A standardised approach to the environmental risk assessment of potentially polluting wrecks

The potential risk to the marine environment of oil release from potentially polluting wrecks (PPW) is increasingly being acknowledged, and in some instances remediation actions have been required. However, where a PPW has been identified, there remains a great deal of uncertainty around the environmental risk it may pose. Estimating the likelihood of a wreck to release oil and the threat to marine receptors remains a challenge. In addition, removing oil from wrecks is not always cost effective, so a proactive approach is recommended to identify PPW that pose the greatest risk to sensitive marine ecosystems and local economies and communities. This paper presents a desk-based assessment approach which addresses PPW, and the risk they pose to environmental and socio-economic marine receptors, using modelled scenarios and a framework and scoring system. This approach can be used to inform proactive management options for PPW and can be applied worldwide. •National authorities are under political pressure to manage wreck oil release risk.•A multi-staged risk assessment for potentially polluting wrecks is reported.•Uses modelled oil release scenarios coupled with geo-spatial data to quantify risk.•Facilitates prioritisation of UK wrecks and appropriate management strategies.