Revised Antarctic Clean-Up Manual
The Representatives,
Recalling the requirement under Article 1(5) of Annex III to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty that “past and present waste disposal sites on land and abandoned work sites of Antarctic activities shall be cleaned up by the generator of such wastes and the user of such sites”, and that this “obligation shall not be interpreted as requiring the removal of any structure designated as a historic site or monument, or the removal of any structure or waste material in circumstances where the removal by any practical option would result in greater adverse environmental impact than leaving the structure or waste material in its existing location”;
Noting that under Resolution 2 (2013) the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (“ATCM”) adopted a Clean-Up Manual to provide guidance to the Parties in order to support Parties in meeting the requirement above, and encouraged the Committee for Environmental Protection (“CEP”) to continue to develop the Clean-Up Manual, with the input of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (“SCAR”) and the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (“COMNAP”);
Considering the revision of the Clean-Up Manual by the CEP;
Desiring to update the Clean-Up Manual to reflect developments and advances in clean-up in Antarctica;
Recommend to their Governments that:
1. the Clean-Up Manual annexed to this Resolution replace the Clean-Up Manual adopted under Resolution 2 (2013);
2. the Committee for Environmental Protection (“CEP”) be encouraged to continue to develop the Clean-Up Manual with the input of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (“SCAR”) and the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (“COMNAP”); and
3. the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty post the text of Resolution 2 (2013) on its website in a way that makes clear that it is no longer current.
The Representatives,
Recalling the requirement under Article 1(5) of Annex III to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty that “past and present waste disposal sites on land and abandoned work sites of Antarctic activities shall be cleaned up by the generator of such wastes and the user of such sites”, and that this “obligation shall not be interpreted as requiring the removal of any structure designated as a historic site or monument, or the removal of any structure or waste material in circumstances where the removal by any practical option would result in greater adverse environmental impact than leaving the structure or waste material in its existing location”;
Noting that under Resolution 2 (2013) the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (“ATCM”) adopted a Clean-Up Manual to provide guidance to the Parties in order to support Parties in meeting the requirement above, and encouraged the Committee for Environmental Protection (“CEP”) to continue to develop the Clean-Up Manual, with the input of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (“SCAR”) and the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (“COMNAP”);
Considering the revision of the Clean-Up Manual by the CEP;
Desiring to update the Clean-Up Manual to reflect developments and advances in clean-up in Antarctica;
Recommend to their Governments that:
1. the Clean-Up Manual annexed to this Resolution replace the Clean-Up Manual adopted under Resolution 2 (2013);
2. the Committee for Environmental Protection (“CEP”) be encouraged to continue to develop the Clean-Up Manual with the input of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (“SCAR”) and the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (“COMNAP”); and
3. the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty post the text of Resolution 2 (2013) on its website in a way that makes clear that it is no longer current.
