On October 24, 2016 the National Contingency Plan for Spills of Hydrocarbons and Other Potentially Hazardous Substances in the Mexican Marine Zones (the “Plan”) was published in the Federal Gazette.
The purpose of the Plan is to regulate the basis, courses of action, and general coordination before an incident that results in sea pollution by hydrocarbons and other potentially hazardous substances in the Mexican Marine Zones.
The Plan became effective on October 25, 2016. It abrogates the National Contingency Plan for Spills of Hydrocarbons and Other Potentially Hazardous Substances in the Sea, published in the Federal Gazette on February 8, 1999.
The Plan is coordinated by the Mexican Navy, with the participation of other agencies at the federal, state, and municipal levels, the private sector, and the population in general. The Plan applies to the Mexican Marine Zones established in the Federal Law of the Sea, which consist of the Territorial Sea, Interior Marine Waters, Contiguous Zone, Exclusive Economic Zone, Island Platforms, and any other allowed by international law, in case of polluting incidents due to:
- a spill from a cargo vessel or its fuel;
- an accident of a vessel or among vessels producing a spill of hydrocarbons or other potentially hazardous substances;
- a loss of control by a marine rig (such as a blowout); or
- failures of materials in submarine pipelines.
For more information contact one of the lawyers listed below.
