Unfortunately, we are in a situation where it is possible to discharge at sea with impunity. Enforcement by plane and boat is impossible for this immense area. To make a change, we have developed a forensic oceanographic method. This makes it possible to enforce more transparency. This is a first step towards a level playing field, because efforts of good behavior are now detrimental to the cost price. We hope to change this, for waste that is now washing ashore, but also retroactively, by using the satellite archives.
When oil waste washes up on the beach, it is not known what the content of the barrels is. Hence, they are treated as chemical waste until specialized sampling provides a definitive answer. The costs for this treatment can increase considerably and unfortunately end up on the municipality's balance sheet.
Our aim is to charge the effects of washed-up pollution back to the polluter. Once identified, our analyzes are submitted to a compensation fund together with the cleaning costs. When awarded, a coastal municipality will once again have a balance sheet in balance.
The feasibility of our method has also been demonstrated. For example, Follow the Money used our analyzes for their investigative journalism. We found the origin of dead bulls that washed ashore. You can find the article here, and a background story can be heard below: