Environmental emergency plans

In addition to practising an active prevention policy, the Port of Barcelona has organised and systematised the response to environmental emergency situations.

Four Operating Instruments:

  • The Internal Maritime Plan (PMI), in response to incidents of hydrocarbon and chemical spills.
  • The Self-protection Plan (PAU), in case of incidents or accidents of any risk for people.
  • The Meteo-Oceanographic Alert Situations (SAM) system, in the event of predictions of overruns and wind intensity.
  • The Procedures of the Control Centre of the Port Police, in the event of notifications of incidents.

 

gestion residuos

Maritime Interior Plan

The Interior Maritime Plan (PIM) is the response plan of the Port of Barcelona to marine pollution due to the spillage of hydrocarbons or chemical substances that are harmful to port waters. It encompasses the response plans of all the terminals at risk of producing a marine impact.

Its functions are to:

  • Define the organisation to respond adequately to marine pollution.
  • Establish activation levels common to the National Maritime Plan and the terminal plans.
  • Detail the response procedures in the event of a contamination incident for each type of substance.
  • Establish the fighting and prevention means that are necessary to guarantee an effective response.

Means against pollution

In addition to 3 multi-purpose vessels from the water cleaning company that have the capacity to intervene in hydrocarbon incidents, the port currently has these means to deal with PIM actions:
2
Hydraulic reels
One at Adossat pier and the other at Álvarez de la Campa. Both with 200 metres of 750 mm high, flat float Marklen Terra barrier.
400
Metres of floating barrier
600 mm high, round float in 25-metre sections of the Marklen Terra brand, in a 24-hour accessible warehouse.
39
Pier fixings
They allow fixing the anti-pollution barriers on the pier o segregate docks or port areas, if necessary.
500
Linear metres of absorbent barrier
Hydrophobic polypropylene with a diameter of 20 cm.
Imagen
poli portuaria
Centro de Control de la Policía Portuaria

Incident management

One of the main tools for managing environmental incidents in the port is the activation of procedures by the Port Police Control Centre upon receiving a notification.

Action procedures

The Port of Barcelona has 19 action procedures for the Control Centre (PCC) for the most common environmental incidents. These are related to dust emissions, emissions from ships, marine animals in the dock, land animals, water pollution, spills on roads and esplanades, noise, odours and other similar incidents.

Port Police Control

The procedures consist of a system for receiving notifications and calls to interested parties and action by the Port Police Control Centre.

Those responsible for each PCC These are the departments involved and the Department of the Environment is responsible for keeping them up to date.

Environmental incidents managed in 2020

Environmental incidents 2020  
Contaminant discharge in maritime service area                33
Large floaters in docks 26
Debris in docks  12
Marine animals in docks 1
Liquid spills on the road  19
Solid spills on the road 19
Risk of falling tree 3
Live land animals  9
Dead birds  0
Dust due to solid bulk operations  3
Call for those affected by soy asthma  0
Black smoke from ship stack 11
Noise from ship 3
Complaints of unpleasant odours 3
PREVENTIVE notice or declaration EPISODE of air pollution by NO2 and particles 0
Any incident detected in the port sanitation network 7
TOTAL 149