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§ 48 Duty to monitor the external environment

To ensure that the decision basis and knowledge about the marine environment is sufficient to maintain an acceptable environment condition, the operator shall monitor the external environment. Sufficient information shall be obtained to ensure that pollution caused by own activities is detected, mapped and assessed, and that necessary measures are implemented as soon as possible.
Section last changed: 01 January 2019

Monitoring means systematic and regular studies to document the condition of the environmental values, describe the risk of pollution and carry out control of pollution of marine environmental values.
The monitoring duty entails that mappings of critical conditions and risk parameters, dimensioning, transport and spread of pollution and impact on environmental values are carried out.
The monitoring shall take place in the marine environment, and possibly on the facility itself, pipelines, loading and unloading buoys, subsea oil storage and production facilities, or vessels.
Monitoring comprises a system for detection and mapping of acute pollution. The system shall, to the greatest extent regardless of visibility, light and weather conditions, discover (detect) and map the position, area, quantity and properties of acute pollution.
Leak detection, based on, inter alia, process monitoring, is included.
Marine environment means the sea, coast, beach, seabed, water masses (the water column) and environmental values. Environmental values mean naturally occurring or natural biotic and abiotic components that can include one or more species, biotopes and/or habitats in a marine environment.
The basis for establishing monitoring of the external environment is the activity, identified risk, the need for environmental data as a basis for making decision and knowledge regarding pollution.
The duty to monitor is specified in Chapter X of the Activities Regulations.