ISCO member OSRL participating in Project Tangaroa
https://www.osrl.com/media/news/project-tangaroa-global-effort-ppw What is project Tangaroa? Project Tangaroa is an international initiative focused on addressing the environmental threats posed by over 8,500 potentially polluting wrecks (PPWs) around the world, many of them remnants from World Wars I and II. These sunken vessels hold hazardous materials such as oil, chemicals, and unexploded munitions, posing serious risks to marine ecosystems and coastal communities. The project launched in 2023 with a goal to develop a global
Aqua-Guard Announces Availability of RBS TRITON™ 250/115 OS Skimming System for Immediate Global Delivery.
ISCO member Aqua-Guard Spill Response Inc. is pleased to announce that the RBS TRITON™ 250/115 OS offshore oil recovery systems are now in stock and available for immediate worldwide shipment. The RBS TRITON™ 250/115 OS is a dual-mode offshore skimming system featuring both a self-adjusting weir skimmer (250 m³/h) and a high-efficiency brush skimmer head (115 m³/h at 96% recovery efficiency). It is powered 100% hydraulically using ship’s power, with an optional diesel power pack. Key
VJ Engineering Appointed as Official Exclusive Distributor of DESMI-RO Clean in Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei
VJ Engineering Solutions Sdn Bhd has been officially appointed as the Official Exclusive Distributor of DESMI-RO Clean for Malaysia, effective May 2025. This prestigious appointment marks a significant milestone for VJ Engineering and reflects the company’s unwavering commitment to advancing sustainable, high-performance solutions in oil spill response and marine protection. “This is truly a dream come true for us—to be appointed as the Official Exclusive Distributor of DESMI Ro-Clean, a
Lamor wins an order for three oil spill recovery boats to Poland
ISCO member Lamor reports that the Polish Maritime Search and Rescue Service has placed an order with Lamor for three specialised boats for combating oil pollution in shallow and sheltered waters. The value of the order is nearly 2 million euros, which has been entered into Lamor’s order backlog in the second quarter of 2025. The delivery consists of three modified LC7500 cabin vessels, which are slightly longer and wider
Aqua-Guard and Canadyne Technologies ink exclusive distribution agreement with Canflex (USA) Inc
ISCO member Aqua-Guard Spill Response Inc. and Canadyne Technologies Inc. are pleased to announce the signing of a new Canada exclusive sales and distribution agreement with Canflex USA Inc., based in Anacortes, Washington. This strategic agreement marks a significant milestone in strengthening the long-standing partnership between Aqua-Guard and Canadyne with Canflex and positions the three organizations to better serve the environmental response market across Canada and beyond. Under the new
OSRL announces two new scholarships for 2025
Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) have announced two new scholarships for 2025. Launching the scholarships, OSRL commented: “At OSRL, we recognise the need to push the boundaries of oil spill science through targeted research that brings advances in response capability, decision-making tools, and furthering our knowledge on socio-economic and environmental issues. Working closely with oil spill research projects ensures that an element of “operational realism” is injected into those studies to produce
OSRL Podcast: Beyond bird washing: A deeper look at wildlife emergency response
Paul Kelway introduces this episode which explores some of the challenges in responding to wildlife emergencies. Our guest is Dr. Michael Ziccardi, a wildlife veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in oil wildlife preparedness and response. Dr. Ziccardi has been at the forefront of numerous wildlife rescue operations in the US and around the world. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the One Health Institute at the
Managing Plastic Pellet Pollution: A New Operational Guide from CEDRE
Plastic pellets are a significant source of environmental pollution when accidentally released. To address this pressing issue, Cedre has published a comprehensive operational guide aiming to assist stakeholders – including plastics industry professionals, policymakers, authorities, and field operators – in managing and mitigating both operational losses and accidental spills of plastic pellets into the environment. This guide “Plastic Pellets: Loss prevention on industrial sites and response in the environment” provides
Equipment Corner: Vikoma collaborates with Oracle Environmental Experts to trial newly developed nurdle recovery skimmer
ISCO corporate member Vikoma has been collaborating with Oracle Environmental Experts in the testing and development of equipment for the recovery of plastic pellets (nurdles) pollution. Following the UK Spill Marine Spill and Plastic Pollution Conference (11th – 12th June 2024), Vikoma and Oracle agreed to work together to develop solutions for the recovery of plastic pellets from water. Plastic pellet pollution can be split into 2 main forms: • Big spill events
OSRL’s Southampton operations relocate to the Southampton Preparedness and Response Centre (SPARC)
ISCO corporate member, OSRL has relocated its operations in Southampton to the new Southampton Preparedness and Response Centre (SPARC), located at Unit 2, Strategic Park, Comines Way, Hedge End, Southampton, SO30 4DA. The SPARC facility aligns with OSRL’s sustainability goals, incorporating features that reduce environmental impact while supporting the organisation’s readiness to respond effectively to oil spills. Andy Myers, Response Director said: “Our new Southampton Preparedness and Response Centre is
John McMurtrie, Editor of the ISCO Newsletter retires
ISCO Newsletter Editor, John McMurtrie announced his long-anticipated retirement from producing the newsletter. Since 2005, John has been the editor of the ISCO weekly newsletter consistently creating a publication that has been a tremendous aid in sharing knowledge and the latest news with the spill response community. John has tirelessly dedicated his time producing 958 editions of the newsletters with a readership in over 60 countries. The Board of Directors
FOUR SALVAGES IN PNG FOR PACIFIC TOWING
Pacific Towing (‘PacTow’) has been exceptionally busy with salvage projects in its home country, Papua New Guinea. Melanesia’s marine services and salvage market leader performed four salvages across three separate provinces in just two months. The salvages involved international fishing vessels as well as a domestic general cargovessel. Three of the recently salvaged vessels had run aground and another was adrift at sea. Two of the vessels were towed back
Vessels of Opportunity Pioneer Project in Brazil: A 5-year Critical Review and Lessons Learned
Pedro de Moraes Rego Martins, EnvironPact – [email protected] Adriano Ranieri Cervinho Viana, EnvironPact – [email protected] Pedro Rafael Nonato Perez EnvironPact – [email protected] Maíra Ventura de Oliveira, Equinor Brasil – [email protected] Suely Ortega, Shell Brasil – [email protected] Stephanie Dexheimer Caplan, EnvironPact – [email protected] Caroline Garcia da Cruz Canellas, EnvironPact – [email protected] ABSTRACT The Mar Atento Project was designed and implemented with the objective of engaging and training the Brazilian artisanal fishing
New Milestone in the Regulation of Prevention and Response Control in Mexico – Creation of the Inter-Ministerial Commission to Prevent and Respond to Oil Pollution in Mexican Marine Zones
(Versión en español) Author: Carlos Sagrera, MSc. ISCO Representative Latin America (Spanish Speaking) In follow-up to the regulatory actions and Mexico’s National Contingency Plan of December 2023 (ISCO Newsletter N°930 – March 2024), the Government of Mexico confirmed the creation of the Inter-Ministerial Commission to Prevent and Respond to Pollution by Oil and Harmful Substances (HNS) in Mexican Marine Zones. In this case, it is understood that this Commission has
VIKOMA OPENS NEW OFFICE IN TANZANIA
VIKOMA has announced the opening of their new office in Tanzania and to welcome Mike Raymond to the Vikoma Team.Mike is experienced in the oil spill response industry and the opening of this new office will allow them to enhance their regional support for customers in East Africa.www.vikoma.com
Lamor Environmental Protection technology at Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska
Glacier Bay National Park in Gustavus, Alaska, is as a highlight of the Inside Passage and a part of one of the world’s largest protected areas. To protect this pristine environment, the National Park Service is enhancing its proactive environmental measures with support from Lamor’s advanced oil spill response technology. Glacier Bay National Park is a highlight of Alaska’s Inside Passage and part of a 25-million-acre World Heritage Site – one
ISCO participates in Conference Oil Spill in Operations Maritime and Port Terminals – Legal & Insurance Implications, in Tampico, Mexico
On Tuesday 25th June, a Conference on the subject of Oil Spills in Operations – Maritime and Port Terminals: Legal & Insurance Implications was held for the second consecutive year (ISCO Newsletter N°898 – June 2023) at the Club de Industriales in the city of Tampico, Mexico, on the topic of Oil Spills in Operations – Maritime and Port Terminals: Legal & Insurance Implications. The conference the Operational Aspects was
VIKOMA LAUNCHES NEW KOMARA MIDI SKIMMER WITH ONBOARD PUMP
The Vikoma development team has introduced the Komara Midi 2 Duplex skimmer which comes complete with a built in on board pump. This will become a favourite for operators as it is quick and easy to deploy … no need to for a separate pump and less hoses. Maintenance is easy too. By integrating the pump the unit has a smaller footprint than a skimmer with separate pump, so less
Lamor establishes a new rental centre and logistics hub in the Netherlands
Lamor has established a new logistics hub in Werkendam, the Netherlands. An extensive warehouse for oil spill response technology, covering the total area of nearly 3,000 square metres, will host an official opening ceremony at the end of May. The location will also include a Lamor customer service and sales office serving the Benelux customers. The new logistics hub is located 30 minutes out of Rotterdam, thus providing a swift
Readiness in Action: Inside OSRL’s Surface Dispersant Exercise
By Fagner A. Magalhaes and Jonathan Beaumont Dispersants are an important tool in the oil spill response toolkit. Their value stems from their ability to quickly treat large areas of oil pollution to prevent contamination of sensitive shorelines, which in turn, reduces risk to environmental and socio-economic resources. The use of dispersant, like any oil spill response technique, relies upon determining a clear net environmental benefit of the overall response
