Muscat – The Environment Authority (EA) has introduced stringent new regulations requiring owners and operators to report oil and chemical pollution incidents on land within strict timelines, in a move aimed at strengthening environmental protection and rapid response.

Issued as Decision No 16/2026 by Dr Abdullah bin Ali al Amri, Chairman of the Environment Authority, on January 29, the rules come into force from the day following their publication. They apply to both minor and serious incidents, with particular emphasis on environmentally sensitive areas.

Under the decision, owners must notify the Authority immediately and submit a written report within a maximum of eight hours from the time an incident is discovered. The term “owner” covers any natural or legal person who owns, operates or manages a source or work site linked to the incident.

Reports must detail the date and time, location and affected areas, nature and cause of the incident, and surrounding circumstances. They must also include estimates of pollution volumes, prevailing weather conditions, and measures taken to contain and address the impact.

The decision obliges owners to comply fully with EA directives on managing and mitigating pollution. Minor incidents require reporting in an approved format, while serious cases call for both preliminary and final reports.

To strengthen accountability, owners must maintain a dedicated register for every incident, documenting the date, type of incident, response actions, remediation results and final observations. These records must be kept for at least three years and made available to the Authority upon request.

In the event of repeated incidents within a year, the Authority may order owners to submit improvement plans within 15 days. Such plans must outline maintenance measures, site safety procedures, root-cause analysis and steps to prevent recurrence.

Violations of the regulations carry administrative fines ranging from RO2,000 to RO5,000, with penalties doubled for repeat offences. A repeat offence is defined as a similar violation committed within two years from the date a fine was imposed.

Additionally, fines of between RO1,000 and RO5,000 may be levied against anyone who provides false or misleading information regarding oil or chemical pollution incidents.

The new framework underscores Oman’s push to enhance environmental compliance, improve incident transparency and ensure quicker containment of pollution risks.