Environmental Damage and UK Offshore Operations: Uncertain Liabilities in Deep Waters

Publisher | Place of publication

Oxford University Press | Oxford, UK

ISSN

0952-8873

Document type

Article in periodical

Language

English

Field of application

International

Subject

Sea, Legal questions, Waste & hazardous substances

Keyword

Liability/compensation Law reform/harmonization/deregulation Marine pollution (ship-based sources) Oil pollution

Abstract

Thomas Schoenbaum’s article in this Journal (Liability for Damages in Oil Spill Accidents: Evaluating the USA and International Law Regimes in the Light of Deepwater Horizon (2012) 12 JEL 395) highlighted the difference between the US oil liability regime and the international regime, which is limited to oil spills from ships carrying oil as cargo in bulk, an issue of particular relevance due to the litigation arising out of the Deepwater Horizon blowout. The present article will review the EU’s response to Deepwater Horizon, culminating in the Offshore Safety Directive 2013 that came into effect in the UK on 19 July 2015, and will analyse the current legal regime in the UK for dealing with a catastrophic spill in UK waters

Other references

Legislation

Directive 2013/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on safety of offshore oil and gas operations and amending Directive 2004/35/EC.

Legislation | 2013

Keyword: Energy conservation/energy production, Business/industry/corporations, Natural gas, Liability/compensation, Polluter pays principle, Protection of habitats, Data collection/reporting, Marine pollution, Oil pollution

Source: FAO, FAOLEX