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REDUCTION OF NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Development of transport system ensures the welfare of present and future generations; it influences free movement of goods, rational consumption of energy, however it also exercises an impact on the environment, human health, safety and comfort. Therefore, together with the development of transport, the environmental concerns should be solved.
TRANSPORTATION OF DANGEROUS GOODS
Statistics
Transportation of dangerous goods is one of the most difficult and broad areas of the overall system of carriage of goods where especially stringent safety requirement are applied. The statistics reveal that dangerous goods account for nearly 50% of all the goods transported in
International regulation
A little bit of history. In 1950, the United Nations established the Committee of Experts (COE) on Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods (STDG). This Committee drafted recommendations on the transport of dangerous goods for all types of transport. These recommendations (also known as the Orange Paper) do not have a status of a legal act, but the main regulations regulating the carriage of dangerous goods are prepared on the basis of these recommendations:
• European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR);
• Appendix C “Regulations concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID)” of the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF);
• Annex 2 “Regulations Concerning Carriage of Dangerous Goods” of the Agreement on International Goods Transport by Rail (SMGS);
• Annex 18 “The Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air” to the International Civil Aviation Convention and the associated document “Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air”;
• International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code);
• International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (IBC Code);
• International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code).
Taking into consideration the increasing volume of transportation of dangerous goods and seeking to ensure safety of carriage of this type of goods, the
EU policy regarding the issues of transportation of dangerous goods
The European Union policy and provisions regarding the transportation of dangerous goods are laid down in the Directive 2008/68/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 2008 on the inland transport of dangerous goods. This EU legal act stipulates that dangerous goods shall be transported in the territories of the Member States by road and by rail in compliance with international documents (see International regulation).
Reservations granted by the EU
After
Making use of the possibilities provided for in the EU directive, consultations and negotiations were held in the consultative EU Committee on the transport of dangerous goods and the following reservation was agreed – until the year 2015, it will be possible to carry by road the most popular in Lithuania dangerous goods – petrol, diesel fuel, domestic heating fuel and other similar goods – in mobile tanks that do not fully comply with the requirements of the ADR and to use for this purpose motor vehicles without ABS and endurance braking systems. Several reservations with regard to electrical equipment systems were also granted.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
In the process of implementation of resolutions of the Government of the
Harmonisation of national legal acts with the regulations and directives of the European Union is a significant step in the development of transport infrastructure, vehicle maintenance, management of fuel quality control, transport of dangerous goods, as well as in the process of creation of relevant economic conditions for environmental safety of transport sector.
In line with the Declaration of the Conference “Agenda XXI” that took place in1992 in Rio De Janeiro, Lithuania has obligations to implement international agreements and conventions concerning the reduction of gas emissions causing the greenhouse effect and other emissions causing acidity, as well as those concerning the long-range air pollution, reduction of sulphur, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds’ emissions in transport sector.
Lithuanian transport and environmental protection means are influenced also by resolutions of the Baltic Sea Environmental Protection Commission (HELCOM) and other international organisations, and by the EU action programme concerning sustainable transport development and mobility strategy. Economic indices of Lithuanian transport and communications are predetermined by the harmonisation of legal acts on environmental safety with the EU directives.
The experience of European industrial countries demonstrates that in order to avoid excessive growth of numbers of vehicles it is necessary to induce the autonomy of regional economy. For example, efficient railway and electronic communication infrastructure would enable the revival of Lithuanian railway and public transport systems, as well as would enhance rapid implementation of traffic management systems. Promotion of alternative public transport operation will decrease the intensity of traffic in urban downtowns/centres.
Transport policy in the field of environment safety means the strict control of responsibility for fuel quality and negative environmental impact of transport. Efficient system of fuel quality improvement and control is very important from the aspects of economy, finance, environment and human health. In
Unsafe transportation of chemical and dangerous waste is the essential cause of soil and underground water pollution endangering the environment and human health. Seeking to avoid this pollution in future it is foreseen to implement the best available technical means and apply economic instruments.
Harmonisation of Lithuanian legal basis with that of the EU is a difficult, time consuming and fund requiring process. It is particularly characteristic to the transport sector consisting of many elements: infrastructure, freight, carriers, fuel, and impact on the environment, human safety and health. In the field of the environmental protection the Ministry of Environment is the main legislative institution, however the Ministry of Transport and Communications is responsible for the implementation of transport environmental policy. The Ministry of Transport and Communications has to acquire relevant capacities, to train and prepare the staff for the work in line with the EMAS and ISO 14000in the fields of infrastructure development, carriers’ management (road vehicles, trains, airplanes and ships), management of dangerous goods and chemical waste, fuel control and maintenances of transport means/vehicles, etc., thus implementing requirements of hygiene and environment safety in transport sector. In the course of development of this process the main attention should be focused on the White Paper, the EU regulations and directives capacitating economic integration in the process of development of the European Transport Networks.
Reduction of negative impact on the environment and human health, caused by transport means and related activities, is one of the most urgent issues of Lithuanian environmental protection policy. In 1997, during the UN Conference “Transport and Environment” held in
Various means and actions for reduction of transport pollution have been foreseen in the State programmes, strategies of relevant sectors of economy, resolutions of the Government of the
PREVENTION OF CRISES
The Ministry of Transport and Communications participates in the implementation of crises prevention and crises management policies, and maintains relations with relevant institutions of foreign countries. Crises management may be understood in two ways:
• in a broad sense the crises management and prevention is the solution of international issues/problems by peaceful measures, as well as by development of good neighbourhood relations;
• in a narrow sense the crises management and prevention is the prevention and management of various interior critical situations caused by economic, political, social and natural factors.
By the Transport and Communications Minister’s Order No. 3-350 of 28 May 2003 the Plan of Civil Safety Readiness was approved for managing extreme situations by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, defining the general system necessary for relevant preparation, organisation and co-ordination actions of administrative units of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the security services, state enterprises under the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the agencies, as well as those with shareholder’s rights, for arranging actions in the organisation of rescue and localisation of extreme situations and mitigation of subsequences.