Offshore Chemicals (Amendment) Regulations 2011

Baroness Harris of Richmond Excerpts

Wednesday 23rd March 2011 Grand Committee

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland)]

My Lords, I beg to move that the Committee considers the amendments proposed by the Offshore Chemicals (Amendment) Regulations 2011 and the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Oil Pollution Prevention and Control) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. There is only one major change required, which concerns the 2002 chemicals regulations. These regulations implement an international Ospar Convention commitment, which requires operational uses and discharges of chemicals to be the subject of an application and assessment process. Under the system established in those regulations, the use and discharge of chemicals during operational activities relating to oil and gas exploration, production and decommissioning is only allowed in accordance with the terms of a permit. The types of chemicals for which permits might be granted include, for example, detergents used to clean rigs and hydraulic fluids used to control well-heads and subsea valves.

At the time of bringing them into force, the 2002 chemicals regulations were considered to contain powers relevant to all chemicals emissions. It has since become clear, through discussing an escape of chemicals with an operator, that the regulations do not cover unintentional events such as chemical spills or leaks that occur through accidents or faulty items of equipment that are not functioning within their intended design.

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Baroness Harris of Richmond)]

My Lords, a Division has been called in the House. We will resume in 10 minutes.