New global standards on sulphur content in marine fuels have led to an increasing number of ships installing exhaust gas cleaning systems, also known as scrubbers, to reduce air emissions of sulphur oxides. Ships equipped with a scrubber can continue to use heavy fuel oil, resulting in significant discharge of acidified water containing several contaminants, such as heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs; mainly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and nitrogen compounds.The simplest and most common type of scrubber system, the open-loop scrubber, directly discharges the contaminated water in to the sea. The use of scrubber systems by ships is an emerging global problem and an additional pressure on the marine environment. The substances found in scrubber discharge water can cause acute effects on marine biota and may have further impacts, through bioaccumulation, acidification, and eutrophication, on the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems.The number of ships with installed scrubber systems is increasing, but legislation on scrubber discharge is lagging, inconsistent between countries, and often insufficient to protect the environment. ICES recommends the use of cleaner low-sulphur fuels, such as marine gas oil, to eliminate scrubber use and associated impacts on the marine environment.Until this is possible, ICES proposes a set of measures to mitigate scrubber impacts
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RBINS Staff Publications 2020
Acceptance of wind energy development worldwide is challenged by stakeholders’ concerns about potential effects on the environment, specifically on wildlife such as birds, bats, and (for offshore wind) marine animals, and the habitats that support them. Other issues of concern to communities near wind energy developments include social and economic impacts, as well as impacts on cultural and social values such as aesthetics, historical sites, and recreational and tourism.Lack of a systematic, widely accepted, and balanced approach for measuring the potential damage to wildlife, habitats, and communities continues to leave wind developers, regulators, and other stakeholders in an uncertain position. This uncertainty may lead to regulatory requirements for studies and monitoring programs that do not necessarily contribute to improved environmental protection. Regulatory requirements and data collection efforts around wind farms during construction, operation, and other project phases need to be more consistently linked to the actual risk posed to a range of animals and habitats. One such approach to accomplishing this linkage is risk-based management(RBM), which may provide value-added as a decision support system.This paper explores the use of ecological RBM in wind energy development for land-based and offshore wind installations. The application of risk as a development and management tool is addressed, including multiple aspects of project risk, many of which are driven by or associated with ecological risk. The nature of how risk is taken into account in consenting/permitting wind projects on land and at sea are reviewed, and a series of risk management tools and approaches surveyed. This paper also explores the adaptation of ecosystem-based management to wind energy development through a series of case studies, and sets forth a framework and best management practices for applying risk-based principles to wind energy. Theanalysis and review of RBM approaches presented in this paper mayprovide helpful insights for improved siting and consenting/permitting processes for regulators and their advisors, particularly in nations where wind energy is still in the early development stages on land and at sea. Wind project developers may benefit from understanding how regulators may approach consenting/permitting. Policy-makers may gain valuable insights into how wind farm development might be managed in future. Researchers and consultants may benefit from the concepts and suggestions that will improve access to insightful monitoring data from wind farmsand will help to directfuture data collection efforts.
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