Antarctic Inspection Report Guts.indd

U.S.-Russian Report of Inspections under

Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty

and Article 14 of the Protocol

on Environmental Protection

January 23-28, 2012

United States-Russia Joint Inspection Team

United States Department of State

Part I – Introduction 4

Part II – General Conclusions 6

Part III – Antarctic Station Inspection Reports 8

Scott Base (New Zealand) 8

Concordia (France/Italy) 15

Mario Zucchelli (Italy) 22

Acronym List 28

Table of Contents

Members of the U.S.-Russia Joint Inspection Team at McMurdo Station

––––––– Part I – IntroductIon ––––––

Ross Sea Ice

he U.S.-Russia Joint Antarctic Inspection was conducted from January 23 –

28, 2012. This is the ﬁrst joint inspection conducted by either country and

the ﬁrst Antarctic inspection conducted by the Russian Federation. This was the

thirteenth inspection conducted by the United States since the signing of the Ant-

arctic Treaty in 1959. This report summarizes the observations and conclusions of

the joint inspection team.

The inspection was conducted pursuant to Article VII

of the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 and Article 14 of the

Protocol for Environmental Protection to the Antarctic

Treaty. The purpose of the inspection is to promote

the objectives and ensure the observation of the provi-

sions of the Antarctic Treaty. The U.S.-Russian team

reviewed adherence by Treaty Parties to their obliga-

tions, including with respect to limiting environmen-

tal impacts, ensuring that Antarctica is used only for

peaceful purposes and that Parties honor the prohibi-

tion on measures of a military nature.

The joint inspection team members came from multi-

ple U.S. and Russian federal agencies and institutions,

including the U.S. Department of State, the Russian

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United States National

Science Foundation (NSF) and the Russian Antarctic

Expedition. The team members were:

Evan T. Bloom

Director, Ofce of Ocean and Polar Affairs

United States Department of State

Joint Team Leader

Vasily Titushkin

Deputy Director, Legal Department

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Joint Team Leader

George Blaisdell

Operations Manager, U.S. Antarctic Program

U.S. National Science Foundation

(During the inspection, Senior NSF Representative

in Antarctica)

Valery Lukin

Director, Russian Antarctic Expedition

Russian Federation

CDR Darin Liston, U.S. Navy

Political Military Advisor

United States Department of State

Sergey Tarasenko

Environmental Ofcer

Russian Antarctic Expedition

Russian Federation

Konstantin Timokhin

Third Secretary, Legal Department

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Susannah Cooper

Senior Advisor for Antarctica

Ofce of Ocean and Polar Affairs

United States Department of State

The joint inspection team arrived in the Antarctic

Treaty Area from Christchurch, New Zealand on

January 23. The team inspected Scott Base (New Zea-

land), Concordia (France/Italy) and Mario Zucchelli

Station (Italy). The inspection concluded on January

28, 2012.

The Antarctic Treaty, signed in Washington in 1959,

reserves the continent of Antarctica exclusively for

peaceful purposes. Moreover, it places science at the

heart of international cooperation on the continent by

guaranteeing freedom of scientic research, including

the sharing of research and scientic information. It

prohibits all military measures, including the testing of

weapons, the explosion of nuclear materials, and the

disposal of radioactive waste. The Treaty also pro-

vides a mutually agreeable arrangement for the issue

of territorial claims in Antarctica. The United States

and Russia played major roles in the negotiation of

this Treaty and participate actively in all aspects of the

Antarctic Treaty system. The Treaty has 50 parties,

28 of which are conducting signicant research on the

continent, thus entitling them to the status of Consul-

tative Party with the right to name inspectors.

The Environmental Protocol, which was signed in

1991 and came into force in 1998, designates Ant-

arctica as a “natural reserve, devoted to peace and

science.” It supplements the Antarctic Treaty’s basic

provisions applicable to human activity in Antarctica

and prohibits all activities related to Antarctic mineral

resources, with the exception of scientic research.

The U.S. Department of State coordinates U.S. policy

on Antarctica in cooperation with the National Sci-

ence Foundation, the federal agency that administers

the U.S. Antarctic Program, and other federal agen-

cies. It leads diplomatic efforts within the framework

established by the Antarctic Treaty.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federa-

tion ensures implementation of the Antarctic Treaty

and reviews all the related political aspects, both

national and international. The Russian Antarctic

Expedition, as a specialized body within the Russian

Federal Service on hydrometeorology and environ-

mental protection, manages national governmental

activities in Antarctica.

Acknowledgements

The inspection team greatly appreciates the support of

the National Science Foundation and its U.S. Antarctic

Program, particularly the staff of the United States’

McMurdo Station, who provided essential logistical

support for the inspection.

––– Part II – General conclusIons –––

Prince Albert Mountains in Victoria Land

he team was grateful for the cooperation provided by all three inspected sta-

tions. Each of the stations was well managed and impressive in terms of their

general facilities, professional character and dedication to science.

All three stations visited demonstrated a high level of

compliance with the Antarctic Treaty system rules.

These stations conduct a wide range of Antarctic

scientic research, including terrestrial and marine

biology, astronomy, glaciology, oceanography, envi-

ronmental monitoring, seismology, meteorology and

climatology, to name only a few. They also demon-

strated a keen interest in promoting and advancing

international scientic collaboration and have hosted

a number of foreign scientists in recent seasons. The

team was impressed with the high level of sensitivity to

protecting the Antarctic ecosystem.

Also notable was the emphasis placed by Concordia

and Scott Base in particular on energy and water ef-

ciency, as both stations were upgraded recently. Scott’s

use of renewable wind energy to provide for almost all

of its energy needs and cooperative energy relation-

ship with McMurdo Station substantially reduced its

use of hydrocarbons. Both Concordia and Scott Base

have developed energy monitoring systems to maxi-

mize efciency and reduce consumption. Concordia

and Scott Base also have established a comprehensive

water recycling system that signicantly reduces over-

all water usage.

Zucchelli, a comparatively older station, and eld

camps operated out of Scott Base have not benet-

ted from similar modernizations or efciencies. Zuc-

chelli’s management indicated that the station is totally

reliant on hydrocarbons for power, although Italy has

begun to look at the possibilities of using solar panels

or wind turbines. Similarly, Scott Base indicated that

its eld camps have yet to utilize improved energy

concepts practiced at the station.

All three stations noted the challenges of logistics and

funding Antarctic programs that confront many of the

Consultative Parties. As a result, the stations all dem-

onstrated varying degrees of international logistical

collaboration with other National Antarctic Programs,

while also indicating strong interest in expanding these

relationships to maximize efciencies. The stations

carefully review expenditures, particularly on fuel and

logistics, with an eye to identifying cost saving mea-

sures that could be applied.

Overall, the inspection team was very impressed with

the operations at all three stations, which have devel-

oped best practices that could serve as a model for

many national programs.

Our discussions at two of the stations – Concordia

and Mario Zucchelli – raised questions concerning the

ability to implement fully legal standards related to the

Environmental Protocol. We were informed that Italy

does not have implementing laws or regulations related

to the Protocol. As discussed in the report, this has im-

plications for ensuring compliance with environmental

rules by Italian citizens and by non-Italians participat-

ing in Italian science projects in Antarctica.

Landscape

–––––– Part III ––––––

antarctIc statIon InsPectIon rePorts

Hillary Field Center, Scott Base, Ross Island

NEW ZEALAND - SCOTT BASE

77º 51’ S, 166º 46’ E

JANUARY 24, 2012

Scott Base is the only research station operated by

Antarctica New Zealand and is the logistical hub for

New Zealand-supported scientic activities in Antarc-

tica and the Southern Ocean. Antarctica New Zea-

land is a Crown Entity with a Ministerial-appointed

board and structure. Antarctica New Zealand is

funded through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and

Trade and the Ministry advises the Minister of For-

eign Affairs on its overall performance. Operated as

a year round station since its establishment in 1957,

Scott Base has had one major upgrade and numerous

small-scale refurbishments over the last 50 years and is

a modern and efcient facility.

The joint team began its ve-hour inspection at Scott

Base on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 12 p.m. Dr. Ed

Butler, Senior Antarctica New Zealand Representative

and Manager of Antarctic Science, led the discussion

and provided a tour of Scott’s facilities. The team had

intended to provide two days’ notice in advance of the

inspection, but when weather prevented the team from

ying to Mario Zucchelli Station, Scott Base gracious-

ly welcomed the team on the same day as the original

notication.

PhysicAl descriPtion

Scott Base is composed of a series of connected

structures, arranged parallel to the shore of Hut

Point Peninsula of Ross Island at the southernmost

point of sea ice in Antarctica (excepting Gould Bay

in the Weddell Sea). One large structure (called the

“hangar”) is separate from the main station. A small

separated building dating back to the original station

is preserved as a “museum” with historical displays. A

pair of small marine laboratories is also separated and

located immediately along the waterfront. Scott Base

is located about 1.8 miles (three kilometers) from the

U.S. Antarctic Program’s McMurdo Station. The two

stations are connected by a robust road.

Since the construction of the station in 1957 the main

station has been successively refurbished. The re-

construction program was completed ve years ago.

As a result the station building is a complex, unique

engineering structure in which the majority of vari-

ous technical services, research laboratories, and living

and service quarters are situated under one roof. Such

an approach has its advantages and disadvantages.

Among the advantages are energy saving and comfort-

able working surroundings. Disadvantages include the

risks and potential impact of local res on the whole

structure and related problems with evacuation. Many

Antarctic stations are composed of or centered on a

main central structure, and thus this “disadvantage” is

one faced by many stations and can be mitigated to a

large degree by administrative measures.

At this time, there are no plans to expand the footprint

of the station. Antarctica New Zealand has a plan to

continue to maximize station efciencies and support

for scientic operations, including during the winter

season. The Government of New Zealand subse-

quently informed the inspection team that in 2005 the

Board of Antarctica New Zealand made a decision to

freeze the station footprint and that all staff share bunk

rooms in summer to reduce the base footprint and

demonstrate a focus on reducing use of fossil fuels.

The Inspection Team took note of the sign at the top

of the road that descends to Scott Base that states

“Welcome to Scott Base, Capital of the Ross Depen-

dency.” The New Zealand Government subsequently

claried that the unauthorized sign was erected by

wintering over Scott Base staff. It is not an ofcial sign

and, in its view, modications made to it over the years

(e.g. the Scott Base, population and images of satirical

base activities, such as picnics) reect the good hu-

moured nature of the sign. Although the sign includes

some facetious elements and may reect, in part, a

humorous intent, it is quite prominent. Given that

the intent of the sign is perhaps unclear, and given the

differing views that exist over territorial issues in the

Antarctic Treaty area, relevant authorities may wish to

consider whether this is the appropriate sign to mark

the entrance to the station.

Personnel

At the time of the inspection, 65 scientists and support

personnel were at Scott Base. The station usually has

32 scientic support members during the summer sea-

son, which runs from early October to mid-February

each year. Twenty-ve percent of these personnel are

associated with the New Zealand Defence Force. Each

summer, approximately 30-40 scientic personnel are

working at eld camps. Scott Base has a capacity of

86 beds and controls its program to meet this maxi-

mum. As Antarctica New Zealand participates in a

joint logistics pool with nearby McMurdo station and

strives to run an efcient operation, the proportion of

support personnel to scientic personnel may be lower

than at other stations of a similar size (approximately

1:1 compared to 1:3 or 4).

In recent years, 10-11 Antarctica New Zealand staff

deploy for the winter season. All personnel are re-

quired to have a medical screening prior to deploy-

ment. Antarctica New Zealand provides specic

advance training on rst aid, re ghting, search and

rescue (SAR), area management and environmental

protection in New Zealand.

There are 2-3 trained paramedics working at Scott

Base during most summer seasons, although they con-

currently ll other positions. The station’s small medi-

cal room has one bed and limited equipment. Serious

medical emergencies are referred to nearby McMurdo

Station for treatment. There has been one medevac to

Christchurch in the last ten years.

scientific reseArch

The main goals of Antarctica New Zealand’s scien-

tic research correspond to the main modern areas

of focus of the international scientic community,

including those of the Scientic Committee on Ant-

arctic Research (SCAR): life sciences, earth sciences

and physical sciences. Particular lines of research are

interrelated with the development of corresponding

science schools and science potential of New Zea-

land. Multidisciplinary eld research is performed

at Scott Base and its eld camps located within the

reach of the base’s logistical support network. These

research activities include physical oceanography, sea

ice, studies of biodiversity of the extreme Antarctic

environment, climate change, and geophysical pro-

cesses in the earth’s crust and in the magnetic sphere.

Some of these projects are performed year-round in

the geomagnetic huts, at the points of observation and

laboratories of the station, but most of them are at the

eld camps operated in the summer season. In the

2011/12 season, about 35 different scientic programs

were supported from Scott Base. Some projects were

conducted at several eld camps, while other projects

were conducted at only one camp.

Measurements of the state of the environment are

conducted by modern measurement equipment, some

of which are integrated into international observation

networks (i.e., World Meteorological Organization

(WMO), International Real-time Magnetic Observa-

tory Network (Intermagnet), Global Sea Level Observ-

ing System (GLOSS), etc.).

Representatives of several foreign Antarctic programs

(Australia, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Republic of Ko-

rea, South Africa, and United States) take part in the

science activities of the base. In previous years, repre-

sentatives of the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom

and Malaysia have also worked there. There are also

a number of joint scientic projects conducted at Scott

Base: sea ice research with Canada and the European

Space Agency, and glaciology with the United States.

In addition, New Zealand continues to take part in the

ANDRILL (Antarctic Geological Drilling) project.

New Zealand’s cooperation with scientists from many

countries is admirable and consistent with the scientic

objectives of the Antarctic Treaty. Such cooperation is

also a reminder that non-parties should be encouraged

to join the Treaty when their involvement, through

their scientists and/or other activities, reaches a signi-

cant stage.

tourist And ngo Activities

The observers noted that the number of tourist and

non-governmental activities in the Scott Base area

remains quite low – one vessel called in 2010 and none

in 2011, whereas in the mid-2000s the average number

of calls was three to four per year. (The decline might

have been caused by severe ice conditions in the area.)

New Zealand government support to tourist expedi-

tions to Antarctica is limited to humanitarian assis-

tance and basic hospitality (such as short visits to Scott

Base). Antarctica New Zealand maintains contacts

with New Zealand tour operators to ensure the tourist

ow is manageable and their visits are organized in ac-

cordance with Antarctic Treaty system requirements.

All outreach and journalist activity is conducted as

part of the National Antarctic Program.

The team noted as well the activities of Antarctic Her-

itage Trust (AHT), a non-prot Charitable Trust with

core corporate support funded by the New Zealand

Government (Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage)

dedicated to the preservation of four Ross Sea historic

huts and artifacts. AHT’s operations represent a con-

tinuous and long-term conservation project conducted

in close cooperation with Antarctica New Zealand

(e.g., using Scott Base’s storage facilities, performing

conservation works in one of the station’s buildings

provided to AHT). According to the Government of

New Zealand, conservation funding is raised through

philanthropic international donors with all logistics

provided by Antarctica New Zealand under a regularly

reviewed Memorandum of Understanding. Nonethe-

less, the team believes more information from Ant-

arctica New Zealand on its collaboration with AHT,

including issues related to control over such activities,

would be appreciated.

logistics And oPerAtions

communIcatIons

Scott Base has UHF, VHF and HF radio with repeat-

ers in the vicinity for voice communications, Iridium

satellite phone with voice and text capability, as well as

satellite voice and data links to the internet with voice,

data and email capabilities.

transPort

There are numerous vehicles at Scott Base, including

sport utility vehicles (SUVs), tractors, loaders, me-

dium- and small-size over-snow vehicles, snowmobiles

and quad bikes, as well as other types. New Zealand

is part of a joint logistics pool with the United States,

and shares use of U.S. Air Force C-17 and LC-130 air-

craft and contract Twin Otter and Basler aircraft. For

their contribution to the logistics pool, the Royal New

Zealand Air Force operates Boeing 757 and C-130

aircraft to and from New Zealand, conducting approx-

imately 15 total round trips annually. Scott Base also

has one contract Eurocopter Type EC130 helicopter,

operated and supported out of McMurdo Station.

This helicopter averages 150 missions per year with an

average 1.4 hours per mission.

Scott receives cargo and fuel supplies once per year via

the U.S. Antarctic Program’s (USAP) resupply ships.

Scott Base has no small boats.

Two marked gravel helipads are demarked close to

the station, but no other aircraft support facilities are

present.

In 1958 the United States and New Zealand Govern-

ments signed a joint cooperation agreement whereby

the costs of operating logistics in Antarctica are shared

on a pro-rata basis between the two Governments.

As the two programs have developed since then, an

annual review of each party’s contributions is made

with emphasis on what each party can bring to the

joint pool and what that contribution’s value is to each

program. For example, New Zealand provides United

States’ aircraft access to Christchurch International

Airport and has recently developed a three-turbine

wind farm that provides approximately 15% of the

joint electric load of Scott Base and McMurdo.

Scott Base benets greatly from its proximity to and

collegial relationship with USAP. This is most notable

in the area of intercontinental transportation where

Antarctic New Zealand appears to have very limited

ability to provide ship resupply and limited capac-

ity for intercontinental airlift. Scott Base appears to

manage its dependence on a third party (in this case,

USAP) for some of its most critical operational needs

through a proactive, close, and continuous relationship

with the United States.

Fuel storaGe and use

Four fuel tanks, each with forms of secondary con-

tainment, hold Scott Base’s fuel supply. These tanks’

combined capacity is 16,500 gallons (61,000 liters),

which previous to the installation of the wind turbine

generators (see following section on power generation)

was only about one-tenth of a year’s quantity of fuel.

Now, this capacity equals approximately a year’s worth

of storage.

The four tanks are not co-located. This assists in

avoiding complete incapacitation in the event of a

catastrophic event. Fuel is delivered to each of these

tanks by truck from McMurdo’s tank farm. Scott

Base’s fuel is purchased and delivered through the U.S.

Antarctic Program (USAP). Antarctica New Zealand

remits funds directly to USAP to compensate for the

fuel it draws.

Team Leaders Vasily Titushkin and Evan Bloom with

Antarctica New Zealand Representative Ed Butler

Prior to the installation of the wind turbine farm, the

overwhelming portion the fuel fed generators that pro-

vided station electricity. Now, the majority of fuel used

(a mere fraction of the pre-wind-farm quantity) goes to

boilers that provide station heating.

Power GeneratIon and manaGement

Over the past three years, Scott Base has experienced

a dramatic change in how it provides power for its

activities. Prior to 2009, the base operated a tradi-

tional diesel engine driven power plant that operated

continuously. The system provided at least simple

redundancy.

At Antarctic New Zealand’s instigation, a wind turbine

farm (consisting of three generators) was designed,

installed and commissioned jointly with USAP. The

turbines came on line in December 2009. The wind

turbines are located on Crater Hill overlooking Scott

Base. A part of this project tied Scott Base’s and Mc-

Murdo’s power networks together into a “Ross Island

power grid.” The construction followed an Initial

Environmental Evaluation (IEE) done by New Zealand

that concluded:

“…the negative environmental impacts resulting from

this activity will be outweighed by the positive environ-

mental benets. The predicted reduction in fuel usage

and consequent reduction in greenhouses gases being

released to the atmosphere, combined with the reduc-

tion in the risk of an environmental incident through

less handling of less fuel outweigh the predicted im-

pacts the installation of the turbines will create.”

The wind turbines are providing more power than was

originally expected; the three wind turbines provide

100 percent of the amount of power needed by Scott

Base, and the remainder offsets the power needs of

McMurdo Station. This has been a successful exam-

ple of renewable energy planning in Antarctica.

water systems

Scott Base utilizes a reverse osmosis plant to produce

fresh water from seawater drawn by pipeline from

McMurdo Sound. Processed water is piped to a

family of storage tanks, where it is available for sinks,

water fountains, showers and all galley functions (e.g.,

dishwasher). Wastewater from these devices is routed

to a wastewater treatment plant. This plant uses

bio-degradation, centrifuge, and ltration to purify

water. The sludge is packaged for removal from the

continent, and the recycled water is plumbed to station

Wind Turbines on Crater Hill, overlooking Scott Base

toilets. Toilet efuent is routed back to the wastewater

treatment plant for purication and repeated recycling

to toilets. Waterless urinals are used throughout Scott

Base.

mAnAgement of dAngerous

elements

Station management indicated the presence of am-

mable liquids and liquid nitrogen used in scientic

studies. Such hazardous and other toxic materials are

stowed appropriately in marked lockers throughout the

station. Spent chemicals and other hazardous materi-

als (e.g., batteries) are properly packaged, documented

and shipped back to New Zealand for disposal in

accordance with New Zealand laws and regulations.

The only item of concern (indicated by station person-

nel) was a switch-board inside a metal box with electric

cables connected that stood nearby another metal box

containing ammable liquids.

The station leader reported no rearms, radioisotopes

or explosives on station. He noted that explosives used

for the installation of the wind turbines were provided

by McMurdo Station.

emergency resPonse

cAPAbility

Scott Base managers briefed the inspection team on

emergency response plans, search and rescue plans,

and re-ghting capabilities. Search and rescue, re

ghting capability and emergency response are in-

tegrally linked with USAP at McMurdo, but these

aspects are achieved in an equitable partnership and

could be performed adequately on an independent ba-

sis. The observers learned as well that the re incident

of 2009 at Scott Base created a signicant change in

approach to personnel training focused on individual

responsibilities for eliminating harm to persons, facili-

ties and the environment through risk identication

and management, but did not require modication of

re-safety procedures.

environmentAl Protocol

envIronmental ImPact assessment

The observers were briefed on the rules, procedures

and practices applied at Scott Base with regard to

environmental impact assessments (EIA). The sta-

tion management personnel demonstrated a high

degree of awareness of the requirements and also

informed the observers that New Zealand authorities

had recently adopted an Initial Environmental Evalu-

ation (IEE) covering Scott Base non-science activities

for the period of 2011-2015, with annual amendments

to highlight any seasonal change in activity that may

occur. It was explained that previously Antarctica

New Zealand had submitted annual IEEs, however,

due to the longevity of operations and the requirement

to maintain an ongoing presence in Antarctica, it was

decided to switch to a longer-term environmental im-

pact assessment. It was also underscored that one of

the advantages of such a mechanism was the ability to

assess the cumulative impacts and the operation of the

non-science program as a whole. This helps mitigate

impacts of the annual program in a more comprehen-

sive manner.

It was also noted that Antarctica New Zealand strictly

requires private or outside applicants seeking to carry

out activities at Scott Base to produce EIAs that are

subject to thorough review and, if necessary, further

amendments and/or redevelopment.

conservatIon oF Flora and Fauna

The station is located on the Ross Sea, and seals, pen-

guins and minke whales are often seen in the vicinity

of the station. Personnel follow strict guidelines to

maintain 10 meters’ distance away from any fauna,

although animals may directly approach personnel

and facilities. Antarctica New Zealand issues permits

for the taking of fauna for scientic purposes; in recent

years this has included research on marine life (e.g.,

sh) and penguins.

There is a small area near the station where mosses

and lichen have been identied. Although this area is

not marked, station personnel are made aware of the

location, and Scott Base seeks to keep the area free of

human interference. Consideration should be given to

making protection of this site more robust and formal-

ized.

All staff members receive training on how to minimize

the introduction of non-native species; educational

posters are also present in the station. Station man-

agement reported that there have been past cases of

ies being transported from New Zealand in damaged

beer shipments and that remedial systems have been

installed to help prevent the release of non-native spe-

cies.

Given the historical research and samples in the vicin-

ity collected by Robert F. Scott’s 1910-1912 expedi-

tion, there are data available to assist with long-term

studies on the impact of Scott Base on local ora and

fauna.

waste manaGement

The Scott Base services supervisor provided the ob-

servers with the station Waste Management Hand-

book. Relevant information posters on the subject are

placed around the station and all Base personnel are

aware of the rules of waste management.

All wastes are separated into ve categories listed

below:

• Recyclables;

• Hazardous;

• Domestic liquids;

• Food wastes;

• General.

All waste produced at Scott Base and in the eld is

returned to New Zealand for recycling and appropri-

ate disposal. Paper, cardboard, cans, and plastic are

compacted and packed for transportation. Incinera-

tion is not currently used at the station.

The only waste materials disposed in the Antarctic

are domestic liquids. The base operates a biological

wastewater treatment facility. Treated and disinfected

water produced by the facility is recycled for use in

ushing toilets, except a small amount that is released

to the sea.

The area of the base is quite clean. The team ob-

served that working and living areas in the station were

clean and well-lit.

area manaGement

There are several Antarctic Specially Protected Ar-

eas (ASPAs) and Antarctic Specially Managed Areas

(ASMAs) in the vicinity of the Scott Base (e.g. Arrival

Heights, Dry Valleys). It was reported that the respec-

tive areas are marked where possible and are being

regularly monitored. Since some of the protected ar-

eas are located close to regularly traversed paths, their

monitoring is of special importance in comparison to

more remote areas. The station leader informed the

observers of several inadvertent breaches of the areas’

regime (1-2 cases of trespassing per year). As reported,

none of the cases caused noticeable harm to the envi-

ronment.

The training provided to the personnel with regard to

the environmental issues contributes to the preserva-

tion of the ASPA regime. It is worth noting as well

that New Zealand has provided to the Antarctic Treaty

Consultative Meeting (ATCM) its ve-year reviews of

the station’s management plans.

Arms And militAry suPPort

The New Zealand Defence Force supports Scott Base

by providing some military personnel to ll a number

of positions. In the 2011/12 season these included:

four communications operators, two heavy plant

operators, one cargo handler and the Base Services

Coordinator. The Armed Forces Canteen Council

operates the bar and shop at Scott Base.

In addition to military personnel at Scott Base, as part

of the joint logistics agreement between New Zealand

and the United States, New Zealand military person-

nel assist with the USAP cargo ship ofoad. Light en-

gineering teams are also provided by the New Zealand

military on an as-needed basis to assist with general

construction work.

France/Italy – concordIa StatIon

75º 06’ 06’’ S, 123º 23’ 43’’ e

January 25, 2012

Concordia Station, located on the Antarctic plateau

at Dome C, is jointly funded, staffed and operated by

France’s Polar Institute (IPEV) and Italy’s National

Program of Research in Antarctica (PNRA - Italy)

through the Italian National Agency for New Tech-

nologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Develop-

ment (ENEA) under a cooperative agreement signed

by IPEV and ENEA in 1993. The station opened

in 1997 with the establishment of a summer camp;

construction of the year round facility was completed

in 2005. As one of the newest stations in Antarctica,

Concordia utilizes a number of highly efcient energy

and waste management systems that could serve as a

model for modernization of other Antarctic stations.

The inspection team’s three and a half hour visit to

Concordia began at 8 a.m. local time on Wednesday,

January 25, 2012. Sergio Sgroi, Summer Station

Leader (ENEA-PNRA), Claire Le Calvez, Technical

and Logistical Manager (IPEV), and Eric Bondoux,

Winter Station Leader (IPEV), led the discussion with

the inspection team and provided a tour of Concor-

dia’s facilities. The inspection team provided three

days’ advance notice of the inspection.

PhysicAl descriPtion

Concordia is built at Dome C on the East Antarctic

plateau and its altitude exceeds 10,600 feet (3200

meters). The remote inland location of the station

provides an excellent site for astronomy, astrophysics,

glaciology and atmospheric research. The station is

operated and occupied year round.

The station consists of three main structures intercon-

nected by above grade, hinged, enclosed passageways.

Two identical raised polygonal buildings are divided

for quiet and loud activities, respectively. The “calm”

building houses laboratories, lodging, communica-

tions, and medical facilities, while the “noisy” building

houses the kitchen, dining area, and some storage and

technical plants. Up to 36 personnel can be housed in

the main station buildings. The third main structure,

made up of stacked and adjacent interlocked shipping

containers, houses power and mechanical facilities.

Workshops, fuel storage tanks, waste management

containers and science support structures scatter the

area surrounding the main station with some science

facilities located up to 0.62 miles (one kilometer) away.

A self-sustainable summer camp with capacity to hold

46 persons and with water, power, and heat, houses the

summer overow population. This camp also serves as

Joint Inspection Team with Concordia Station Leaders

the emergency shelter for the station in the event of a

catastrophe to the main facilities.

According to station management, there are plans to

upgrade the external laboratories, which are currently

housed in containers, renovate the summer camp and

make improvements to the garage. EIAs will be con-

ducted as appropriate.

Personnel

At the time of the inspection, there were 46 staff

members on station: 22 scientic staff and 24 logisti-

cal/support staff. The station has a capacity of 82

beds, but the maximum population in the 2011/2012

season was 75. The summer station leader is always

Italian, while the technical manager is always French

and the winter station leader usually rotates between

Italy and France each year.

Ten to fourteen staff members form the over-winter

crew. Historically, Concordia has had no military sta-

tion team members. All station staff members receive

medical screening in France or Italy (depending on

nationality) prior to deployment.

IPEV and PNRA provide training in advance of

deployment in their respective countries. Italy’s two-

week training program focuses on search and rescue,

rst aid, re ghting, environmental practices and

survival. The lecture material is given in electronic

format to every participant. France provides hands on

training for summer staff and written guidance to all

its personnel. The written guidance covers the Antarc-

tic Treaty and Environmental Protocol, living condi-

tions, medical information, communications and other

guidance for nationals living outside of France. In

addition, a meeting is organized for all the winter-over

members, French and Italian, in order to provide the

same information to the staff. Managers from PNRA

and IPEV make the presentations on the two orga-

nizations, life at Concordia, medical issues, and the

Antarctic Treaty and Environmental Protocol.

Concordia has a fully equipped medical facility, includ-

ing an operating room, dental suite, and one dedicated

sick room bed. The facility also has an ultrasound,

x-ray and electrocardiography (EKG) equipment.

During the summer season, Concordia hosts two

physicians – one research and one clinical – as well as

one nurse/anesthesiologist. During the winter, there

are two clinical doctors on station, and four other staff

members are trained on site to provide assistance to

the doctors.

The fact that Concordia Station is jointly operated and

managed by Italy and France was of particular interest

to the observer team. Such international cooperation

A Bulldozer Delivering Snow to the Power Plant

can set precedents for future Antarctic collaborations

by many countries.

The two countries manage their cooperation via a

Collaborative Agreement signed in 1993 by the direc-

tors of the two national programs and an intergov-

ernmental agreement signed by the two countries’

Ministers of Research. The Collaborative Agreement

establishes a steering committee of six members led

by the directors of the programs. The station leaders

informed us that, as a practical matter, the Steering

Committee has few formal meetings (which include

meeting before the start of the season, and planning

for science to be undertaken and logistics require-

ments). When important issues arise with respect to

station management, station leaders routinely seek

guidance from the two program directors, who consult

and then make a decision by consensus. The program

leaders do not rely on particular decision-making pro-

cedures, but are able to reach agreement efciently as

they know each other well.

The description of decision-making from the station

leaders indicated that the station beneted from a clear

cooperative attitude between the French and Italian

governments, and the national program leaders in

particular. The team wondered whether it would be

helpful for the two governments to establish further

procedures for the Steering Committee or beyond

those provided in the Collaborative Agreement, in case

of need in the future.

The team recognized that there are a number of posi-

tive factors that follow from more than one country

jointly operating an Antarctic station. These include

cost-effectiveness and budget-savings in running the

station, better opportunities for organizing integrated

and complex scientic research, and application of the

best available technologies and practices.

Nevertheless a number of difculties can and do arise

as a result of having dual administrative control of the

operational regime of the station. It was reported that

the French personnel at the station (as well as those

foreigners who work there under the auspices of the

French program) are to abide by French rules and the

Italians by Italian rules. This may create a situation

of legal ambiguity, as persons working together are

subject to different legal regimes. Moreover during the

visit to Mario Zucchelli Station the observers learned

that Italy in fact has no legislation implementing Ma-

drid Protocol provisions. Therefore it is hard to dene

what environmental protection regime applies to the

activities engaged in by the Italians, how they would

resolve important issues such as liability in case of

environmental damage, etc. (Further information on

this topic is provided in the section on Mario Zucchelli

Station.)

Another noticeable aspect relates to inequality with

respect to salaries and insurance/benets programs

of French and Italian personnel, respectively, despite

the fact that personnel of both nationalities share the

same working environment and perform the same or

similar functions. The team thought this was an issue

that should be considered by any party contemplating

bilateral or multilateral cooperation.

scientific reseArch

The construction and exploitation of stations located

in the interior of Antarctica is a real challenge for

national Antarctic programs since only those with sig-

nicant scientic and logistical capabilities can accom-

plish such tasks. At the moment, only six countries

have such stations (China, France, Italy, Japan, Russia

and the United States). Concordia Station is one of

the outstanding examples in this eld. Built in 1997

primarily for the purposes of the European Project on

Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA), this station is now

shifting its scientic interests to astronomy, astrophysics

and atmospheric sciences. This station is located on

the Antarctic plateau where high level of transparency

of the atmosphere and long periods without clouds

make it one of the best places on Earth for astronomi-

cal research.

French and Italian Antarctic programs also conduct at

Concordia geophysical (seismology and geomagnetics),

microbiological and medical (physiology of human

body in extreme conditions) research.

The station hosts a number of international scientic

research programs with participation of the research-

ers from mostly European countries such as Denmark,

Belgium and the United Kingdom. The observers

were informed that such projects are carried out under

the auspices of either the French or Italian Antarctic

programs.

There are no eld camps supported out of Concordia,

although within 0.62 miles (1 km) from the station

there is a summer camp that serves as a safety camp

in winter, and, if necessary, there are summer science

traverses to perform glaciological studies. On the day

of the inspection one such traverse returned to Con-

cordia from Vostok station (Russia) having drilled a

100-meter borehole in snow-rm cover.

The team paid special attention to the situation involv-

ing the deep ice borehole at Concordia drilled under

the EPICA project, where liquid consisting of kerosene

(jet) and freon (F141B) was used to conserve the hole.

According to the information available, this liquid ap-

peared to be similar to the one used at the Vostok Sta-

tion drilling project where ecological effects of the liq-

uid had been a matter of thorough consideration at a

number of the Committee for Environmental Protec-

tion (CEP) meetings. It was noted that after comple-

tion of the EPICA project France and Italy conducted

random monitoring of the borehole (as reported to the

observers, most recently in the 2010-2011 season).

Meanwhile, the presence of hazardous liquid in the

conserved borehole is signicant and requires moni-

toring. The team learned that an unexplained and

un-investigated drop of liquid level has in the recent

past been suspected in the borehole. It is reasonable to

assume this uid migrated into the surrounding snow/

ice which would be considered a permanent release.

Although French authorities subsequently informed

the team that several measurement efforts indicate that

the level of drilling uid remains the same as after the

completion of the drilling activity, a management plan

for the borehole may be warranted to address envi-

ronmental responsibilities. Having considered this, it

may be desirable, in order to dispel any concerns of

the international community on this account, for an

additional EIA to be conducted if the borehole is to

be kept this way (and in this case provide for regular

monitoring of the borehole). However, if the borehole

is to be closed, relevant information could presented to

the CEP meeting in respect of the extraction of uids,

clean-up, etc. and corresponding contingency plan.

tourist And ngo Activities

It was not surprising to learn that there are no tour

operators arranging visits to Concordia, given the sta-

tion’s remote location. Team leaders noted that it was

the station’s policy not to encourage non-governmental

visits. However, we were informed that a recent visit

of private individuals did occur at the invitation of the

French Foreign Ministry.

logistics And oPerAtions

communIcatIon

Links include VHF and HF radio, Iridium satellite

phone with voice and text capability, as well as satellite

voice and data links with Internet, voice (VoIP), data

and email capabilities. The station has a small com-

puter lounge, VSAT for telephone, fax and Internet, as

well as VoIP conferencing room and medical telecon-

ference capabilities.

transPort

Logistical support of Concordia is performed only in

the summer season (end of November – beginning of

February). Due to harsh weather conditions (tempera-

tures below minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit/minus 50

degrees Celsius) for more than nine months per year,

the station functions fully autonomously and has ac-

cess to the outside world only through communication

systems.

Italy’s PNRA provides the air support from Italy’s Ma-

rio Zucchelli Station, and occasionally from Dumont

d’Urville, as needed, in the form of Twin Otter and/

or Basler aircraft. A private, third party contractor

(Kenn Borek Air, Ltd.) provides this air support.

France’s IPEV provides cargo support via three tra-

verse resupply convoys of 8-10 tractors. The cargo is

delivered via ship to Dumont d’Urville and transferred

to Cap Prud’homme, which serves as the continental

launching point for inland traverses. A typical con-

voy consists of two or three snow grading machines

leading six to seven tractors towing the cargo sledges.

Approximately 150 tons of cargo is brought on each

traverse, two thirds of which is fuel.

There are many different types of vehicles at Concor-

dia, including tractors, loaders, cranes, snowmobiles,

snow cats and pickup trucks.

e logistical support of Concordia presents a real

challenge since it is based on complicated management

scheme. Nonetheless this system appears to work

well, and there have not been any major perturbations

reported.

Fuel storaGe and use

The station utilizes diesel fuel for power generation,

as well as kerosene, petrol and other fuels as required

for vehicles. Concordia’s fuel arrives by tractor tra-

verse from Dumont d’Urville and is stored in bulk in

tanks inside specially constructed shipping containers

that have sealed tubs for their lower third. A spatially

removed supply of fuel is present at the summer/

emergency camp.

In addition to detailed written fuel transfer guidelines,

station personnel responsible for fuel management

receive specialized training for handling hazardous

materials and for spill prevention and clean up.

Power GeneratIon and manaGement

The station was designed for power production and

fuel consumption efciency. Maximum consumption

in the summer season averages 150 kilowatts. The

station has two diesel generators capable of generating

110 kW each and a third that generates 193 kW.

Waste heat from power generation is effectively used

to heat the station year round. The station’s insulation

and ventilation systems, however, are so robust that

during the summer, station personnel open many of

the external windows to modulate heat. At the time

of the inspection, the team was struck by how many

windows at the facility were kept open despite the fact

that the outside temperature was below minus 20 de-

grees Fahrenheit (minus 30 degrees Celsius), and what

this implied for the station’s energy efciency. Station

management explained that Concordia is planning to

test solar panels at the summer camp in the coming

season and exploring other possibilities for renewable

energy use. If successful, solar generation of electric-

ity will reduce traditional power generation and its

associated waste heat and thus likely decrease the need

to open windows in the summer.

water systems

Fresh water is obtained by melting snow, which is

heated by the jacket water circuit. The snow is col-

lected from a designated collection zone and delivered

to the power plant by bulldozer. The extensive gray

Open Exterior Windows at Concordia Station

water recycling system (see following section on waste

management) reduces fresh water consumption levels.

mAnAgement of dAngerous

elements

The station stocks and utilizes a limited amount of

chemicals. Chemicals appear to be properly managed,

stored and handled in the laboratory areas of the

Station. Concordia’s waste and recycling facilities are

properly marked and segregated for hazardous materi-

als.

Station personnel reported that no weapons, radioiso-

topes or explosives are present on station.

emergency resPonse

cAPAbility

The work of Concordia personnel in isolated winter

conditions require utmost reliability on the station’s

life-support systems, with a special emphasis on re-

sponding to re risks, technical failures and other life-

threatening incidents at those periods when external

assistance cannot be rendered due to weather condi-

tions. European Space Agency (ESA) involvement in

designing the station led to the use of several unique

space technologies and engineering solutions.

Like other stations in the interior of Antarctica (as in

outer space), Concordia is faced with the possibility

that receiving emergency assistance can be difcult

or impossible. In these circumstances, having all of

Concordia’s living facilities under one roof increases

the risk of casualties in the event of an emergency

situation. Concordia does maintain a “safety camp”

in winter (during the summer this camp supports

the population that cannot t in the elevated station)

which is stocked with food, clothing, heaters, small

generators and other necessary supplies. Nevertheless,

Concordia management acknowledges that personnel

would be in “survival mode” until rescued.

environmentAl Protocol

As discussed in the chapter on the team’s visit to Mario

Zucchelli Station, it appears that Italy does not have

in place laws and regulations needed to fully imple-

ment the Environmental Protocol. Because French

law governs French science activities at Concordia,

and Italian law governs Italian science activities, there

could be inconsistency in implementation of environ-

mental rules at the station depending on which nation-

ality is conducting the activity. This situation could

be particularly confusing in the event of application

Concordia Station Operations Center

of environmental rules to non-Italian or non-French

nationals participating in station activities, or future

science activities under auspices of other countries.

envIronmental ImPact assessment

The observers were informed that the station’s “older”

buildings did not fall under EIA procedures, since they

were erected before Madrid Protocol became effective,

although a CEE was prepared for the construction of

the permanent station. It is worth noting nevertheless

that Italian and French teams independently prepare

assessments for their respective projects and in case of

joint projects the party that leads the project does the

EIA.

It was reported that no EIA had been prepared for

new laboratories and a garage that are under con-

struction at the moment. The view was expressed

that these facilities will be based on sledges (and will

not include any water or toilet facilities) that prevent

causing signicant impact on the environment. Such

an approach, however, poses some questions since any

construction activity in such a remote and pristine area

as Concordia Station’s location might have a more

than minor or transitory environmental impact.

conservatIon oF Flora and Fauna

There is no known ora and fauna in the vicinity of

the station.

waste manaGement

The inspection team was provided with several docu-

ments concerning waste management procedures at

the base. Waste management plans are available at

www.ats.aq from both Italian and French parties.

Wastes are classied according to the European Union

waste directive and separated into the following cate-

gories: glass, paper, plastics, PET (polyethylene tere-

phthalate), aluminum, organic waste and mixed waste.

Separated waste is transported to Dumont d’Urville

via traverse and then shipped to Australia or to France.

IPEV, through an agent, obtains an import permit

from the Australian government for disposal of some

of Concordia’s waste in Australia.

Incineration is not used, except for small backup

“incinolet” toilets that separately process urine and

feces.

Wastewater is separated in two different systems: the

grey water system and the black water system. Con-

cordia operates modern plants designed together with

the European Space Agency to treat grey water, con-

verting it to potable water (although it is not consumed

but only used for personal hygiene applications). A

four-step treatment process including ultraltration,

nanoltration and two stages of reverse osmosis is

realized. Treated water from the black water sys-

tem is taken up by the grey water treatment unit and

recycled. Solid waste from the black water system

is containerized and removed from the continent as

hazardous waste.

area manaGement

There are no ASPAs, ASMAs, or Historic Sites or

Monuments (HSMs) around Concordia station. How-

ever, the station has established a marked clean area

free of human interference.

militAry suPPort Activities

None of Concordia’s logistical or scientic support

comes from military sources or staff. Military support

to Concordia Station occurs only in the logistics occur-

ring away from the station at Dumont D’Urville, Cap

Prud’homme and Mario Zucchelli. There, military

cargo handlers and mechanics are part of the team.

No military personnel were reported at Concordia Sta-

tion proper.

ITALY – MARIO ZUCCHELLI

74º 41’ 42’’ S, 164º 07’ 23’’ E

JANUARY 26, 2012

Mario Zucchelli Station (MZS) was established at

Terra Nova Bay in the 1986/87 season by the Nation-

al Program of Research in Antarctica (PNRA), which

continues to operate the station today. The PNRA is

funded by the Ministry of Education, Research and

Universities. The station’s logistical operations are

managed by the Italian National Agency for New

Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic De-

velopment (ENEA), which depends upon the Ministry

of Economic Development. The National Research

Council (CNR), which depends upon the Ministry of

Education, Research and Universities, oversees the

scientic programs. Mario Zucchelli is the only solely

Italian station on the continent, although it provides

signicant logistical (primarily air) support for Concor-

dia Station, which is jointly operated by France and

Italy. The 2011/12 season is the 27th Italian Expedi-

tion to Terra Nova Bay. MZS continues to be well

suited for the wide range of scientic research con-

ducted there. MZS is a summer-only station.

The inspection team arrived at Mario Zucchelli at

12:45 p.m. on January 26. Expedition Leader Franco

Ricci and the Station’s senior management welcomed

the inspection team, led a discussion of station orga-

nization and procedures, and provided a tour of the

station’s internal and external features. The inspection

team provided four days’ advance notice to the station.

PhysicAl descriPtion

The station is constructed on a large granitic outcrop

on the coast of Terra Nova Bay in the Ross Sea region.

It consists of a single, elevated T-shaped main build-

ing constructed of 110 modular containers. Given

the seaside location, in some seasons the staff must

repair water and/or ice damage that occurred over the

winter.

Adjacent to the main facility, there are two large work-

shops and storehouses. Other outbuildings host physi-

cal plants, wastewater treatment and three wooden

single-story bungalows that house recreational facili-

ties, overow and transient personnel (e.g., pilots) and

emergency berthing.

The station has a multi-position helipad. It also has a

reinforced concrete pier, constructed in the 2007/08

season, used in particular for supporting tender vessels

to achieve loading and unloading operations from the

Italian research and resupply vessel M/V ITALICA as

well as launch and retrieval of a small research tender

(SKUA). At this time, there are no plans for expansion

of the station, although there is some consideration

Mario Zucchelli Station Main Building

being given to the future development of wind or solar

power generation.

Mario Zucchelli Station has also recently developed

an ice runway for wheeled aircraft on a nearby glacier,

for which an IEE was conducted in 2007. This facil-

ity is only used when the annual sea ice in front of the

station deteriorates too much to support air operations.

The glacial ice runway is remote enough to require

helicopter transport between the runway and station.

Personnel

At the time of the inspection, there were 83 staff

members on station. Of these, there were 28 scientists

(including 7 from Korea and 2 from New Zealand), 51

were logistical support staff, and four guests, including

two personnel from Concordia who were transiting

off continent for the season. The ratio of logistical

to scientic personnel was roughly 65 to 35 percent

respectively at the time of the inspection.

MZS can house a maximum population of 100 per-

sons. Although the facility has the potential to serve as

a year-round facility, at this time Italy has no plans to

do so.

All station staff and visiting scientists attend a two-

week pre-deployment training program in Italy. This

training includes familiarization with the Antarctic

Treaty and Environmental Protocol, environmental

management practices, rst aid, re ghting, com-

munications and safety practices. In addition, written

material and procedures are given to participants and

available online.

All staff members receive pre-deployment medi-

cal screening. The station also has a medical center

staffed by two doctors and one nurse for the major-

ity of the season. The clinic is equipped for surgery,

anesthesia and x-rays. Staff members needing more

advanced care are assisted at McMurdo Station or are

moved through McMurdo to New Zealand for treat-

ment.

scientific reseArch

The construction of Mario Zucchelli began in the

late 1980s as the principal location in Antarctica for

scientic research by the Italian Antarctic program. It

has been a summer station, and we were informed that

with the establishment of Concordia, it was agreed

that Concordia would have preference for winter sea-

son Italian Antarctic research, and thus MZS remains

open only during the summer.

The main directions of scientic research at the station

are the following:

- geological research, history of formation of the

Victoria Land and stratigraphy of sedimentary

rock of Ross Sea within the framework of inter-

national program ANDRILL;

- biodiversity research on the evolution and the

adaptability to the extreme Antarctic conditions

of living organisms of different marine and ter-

restrial kinds of ora and fauna. Marine biologi-

cal research is conducted both from aboard the

ship and in the coastal areas of the Terra Nova

Bay (also with the use of scuba technology);

- monitoring of chemical parameters of the envi-

ronment;

- physical oceanography of the Ross Sea; and

- change of parameters of the environment.

Scientic research is conducted at a high professional

level with the use of modern equipment and tech-

nologies. MZS conducts meteorological surveys for

the Terra Nova Bay and Dome C regions, including

current data and forecasting using satellite technolo-

gies and mathematical modeling. There were no eld

camps operated in the 2011/12 season.

International cooperation is widely used in scientic

research at the station. MZS currently cooperates with

the United States, France and the Republic of Korea.

In the previous years there was collaboration with

Germany, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

The Italian Antarctic Program has an agreement on

joint scientic research and logistical support with the

Korean Polar Institute. For the most part, this agree-

ment is connected with the plans of South Korea to

build a year-round station on the coast of the Terra

Nova Bay in 2012-13.

Oceanographic research is conducted from M/V

ITALICA.

tourist And ngo Activities

Station leaders reported that there was no tourist or

NGO activity at the station in this season. Indeed,

there have been no visits for the last two years. It had

been noted that when such visits occurred (usually on

board of the chartered icebreaker M/V KAPITAN

KHLEBNIKOV), there were strict rules for the tour-

ists: they were not allowed on the premises of the

station, except for restrooms and coffee, tourists dis-

embarked in groups not exceeding ve, and visits were

permitted only on Sundays or Saturday afternoons so

that they did not interfere with the scientic work of

the personnel. Station personnel reported that a single

adventure tourist approached the station approximate-

ly 6 years ago, but had only minimal interaction with

the station.

logistics And oPerAtions

communIcatIons

The station’s communication links include VHF and

HF radio, Iridium, Inmarsat satellite phone with voice

and text capability. Voice and data links to the rest of

the world are limited, provided through burst transmis-

sion over Inmarsat.

transPort

M/V ITALICA delivers supplies to the station and

provides the majority of the station’s logistical support,

in accordance with the budget and the type of scien-

tic research approved. As necessary and based on

each season’s operations plan, the vessel may come to

the station several times during one season. The ship

anchors in the bay, then barges move cargo to the pier

where it is ofoaded by crane. The station has fuel

reservoirs that allow for three years’ autonomy without

resupply. M/V ITALICA then conducts several weeks

of scientic operations in the Ross Sea before return-

ing to the station to pick up material leaving Antarctica

at the end of season (e.g., scientic samples and equip-

ment; trash).

The personnel of the station primarily utilize USAP

aviation support for transfer from Christchurch to

McMurdo and back. Further transfer from McMurdo

to Mario Zucchelli is done via Italian contracted Twin

Otter planes or DC 3 BT 67 Turbo Basler supplied by

contractor (Kenn Borek Air, Ltd), and helicopters sup-

plied by Helicopters New Zealand. Near the station

there is a sea ice runway that is prepared every year for

wheeled aircraft but that must be abandoned in early-

to mid-December when sea ice integrity diminishes

naturally. Flight control, meteorological and commu-

nication support are provided within the joint program

of trafc control services from McMurdo and Mario

Zucchelli Stations.

There were a large number and variety of vehicles at

the station. These included trucks, re trucks, ambu-

lances, loaders, excavators, forklifts, tankers, snow cats,

snowmobiles, bulldozers, etc.

The station has one motor tender SKUA for conduct-

ing oceanographic experiments, and multiple small

rigid and rubber boats. A second motor tender was

in Italy for repairs, while a third tender from M/V

ITALICA was also on station.

Fuel storaGe and use

Zucchelli has three large double-walled steel fuel

storage tanks and several smaller tanks for equipment

refueling. Fuel – including gasoline – is transferred

from the ITALICA to the large tanks and by truck to

the smaller tanks. The station also has a fuel distribu-

tion unit (station) to refuel vehicles.

Power GeneratIon and manaGement

MZS has two diesel generators that produce 300 kW

each, as well as two smaller emergency generators.

Waste heat from both jacket cooling water and exhaust

gasses is recovered and used to heat the interior of the

station and to preheat sea water ahead of the desalina-

tion plant.

water systems

Fresh water is produced by a reverse osmosis desalina-

tion unit which utilizes seawater collected via an exter-

nal pump station. High pressure pumps driving salt

water through ceramic membranes produce desalinat-

ed water that is treated with a UV disinfection system

prior to being distributed to the station. A direct salt

water feeder supplies the station’s internal aquariums.

mAnAgement of dAngerous

elements

The station stocks and utilizes many chemicals used

for marine research and for monitoring the station’s

environmental impact (e.g., discharge water quality).

Chemicals appear to be properly managed, stored and

handled in the laboratory areas of the station.

Station staff indicated that there were no rearms

present at the station. Though the documents pro-

vided at the station indicated that there were scientic

experiments requiring detonation of explosives for

geology and geophysics experiments, when queried,

station staff stated that there were no explosives on site

currently.

Also, the written information provided indicated the

presence of radioisotopes for biology and oceanogra-

phy experiments, although staff stated that none are

currently present. Italy subsequently claried that on-

station documents are general and did not reect the

fact that this year’s research projects did not involve

any explosives or radionuclide to be present on station.

emergency resPonse

cAPAbility

Persons deploying to MZS complete a rigorous two-

week training period before leaving Italy. One week

is dedicated to “theory” focusing on survival, medical,

environmental, and safety issues (e.g., re ghting and

rst aid). A full week is spent in a snow/cold outdoor

setting practicing safe and productive operations.

The station practices every-other-week re drills and

performs simulation emergency exercises. The sepa-

rated structures (bungalows) present at the site provide

an emergency shelter that is likely adequate for the

summer period (which is the only time the station is

occupied).

environmentAl Protocol

Station managers informed us that Italy lacks legisla-

tion needed to implement the Environmental Protocol

and thus Italian agencies would have no ability under

law to enforce Antarctic Treaty rules with respect to

Italian citizens or those participating in activities at the

station. The team viewed this as a signicant problem.

While it is true that the station would have some ability

to address failure to follow environmental rules, (e.g.,

by taking administrative action, such as terminating a

Aerial View of Mario Zucchelli Station

contract or denying future access to the Italian Antarc-

tic program) the inability of the Government of Italy

to prosecute persons for failure to adhere to environ-

mental rules could be an impediment to effective en-

forcement. This situation is particularly troublesome

given the prominence of Italy in Antarctic affairs,

clearly demonstrated by the major activities underway

at Mario Zucchelli and Concordia. However, team

leaders emphasized that they were quite proactive with

respect to implementing preventive measures to ensure

compliance.

Upon reviewing the draft report, Italian ofcials in-

formed the team that:

Italian law n. 54 of 1995 that allowed for the

signature of the Madrid Protocol states, in

Article 2, that, “the Madrid Protocol will be

immediately put into execution”. is means

that, although the laws implementing the

Protocol are still missing, the Protocol and its

annexes are applied directly. e Ministry of

Foreign Aairs and the Ministry of Environ-

ment are currently working on a satisfactory

solution.

All of the participants in the Italian Antarc-

tic Expedition are to respect the Italian laws

and in particular the Italian environmental

regulations that are more restrictive than the

prescriptions of the Protocol, in particular

for what concerns the quality of euents and

environmental damage. e expedition leader

has, during the expedition, special powers that

allow him to take measures if Italian laws are

not followed. In eect, an accurate selection

process and adequate training of the person-

nel on environmental issues have proved to be

eective in ensuring compliance.

envIronmental ImPact assessment

The station conducts an ongoing air and water qual-

ity monitoring program, including of its incinerator,

to ensure compliance with relevant Italian laws and

regulations.

conservatIon oF Flora and Fauna

Terra Nova Bay is home to a wide range of Ant-

arctic ora and fauna, including marine life, lichen

and mosses. All scientists must declare any activity

involving ora and fauna prior to deployment and

obtain a permit. Eight such permits were issued in the

2011/12 season. At the conclusion of this scientic

activity, the Station’s Environmental Ofcer must be

informed of the actual (vice planned) outcome.

waste manaGement

Mario Zucchelli Station exhibits good waste manage-

ment practices with respect to recycling. Separation

of waste categories is well facilitated and understood.

All but paper and organic wastes are removed from

Antarctica.

A number of sensitive and hazardous waste types are

consolidated in containers (some standard drums and

others shipping containers) in an area separated from

the station and not too distant from the shore. Given

the proximity of a skua colony to the station, and the

bold nature of this species of bird, station personnel

indicate that all containers and containment devices

are closed except when personnel are present and

actively accessing waste materials.

The station includes a large, two-stage incinerator.

Food, paper, cardboard and wastewater sludge are pro-

cessed by this facility. To be efcient, the incinerator is

operated in batch mode only when adequate stockpiles

of waste have been accumulated. This results in the

facility being turned on approximately once a month.

Rigorous monitoring of gases and ash are practiced to

ensure that combustion is complete and that solid by-

products are inert.

A complex wastewater treatment system exists at the

station. All wastewater is passed through a multi-

phase treatment process resulting in the release of

water with very low levels of organic and chemical

content. All sludge and solids removed are inciner-

ated. A vigorous monitoring program exists for waste-

water, as does for incinerator byproducts.

area manaGement

There are several Antarctic Specially Protected Areas

(ASPAs) in the vicinity of the Mario Zucchelli Station

(one of them is the marine protected area – “Terra

Nova Bay”). It was reported that the areas are not

marked as the number of visitors is limited and sta-

tion personnel are aware of these ASPAs. The team

stresses the importance of marking and monitoring

ASPAs wherever possible. The station leader stated

that, in the case of scientic activities in the ASPAs,

scientists obtain appropriate permits. Nonetheless, in

the context of the aforementioned absence of relevant

rules and regulations in the Italian legislation, this

poses some grounds for concern.

Italian ofcials subsequently informed the team that:

Any proposed activity is subject to an envi-

ronmental assessment prior to its approval.

Only once approved can the activity proceed.

e ASPA management plan is available on

site and ASPA access to scientists is provided

aer training on the associated environmental

issues.

militAry suPPort Activities

Eleven of 83 people on station at the time of our visit

were military personnel. These included one of the

station doctors, personnel to support boat operations

and ight operations (air trafc control and meteorol-

ogy), divers and mountain guides.

Terra Nova Bay

APPendix:

lIst oF acronyms

ANDRILL Antarctic Geological Drilling

AHT Antarctic Heritage Trust

ASMA Antarctic Specially Managed Area

ASPA Antarctic Specially Protected Area

ATCM Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting

CEE Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation

CEP Committee for Environmental Protection

EIA Environmental Impact Assessment

ENEA National Agency for New Technologies, Energy

and Sustainable Economic Development (Italy)

EPICA European Project on Ice Coring in Antarctica

HSM Historic Sites and Monuments

IEE Initial Environmental Evaluation

IPEV French Polar Institute Paul Emile Victor

MZS Mario Zucchelli Station

NSF National Science Foundation

PNRA National Program of Research in Antarctica (Italy)

RNZAF Royal New Zealand Air Force

SAR Search and Rescue

USAP United States Antarctic Program

The motor tender SKUA at Zucchelli Station