Environment Report 2014

ENVIRONMENT REPORT 2014

6.1.2 Marine Planning The UK Government and the devolved administrations have established a vision for the marine environment of “clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas”. This vision is being delivered through the Marine Acts and a range of measures including establishment of a network of Marine Protected Areas and Marine Planning processes. Throughout 2013 and 2014, Oil & Gas UK engaged with the regulators and their statutory advisors on a number of proposals to progress integrated planning of the UK’s marine environment through participation in stakeholder groups and formal consultation. Oil & Gas UK’s Environment Directorate supported the development of a Marine Protected Area network that is based on sound science and data, takes into account existing and future operations and is appropriately managed. Oil & Gas UK continues to work with the regulator on the proposed management measures for each Marine Protected Area. 6.1.3 Consultation Responses Oil & Gas UK has worked with its members to develop responses to a number of other formal consultation requests from government. These include changes to legislation such as the Environmental Liability Directive and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Enforcement Measures, as well as to government strategies and plans such as the NORM strategy, national contingency plan and monitoring proposals for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. 6.1.4 OSPAR Review of Recommendation 2005/6 In preparation for the OSPAR Offshore Industry Committee meeting in March 2014, at which Recommendation 2005/06 on the management of drill cuttings was reviewed, Oil & Gas UK commissioned two studies to review the technologies available for mapping, coring and sampling drilling cuttings, as well as measuring their hydrocarbon leach rate.

The data collected as part of these studies and from other collaborative work projects were used to inform an industry information paper for DECC in preparation for the meeting and to compile the UK response to OSPAR.

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