Recommendation drafting: Reducing Spills and Leaks

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Description: Believing that reduction of harm to the environment and preservation of lives is an issue of paramount importance to this body,

Accepting that spills and leaks, when involving hazardous materials, may cause irreparable harm to the environment and result in lost lives,

Hereby,

1. Establishes the Spill and Leak Disaster Administration (SaLDA) with the following responsibilities:

A. Creating safety standards to minimize the risk of a spill or leak during material transport and storage,

B. Establishing cleanup standards for spills and leaks,

C. Designing reimbursement standards for the purposes of:

a. Making whole those affected by spills and leaks,

b. Collecting appropriately punitive penalties from those entities that cause and/or allow spills or leaks to occur through negligence,

D. Acquiring technologies that reduce the risk of spills and leaks,

E. Distributing technologies to nations in order to minimize the risk of spills and leaks,

F. Recommending the usage of SaLDA standards and technologies to WA Nations,

2. Requires nations to establish standards and utilize technologies appropriate to their needs and capabilities using SaLDA recommendations and technological resources for the following purposes:

A. Minimizing the risk of spills and leaks,

B. Making whole those affected by spills and leaks,

C. Enabling faster and more efficient cleanup of spills and leaks,

3. Urges nations to establish standards in line with any SaLDA recommendations not already required by clause 2,

4. Requires that nations deny entry to their territory to any transport owned and/or operated by an entity that does not follow SaLDA recommendations as outlined by clause 2 and which is carrying materials the nation to be transited considers capable of causing a spill or leak,

5. Allows exceptions to denials of entry as outlined in clause 4 in the following situations:

A. If such a denial would itself create a public safety hazard or significant environmental damage,

B. If such a denial would be in violation of extant international law,

C. If said transport is in compliance with all safety standards relating to SaLDA recommendations adopted by the nation it is transiting,

6. Requires nations to make a good faith effort outside of SaLDA recommendations to minimize the risk of spills and leaks from any transport originating in their territory or from any storage facility housed in their nation,

7. Urges nations to cooperate in the cleanup of spills and leaks.

TD's latest proposal is next in queue. We have three days to work on it.

TD wanna take a shot at this one given that it's yours? No need to be modest .

I actually do tend to step back from evaluating my own stuff, but I'll give this a full review before tomorrow is out.

If you prefer to refrain from reviewing your own resolutions, that's understandable.

I'll give Scion some time to post his thoughts. Otherwise, I'll write one myself - I know enough about this one to write a review.

I tend to be very supportive of environmental legislation because of my ideological biases, but I'll try and analyze this from an objective point of view. I'll try to provide some background for the purpose of informing voters as well.

The proposed resolution essentially covers the policy area recently left bare by the repeal of the Oil Tanker Standards Act - a very sensible idea for a resolution, I think. After all, the unregulated transportation of hazardous materials poses a constant transnational threat. Therefore, international cooperation to prevent damage to the environment caused by "leaks and spills" of dangerous materials is certainly worthy of consideration by the World Assembly.

I take minor issue with some content in the resolution, however. The Spills and Leaks Disaster Administration is an unnecessary addition to the World Assembly's bureaucracy because the International Transport Safety Committee - an preexisting committee - could easily assume the responsibilities delegated to the SaLDA. I have minor concerns regarding the vagueness of the SaLDA's mandate as well, as it's tasked with the very broad task of formulating policy that "minimizes the risk of a spill or leak during material transport and storage." However, while I would rather see some more specifics regarding how the SaLDA formulates its policy, I am aware that the character limit may not make such a degree of specification feasible.

However, despite those minor quibbles, I find the use of bureaucracy appropriate for the task, and I like the flexibility that clause two permits. I also find the provision meant to ensure the implementation of policies formulated by SaLDA to be effective, along with the list of reasonable exceptions.

Overall, my recommendation is to vote for. As I mentioned, there are minor flaws, but none that are actively harmful. Environmental policy is an area that's criminally neglected by the World Assembly, but I'm hopeful that the North Pacific will help push the international community in the right direction.

Thanks a lot Scion! I've sent out a slightly edited version of your post as the IFV: http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/single/?p=8150677&t=7207609