Cedre Technical Day

On 20 November, Cedre held its Technical Day for the members of its Strategy Committee and its partners on the theme of spill response in polar waters.

After an introduction to the issue by Cedre, the Director of the French Polar Institute Paul-Émile Victor (IPEV), Ms Metzler, presented the activities in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands and the associated risks in terms of pollution. Ms Laforest, Head of the Shoreline Unit at Environment and Climate Change Canada, then shared her experience of response in ice-infested waters.

Discussions then focused on the research work carried out, first by Cedre and then within JIP Arctic, whose main results were presented by Mr Autret, oil spill response specialist at TotalEnergies.

Presentations by Mr Dupire, Director of Ceppol, then by Ms Le Berre, Head of POLMAR-Terre Operations for PNE POLMAR-Terre, provided insight into the expectations and needs of French operational personnel.

Through the different presentations and discussions, this event emphasised the importance of continuing to share experiences between France and Canada, and identified avenues for further work, in particular in relation to the monitoring of maritime traffic and the associated risks in cold or polar areas, particularly in waters under French jurisdiction, enhancing understanding of the behaviour of certain oils used in these regions, the adaptation of certain stockpiles to meet the specific constraints of these environments, and the optimisation of the waste management chain in these remote areas with their exceptional logistical constraints.