HNS action plan: Action plan for hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) pollution preparedness and response

For the purposes of the Action Plan, HNS are defined as 'any substance other than oil, which if introduced into the marine environment, is likely to create hazards to human health, to harm living resources and marine life, to damage amenities or to interfere with other legitimate uses of the sea'. The Agency's activities are focused on ship-sourced pollution, involving the release or the threat of release into the environment of HNS transported in bulk.