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New educational video launched to help Arctic communities respond to oil spill pollution

March 8, 2024
PollutantsEmergenciesEmergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response
The video, developed by Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response Working Group (EPPR), is the third and final in a series devoted to oil spill preparedness and response.

The Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) Working Group of the Arctic Council released a new educational video on community preparedness for oil spill pollution response. The video serves as an informational resource for small communities in the Arctic that are increasingly at risk for oil spill pollution.

As the Arctic becomes more accessible for human activities, Arctic communities are at an increased risk of oil spill pollution. EPPR’s Prevention, Preparedness and Response in Small Communities project aims to develop a better understanding of preparedness and risk exposure in small and remote communities. Through a series of educational videos, the project seeks to raise awareness of oil spill threats, vulnerabilities and impacts, and ensure communities have access to best practices and capacity building to prepare and respond to oil pollution events.

The video series features three animated films that serve as an entry point for community preparedness. The first video focuses on basic oil spill response principles, while the second video is about potential risks and impacts to communities. The third and final video informs communities about how they can develop an effective community response plan for oil spill pollution.

Even small oil spills can cause serious harm to the environment, people, local economy and more, which is why it is crucial that small communities have a response plan in place. We hope this new video helps communities consider all of the important elements of a response plan and serves as either a starting point, or a refresh, to effective emergency preparedness and response. Ole Kristian Bjerkemo, Chair of EPPR

The nine-minute video showcases the importance of having a community response plan and overviews important elements of a plan, including: listing vulnerabilities and community access points; supplies and equipment; identifying local personnel trained to respond; considerations for protecting wildlife, the environment and cultural or historic sites; waste management; relationship to other community plans; how to exercise the plan; where to get training; and how to gain funding assistance.

The video, along with the first two, can be viewed here on EPPR’s Vimeo channel. The high-resolution video may be downloaded through Vimeo for viewing and external distribution.

The new video can be viewed in full below or on Vimeo.

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