensity and frequency of the activity; the degree of sensitivity and state ofhealth of the environmental resource; and the control measures in place toprevent or reduce impacts.

Depending on the magnitude of an impact, more than one media can beaffected, although the time scale and significance of the impacts on the two ormore media can be different For instance, excavation works on land canmobilise contaminants in the soil, release them into the water in the pores of thesoil and facilitate their travel to groundwater resources (e.g. aquifers). Similarlythe release of fugitive emissions into the air is also responsible for soilcontamination because of the fall out process. Contaminated dust participates,which fall out on paved surfaces can eventually find their way into thewaterways and precipitate onto the sediments. In other words, there is more thanone pathway which contaminants can follow to reach environmental targets, andthe effective elimination or reduction of environmental impacts requires anidentification of all possible pathways. An understanding of how and why portand harbour development and operation activities impact on environmentaltargets (including the human health and interests), and primarily theidentification of the pathway between activities and environmental targets is thebasis of successful environmental protection and management measures.

The most common port and harbour development activities with the potentialto impact on surface and groundwater quality and their habitats/organisms, air,and humans (i.e. local community interests, culture, recreational activities) arepresented in die Guidelines in the form of text boxes. An extract of these textboxes is given in Table 1. The port and harbour operational activities with theirpotential environmental impacts, and the relevant environmental legislation arealso tabulated in the Guidelines. An extract of the relevant tables and a summaryof the UK pollution control legislation applicable to port and harbour operationsis also included in Table 2.

Environmental management toolsPorts and harbours that wish to set or improve their goals on existingenvironmental performance, can do so by means of a number of environmentalmanagement tools. Currently, the most comprehensive tool is the environmentalmanagement system (EMS). The aim of an EMS is to improve overallenvironmental performance and to ensure that improvements in performance arecontinual. The criteria for environmental improvement can apply to any numberof parameters, for example, improving efficiency in the use of energy orresources, minimising waste and reducing pollution. Organisations decide theirown parameters and set their own rate of continual improvement, whilst guidedby environmental legislation, particularly where numerical standards areavailable.

The Guidelines provide information on other environmental managementtools, namely a port-wide or operation-based environmental review, a site-based



environmental audit against set environmental procedures, an environmentalawareness training programme, and good record-keeping systems. By and largethese tools are elements of an EMS. However, ports and harbours wishing toestablish where they stand in terms of environmental performance, identify theirenvironmental needs and establish an informal and relatively inexpensiveenvironmental management programme, could benefit from these environmentalmanagement tools without necessarily having to implement a full EMS. Bearingin mind that no one environmental management programme is suitable for allports and harbours, the Guidelines describe the environmental managementtools, drawing substantially on the specifications of the two internationallyrecognised environmental management systems, ISO 14001 and EMAS.Although more extensive information on these international standards is given,the Guidelines by no means imply that successful environmental managementgoes hand in hand with certification to either of these standards. A tailor-madeenvironmental management programme addressing operations with the potentialto significantly impact on the environment, identifying actions to prevent orminimise the impacts, and improving communications between those responsiblefor environmental protection can lead to a successful port environmentalmanagement

Setting up and implementing environmental management tools, can equallyhelp a port and harbour identify their environmental needs and proceed todeveloping their environmental management programme. More practicalguidance on identifying the environmental management needs of a port andharbour by implementing the environmental tools described in this section, andconsequently setting up and implementing an environmental managementprogramme is given in Chapter 6 of the Guidelines.

Common non-conformities with dements of EMSFor those port and harbour authorities, which intend to go for accreditation aswell as for those which would rather set an effective informal environmentalmanagement programme, the Guidelines provide guidance on the most commonnon-conformities, as found by Croner's research (Corner's Environmental Policyand Procedures, Issue No 35, August 1998) [3J. The European Accreditation ofCertification (EAC) body differentiates between a major and a minor non-conformity. Failure to systematically record training events, is for instance aminor non-conformance. EAC, however, points out that a minor non-conformance can become a major one if persistent, or a series of minor non-conformances can lead to failure to achieve accreditation.

Environmental management practices and programmeIn the chapter on Environmental Management Practices and Programme, morespecific hands-on guidance on producing environmental management practicesfor development plans and operational activities in ports and harbours is given.The more specific guidance is targeted to any member of port staff who is giventhe responsibility of developing and implementing environmental management.



The guidance is generic because it aims to assist ports and harbours to tailor aneffective environmental management approach to suit their own needs.

Hands-on guidance on suggested approaches in developing environmentalmanagement practice for development/construction activities, assessing the needfor an environmental management programme, developing an environmentalmanagement programme and operations-based environmental managementpractices are given in the Guidelines in the form of flowcharts and tables.

Current status on port environmental managementThe port sector has made substantive and demonstrative progress in developingand implementing policies aimed specifically at environmental protection andsustainable development over the last few years. Environmental management ofday-to-day operations and long term development schemes has been introducedby many ports and although the challenge to improve quality and to safeguardthe environmental imperative still remains, recent and current research indicatesan emerging culture of best practice and adoption of practicable and effectiveguidelines throughout the sector. One of the first actions undertaken by theEuropean Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO, founded March 1993), was to set up anEnvironment Committee whose initial task was to write an Environmental Codeof Practice [4]. The Code provides:

• a check list of the environmental areas which require the attention of portmanagement

• recommendations on best procedure and environmental targets• a basis on which to establish and encourage common policies and

procedures and to promote exchanges of information on best environmentalpractice

The Code is endorsed by each Delegate Member of ESPO and amongst otherrecommendations, encourages ports to "Establish management systems whichencourage environmental protection as an integral part of business andmanagement practice,., promote environmental awareness amongst port users,good public relations and links with local communities, ..plans to counterpotential incidents.. "

ECO-information and Self Diagnosis

Recent initiatives by the port sector have facilitated measures of progress interms of the adoption and implementation throughout the industry. In 1996,ESPO commissioned membership surveys through an environmentalquestionnaire in order to establish the extent to which environmental policieswere being implemented.

Progress measured against the 1996 benchmark survey of managementprocedures is currently being evaluated through the ECO-information Project,which is a European Committee (DGVII) research programme. It consists of a



data base and a specification determined by port management professionals anddeveloped by university researchers so that participating ports can:

• exchange practical experiences on port related environmental issues• provide mutual support for port managers in taking decisions and

developing environmental policy• demonstrate good practice and effective environmental management at

European and local levels• assess cost effective solutions to environmental challenges.

One important component of the ECO-Information project is the SelfDiagnosis Methodology, a management tool designed as a preliminaiyenvironmental review in order to establish, inter alia, a port's currentenvironmental performance, current good environmental practice and areas thatwill be a priority for improvement.

The Self Diagnosis Methodology was tested and evaluated by ports afterhaving been introduced at a series of regional workshops throughout Europeduring the spring of 1999. Preliminary analysis indicates that compared with the1996 baseline survey, more ports:

• have an environmental plan• can identify designated personnel with environmental duties• possess a plan that aims for compliance-plus in terms of environmental

quality

• encourage awareness of issues by port users through an environmental plan• involve the local community and external parties in their plans• participate in research and coastal zone management activities with external

partners• are carrying out environmental monitoring.

Benefits from the environmental management practice in Dover Port

• The phase of development of the Board's EMS through its environmentalperformance indicators is beginning to reveal potential cost benefitsparticularly with respect to resource conservation and data provision forenvironmental impact assessment studies.

• The Board is deliberately setting out to implement a regime of 'complianceplus' in terms of the quality of the environment and its managementsystems. This is perceived as being advantageous for forward planning,corporate representation in negotiation, in-house and self regulation.

• Experience is beginning to indicate that the more that environmentalmanagement is integrated into the business and operational plans for thehaibour, the more effective are its impact and the greater the cost-benefits.



Conclusion

Small and medium sized ports still seem to be relatively disadvantaged in termsof implementing environmental systems and this appears to be a function of lackof trained personnel with the time and resources to pursue an activeenvironmental policy rather than of a lack of good intent or willingness. The portsector is striving to respond positively to the responsibilities and opportunities ofenvironmental issues and it is hoped that 'Guidelines for Port EnvironmentalManagement' will serve as an additional prompt and source of advice for thebusy port professional.

References

[1] HR Wallingford. Guidelines for Port Environmental Management HRWaliingford Report SR554, November 1999.

[2] Cardiff University et al., ECO-Information Project and Self-DiagnosisMethodology (personal communication), 1999.

[3] Croner's Environmental Management, Policies and Procedures, SpecialReports, 1997-1999.

[4] European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), Environmental Code of Practice,1994.

[5] Croner's Environmental Management, Environmental Briefing Newsletters,1998 and 1999.


ible on port development activities potentially impacting on surface and groundwater quality and aq

fcter-related impacts

Dispersal and settlement of resuspended sedimentstdiments become resuspended during excavation and transfer to disposal site. If suspension of sediment is concentrated and fnetration into water column may be reduced thus causing damage to aquatic organisms such as photosynthetic algae and cora

)xins or other contaminants from bed sediment can become dissolved into water or stay in suspension and cause mortality aecies or contaminate them, with implications for species higher up the food chain.

Increased channel depthlannel deepening can alter flow velocities and directions, which in turn can result in reduction in sediment load being transpid shoreline configuration by erosion or accretion or shoaling. Reduction in sediment load upstream can have further iitertidal habitats (eg mudflats) and organisms which depend on them (eg birds).

creased water depth can result in intensified wave activity on the shoreline with consequent increased littoral sediment transid to accelerated erosion or accretion.

Blastingasting destroys aquatic organisms and can remove whole habitats. The compression effect of the blasting can injure or tern]anne life near or some distance from the blasting site. The compression effect can also interfere with the migration offish.

asting and dredging for increased navigable depth can alter subsurface groundwater flows near the land-water interface 1award flow of fresh water and hence lower the watertable level on land, with further implications for agriculture, for instance

Physical removal of bed sedimentic physical removal of bed sediment can also remove important habitats of aquatic organisms. Depending on the timing <cle, the deepened channel can be recolonised by organisms from adjacent areas, but it is possible that the new habitat mayevious because of the different substrate as a result of dredging.

the seaward flow of fresh water is slow, the physical removal of bed sediment with the consequent depth increase can leirusion of fresh water supplies (eg aquifers). If the seaward flow of fresh water is fast, the physical removal of bed :celerate the flow, and thus result in the lowering of water table on land.


Table 2: Extract of table on pollution control legislation applicable to port andharbour operations

sgislation

don Act (EPA)

ion (Prescribedices)

Regulations

[WRA) 1991

Ions 1998

don 33

don 34

ProtectedEnvironmentalresourceAir, water, land

Air, water, land

Air

Air

AirWater

Water

groundwater

As above

As above

Explanations

This is the main British legislation on integrated pollution control (IPC) applicatof (prescribed) processes leading to emissions and discharges of a range of (pressubstances to air, water and landThese Regulations, as amended, list the relevant prescribed processes which havconsiderable pollution potential and are subject to local authority air pollution cc(LAAPC), such as port operationsPart I of the EPA 1990 requires that processes prescribed for air pollution contraauthorisation from the relevant local authority. Operators of such processes musAvailable Techniques Not Entailing Excessive Costs (BATNEEC) to prevent, rerender harmless emissions of prescribed substances to air.Under Part II of EPA 1990, it is an offence to create a statutory nuisance, such ifumes or dust, odour or noise. Where any of these statutory nuisances occurs, thauthority has the power to serve an abatement notice on whoever is causing the rFailure to comply with the abatement notice is an offence.Provisions of the Clean Air Act 1993 restrict emissions of dark and black smokeThese Regulations will allow the Environment Agency to serve a notice on anyoipolluted or has the potential to pollute water obliging the offender, or potential otake action to rectify the problem.This Act covers protection of water against pollution, and it applies to England aScotland, the protection of water against pollution is covered by the Control ofAct 1974. Under the WRA 1991, it is an offence to cause or knowingly permit tof polluting substances into the controlled watersThese Regulations partly implement the EC Groundwater Directive (80/68/EEC)Wales and ScotlandUnder Section 33 of the EPA it is an offence to dispose o£ treat or store control!*without a waste management licenseSection 34 places a Duty of Care on anyone who produces, imports, treats, keepdisposes of, or is a broker for, controlled waste


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