In a letter to Hareide dated 23 November 2020, NMF asks the minister to halt the closure of advanced offices in Bergen, Ålesund and Kabelvåg. The closure and relocation of key personnel is part of the reorganization of the Coastal Agency's services.
Since its establishment in 1993, the Norwegian Environmental Protection Association (NMF) has worked hard on oil spill issues and the protection of Norwegian waters against oil spills and the damage it can do to our marine natural values and resources. NMF believes that the current Coastal Director, who was hired in 2018/19, is unfit for his job and that it is now more than ever the focus on efficiency and economy that drives the Coastal Agency more than safety for sailors and the environment.
Centralize key people to Horten - an incredibly bad idea
The forwarded offices are the result of a review by the agency after the Full City accident in 2009. The Coastal Agency is now planning for managers and depot engineers at these offices to work from Horten and then with extensive travel for up to 70-80 days serving and inspecting the depots. NMF believes this is an extremely bad idea and will weaken preparedness in the event of incidents.
The oil spill risk is now increasing
It is almost 10 years since the last major oil spill from a casualty (Godafoss in March 2011) and NMF is afraid that the shoulders of the Coastal Administration have been lowered too much. After the Viking Sky incident in March 2019, one would believe and expect the opposite. Increased traffic at our oil terminals in Western Norway by 300,000 tonnes increases and the risk of larger emissions increases as these ships are worse to handle than the smaller ones. in 2018, then director of emergency preparedness Johan Marius Ly warned against incidents along the coast and stated that luck was often decisive for the course of events.