bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated Approach to Regional Contingency Planning in Latin America
Authors: Wotherspoon Paul , Moyano Juan Miguel , Solsberg Laurie
Published: January 2013

The risk of oil spills in Latin America and the Caribbean is significant. The area comprises more than 500 million inhabitants, 40 countries, more than 40 state-owned, private, and mixed petroleum companies, and numerous marine and land-based international transportation routes. An integrated approach is required to ensure that all oil spills, regardless of size and location, are responded to in an efficient and cost-effective manner while minimizing political and bureaucratic factors.
Global Initiative
Authors: Depraz Sophie , Taylor Peter Mark , Thornborough James A. , Thiam Malamine
Published: January 2013

The Global Initiative (GI) is defined as an umbrella for various mechanisms by which the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and industry, through the International Petroleum Industry Environment Conservation Association (IPIECA), co-operate to support national and regional implementation of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response, and Co-operation 1990 (OPRC Convention) and to enhance oil spill preparedness and response capacity through the mobilisation of external assistance and industry support at the national level. The overall aim of GI is to improve and sustain the capability of developing countries to protect their marine and coastal resources at risk from an oil spill incident from any sources, through the implementation of the OPRC Convention.

A key feature of the project is the emphasis on promoting industry/government co-operation through the mobilisation of existing and planned industry marine environmental protection expertise and resources. As initially envisaged the project has a global orientation: it directly encourages the ratification of the OPRC Convention and the relevant international liability and compensation conventions and promotes their effective implementation; project activities are undertaken at nationall regional levels to ensure that the weaknesses and gaps peculiar to a certain region are taken care of by moulding the package of training and resource building to address national and regional needs.
Estimating Cleanup Costs for Oil Spills
Authors: Etkin Dagmar Schmidt
Published: January 2013

The factors that affect cleanup cost are complex and interrelated. Each spill involves a unique set of circumstances that determine cleanup cost. Estimating a universal per-unit cleanup cost is essentially meaningless without taking into consideration factors such as location and oil type, which can profoundly influence costs. This paper examines the host of factors that impact cleanup cost in an effort to more accurately assess per-unit cleanup cost. A cost-estimation model, based on an analysis of cost data in the Oil Spill Intelligence Report (OSIR) International Oil Spill Database (a 38-year record of over 8,600 oil spills worldwide) is presented as an alternative to a universal per-unit cost value.
Elements of Sound Oil Spill Prevention Programs
Authors: Subsits Joe
Published: January 2013

The author inspects oil-handling facilities for the Washington Department of Ecology and therefore has the opportunity to observe Washington's oil handling facilities. This experience allows for observation of a wide range of facilities. Based on this experience, he has derived a list of characteristics which companies with top spill prevention programs possess. These characteristics are support, awareness, effective implementation, visibility, and the right attitude.

Support is the degree to which management and staff buy into the program. Support is critical towards any program's success and is strengthened by leadership, establishing credibility, and adequate resources.

Awareness means continually developing familiarity with spill prevention issues. Awareness is solidified as one understands facility operations, regulations, available technologies, spill cause, and risk assessments.

Implementation is doing the core activities that will prevent spills. These include maintenance, inspection, and testing of equipment. Evaluating prevention program needs and providing internal communication avenues are other implementation activities.

Visibility is involvement with the community outside the facility. It involves sound public participation strategies, being involved in regulatory procedures, and having effective risk communication procedures.

The right attitude is the general mindset that appears to accompany strong spill prevention programs. The mindset is described as individual traits or virtues which when combined collectively strengthen spill prevention efforts.

This paper will further describe these characteristics. Though this list does not claim to be all-inclusive it does offer strategies which are characteristic of companies with effective spill prevention programs. This list will evolve and can hopefully provide a foundation for effective spill prevention in the twenty-first century.
The Cost of Oil Spills from Tankers: An Analysis of IOPC Fund Incidents
Authors: Grey Catherine J.
Published: January 2013

The 1971 and 1992 International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds) provide compensation to the victims of oil spills from tankers in countries which have ratified the 1971 and 1992 Fund Conventions. Since 1978, they have dealt with more than 100 incidents, paying compensation in 68 of these. Details of the individual incidents are given together with the total cost for each, expressed in US$. The numbers, sizes and costs of the incidents are analysed in detail and compared with the incidence of all tanker spills in Fund countries, using data from the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation's (ITOPF) Oil Spill Database. This analysis reveals a number of trends relating to the size of tankers; the amount and type of oil spilled; and the geographical location.

The 1971 IOPC Fund has undoubtedly proved highly effective, but recent incidents have tested the limits of compensation available. The 1992 Fund Convention entered into force in May 1996, providing both higher limits and a broader scope. However, the threshold at which it comes into effect is also higher, thereby excluding many of the less expensive spills which would previously have been covered by the 1971 Fund Convention. The significance of this for the numbers and costs of incidents likely to be dealt with by both the 1971 and the 1992 IOPC Funds is examined.
Industrial Business Continuity
Authors: Smith Gerard W. , Epler Glenn F.
Published: January 2013

This paper and presentation will focus on the importance of developing a comprehensive emergency management plan and how it could be integrated with your corporate crisis management plan along with federal, state, and local response agencies. Industrial Business Continuity represents a comprehensive planning process that includes everything from risk assessment and response operations through recovery.

The trend over the past few years has been to move from a corporate profit structure to strategic business units with plant managers increasingly responsible for overall business development. Traditionally, business continuity focuses on systems and data recovery, while regulatory requirements tend to focus on emergency response and compliance. Industrial Business Continuity goes a step beyond both of those. It focuses on quality and critical business functions as well as the more traditional risk assessment and emergency response procedures that are found in most plans. In today's world, a measure of quality for the plant manager is how quickly and efficiently the plant can resume normal operations and circumstances after a major incident. This process includes such areas as community relations and risk communications., those areas that are usually associated with recovery.

An Industrial Business Continuity plan that is developed to enhance a facility's response and recovery capability and is developed solely within facility boundaries does not accurately reflect its actual capability. Companies must integrate their crisis and emergency management programs within their corporation and with pertinent external response agencies. The benefits of integrating these plans far surpass the costs of program development.
Effect of Oil Cleanup Methods on Ecological Recovery and Oil Degradation of Phragmites Marshes
Authors: Lin Qianxin , Mendelssohn Irving A. , Hester Mark W. , Webb Eric C. , Henry Charles B.
Published: January 2013

Oil spill cleanup operations in wetlands remain a critical issue. Oil spills in four Phragmites marshes provided an excellent opportunity to document the effect of spilled oil and different intensities of cleanup activity on ecological recovery and oil degradation in wetlands. Results showed that the intensity of oil spill cleanup and initial oiling differentially affected marsh vegetation and oil removal. Neither intensive nor light cleanup adversely affected the plant stem density, shoot height, and aboveground biomass of the dominant marsh plant, Phragmites australis. In contrast, these parameters in the oiled marsh that did not receive cleanup (no-cleanup site) were significantly lower than that for the reference marshes and the intensive and light cleanup sites. A thick floating oil layer on the surface was most likely the primary cause of mortality of the marsh vegetation at the no-cleanup site. Soil petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations were a function of the initial volume of oil spilled and the intensity of the cleanup. Although the intensive cleanup obviously removed floating and surface oil (as evidenced by the visual absence of surface oil at the beginning of this investigation), this cleanup activity may initially increase the oil incorporated into the sediment. Overall, oil concentration in the sediment of the intensive cleanup site decreased with time; however, sediment oil concentration increased slightly at light cleanup sites and increased substantially at the no-cleanup site. Containment of spilled oil within booms at the light and no-cleanup sites appeared to be the primary cause for increased oil incorporation into the sediment because the floating oil inside the boom likely served as an oil source for incorporation into the sediment. The authors conclude that a no-response option in heavily oiled Phragmites wetlands where oil pools cannot naturally dissipate is not a satisfactory option.
Fire-Resistant Booms: From Testing to Operations1
Authors: Hiltabrand Robert R. , Roderick Gail S.
Published: January 2013

A great deal of concern and effort has gone into testing various fire resistant booms since the 1993 Newfoundland Offshore Burn Experiment (NOBE), when it became apparent that there were potential limitations in the performance of commercially manufactured fire booms. One of the major questions that arose after this experiment was the capability of fire booms to adequately support real in situ burn operations. Towing experiments on selected booms both at sea and in test tanks, coupled with data from burn tests based on proposed ASTM-F20 Standards, have begun to new reveal facts about the performance of these booms. Results of the at-sea towing tests indicate that, in general, booms with higher buoyancy-to-weight ratios attained higher critical tow speeds, sustained higher towing tensions, and maintained better wave conformance. Results of towing tests of booms containing oil at the OHMSETT test tank facility suggest that fire booms should perform successfully when tow speeds of less than 1.0 knot is maintained. Burn tests at the U.S. Coast Guard Fire and Test Detachment revealed that fire booms could be expected to maintain some structural stability and freeboard for at least three 1-hour burns during a deployment.
Adding Realism to Tabletop Exercises
Authors: Leonard Joseph J. , Roberson Melissia G.
Published: January 2013

Tabletop exercises are among the most widely conducted exercises. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to introduce realism into these kinds of exercises. Some attempts have been made to enhance these exercises with overhead displays or computer imagery. Overhead displays still document the incident in only two dimensions, while computer imagery can be quite costly. A cost-effective alternative may be the three-dimensional tabletop exercise. With a 3-D tabletop exercise, many of the benefits of a full-scale deployment exercise are gained, while minimizing costs to almost the same level as the old-fashioned tabletop exercise. Response managers can still test their plans or refine their operations, while at the same time deploying resources and personnel during a simulated incident. Even cost accounting and maintenance problems can be easily inserted into the exercise, enabling personnel from the Logistics and Finance/Administration Sections to be active participants. The scale that is chosen is entirely up to the organization wishing to be exercised, but HO scale (approximately 1/72 scale) seems to work the best because of the availability of response resources that can be found in most toy or hobby stores. Resources, such as skimmers, vacuum trucks, boats, and personnel can be easily modeled with minimal cost, enabling exercise personnel to direct and employ the very same resources they would use in an actual response operation. In addition, this type of exercise can prove very valuable prior to executing a full-scale drill, as many of the drill problems—especially logistical issues—can be resolved before resources are actually deployed to a field environment. Response managers will become more familiar with their resources, thus making them more effective in an actual response operation and lowering overall costs for the responsible party. This type of drill prepared response managers and supervisors of the M/V Stolt Spirit fire, the M/V Katania fire and hazardous materials response, and the 1998 World Energy Conference to better plan and employ resources during these lengthy operations.
Preliminary Evaluation of Potential Impacts of Non-Petroleum Oils on the Aquatic Environment
Authors: Calanog Steven A. , Chen Jimmy Y. , Toia Robert F.
Published: January 2013

Non-petroleum oils—specifically crude and refined corn and safflower oils, and refined sunflower and soybean oils—have been shown to form stable emulsions, with the amount of emulsion being proportional to the initial oil/water ratio and the severity of the mixing. These oils have also shown to deplete dissolved oxygen (DO) from freshwater, and the depletion occurred whether the oil was mixed into or simply layered onto the water. The rate and level of depletion was dependent on the specific oil. Crude corn oil caused the most rapid and significant depletion; the final DO concentration is less than the current U.S. regulatory minimum. Water accommodated fractions (WAFs) of the oils showed varying levels of toxicity to Ceriodaphnia dubia, a freshwater test organism, and to freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates (BMI); leachate from crude corn oil was the most toxic. Since BMI evaluations were carried out with continuous aeration of the test water samples, toxicity is not solely due to oxygen depletion. These preliminary data suggest that in a spill situation non-petroleum oils are not environmentally benign, and they support the current federal oil spill prevention and response regulations.
Environmental Effects of Freshwater Oil Spills
Authors: Steen Alexis , Fritz David E. , Stubblefield William , Giddings Jeffrey
Published: January 2013

A research project was commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute (API) to summarize information on freshwater spill environmental effects. While threats to migrating fish stocks or aquatic mammals may be primary concerns following an ocean spill, adverse effects to benthic invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, waterfowl, fish hatcheries, shoreline vegetation, or public drinking water intakes may be the focus of a freshwater event. Environmental effects from spilled petroleum constituents and whole oils are discussed. Research needs are identified.
The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund: How Effective an Instrument of U.S. Public Policy Has It Been?1
Authors: Sheehan Daniel F.
Published: January 2013

The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) was forged in the legislative cauldron of the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez casualty. However, its genesis really began with Congressional consideration and debate concerning whether to adopt an international liability and compensation regime or improve the unilateral system unique to the United States. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 significantly expanded the scope of the unique U.S. mechanism, while at the same time it urged the Administration to continue to examine the possibilities of becoming party to an international regime. Ten years after the Exxon Valdez casualty provides a convenient and appropriate time frame for reflection on how well the public has been served by the establishment and implementation of the regime of which the OSLTF is a major element. The impact on various publics served and stakeholders impacted will be analyzed and evaluated. While there are clearly differences in scope, application, and funding mechanisms between the U.S. and international regime, there are substantial similarities in terms of process, administration, areas of concern and interest.
Initial Testing and Integration of The Scanning Laser Environmental Airborne Fluorosensor
Authors: Brown Carl E. , Fingas Mervin F. , Mullin Joseph V.
Published: January 2013

The intended role of the scanning laser environmental airborne fluorosensor (SLEAF) is to detect and map oil and related petroleum products in complex marine and shoreline environments. To improve on the small footprint and nadir-looking geometry of the previous generation laser fluorosensor, the LEAF, a conical scanning mirror was included to provide the broad cross-track and along-track sampling required to detect oil in these complex environments. Laser fluorosensors have the ability to confirm or reject suspected oil contamination sites that have been targeted by other “nonspecific sensors” such as infrared, ultraviolet or visible cameras. This confirmation will free response crews from the labourious task of physically inspecting each site, and direct crews to sites that require immediate remediation.

The construction of the SLEAF system was recently completed. Following integration of the various components of the system, a systematic verification of SLEAF system functionality was initiated. The ability of the SLEAF to detect, classify, and estimate oil coverage was tested and verified. In total, 21 oils ranging from light refined, crude through to heavy refined oils were examined. The API gravities of the oils examined varied from 11.9 to 48.6, while the aromatic content varied between 13 and 52%. The SLEAF system is presently being integrated into Environment Canada's DC-3 aircraft and will undergo extensive testing to confirm its functionality in an airborne environment. This paper will report on progress with the installation of the SLEAF system.
The International Tier 3 Centres: Background and Future of Clean Caribbean Cooperative, Oil Spill Response Ltd., and East Asia Response Ltd.1
Authors: Irvine James , Higgins Alan , Harcharik Dan
Published: January 2013

Clean Caribbean Cooperative (CCC), Oil Spill Response Ltd. (OSRL), and East Asia Response Ltd. (EARL) are independent non-profit organisations established by members of the oil industry to provide 24-hour Tier 3 response resources for their members around the world. At considerable cost each maintains 24-hour access to an ADDS Pack unit, the world's largest airborne dispersant application system, as well as keeping equipment and expertise available for more conventional response techniques. Considerable experience has been gained in responding to major spills in many countries, and lessons learnt are shared among the three Centres. Their secondary activities include local Tier 2 response capability, and training and consultancy services on associated issues to members. Most of these services are also available to non-members. In this paper the chairmen of the three Centres review the common backgrounds of these activities and develop a vision of the future of this important contribution by members of the international oil industry to help minimise the impact of major oil spills around the world.
Dispersant Use In Alaska: An Update1
Authors: Trudel Ken , Armato Peter , Hahn Brad , Pearson Leslie , Maguire Dennis , Hillman Sharon O. , Morris Ron , Rome D.D. Buzz
Published: January 2013

A decade ago, Alaska became the first region in the United States to implement detailed dispersant use guidelines and to develop a system for making dispersant use decisions rapidly. Currently, within the state, there exists the largest single dispersant response capability in the United States, and preparations are in place to use this capability when needed. Recognizing that there has been considerable progress in dispersant knowledge over the intervening 10 years and that certain stakeholder groups have expressed concerns over the potential effectiveness of dispersants and the environmental risks associated with their use, a group of stakeholder organizations sponsored a conference to review the new information and reassess these issues. The sponsors included the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Alyeska Pipeline Services/SERVS, Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council, Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute, and the U.S. Coast Guard. From a technical perspective, the conference focused on four aspects of dispersant use in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska: (1) the potential effectiveness of available dispersant products against Alaska North Slope crude oil under the range of environmental conditions that exist in PWS; (2) the potential short- and long-term fate of chemically dispersed oil in the Sound's deep, basin-like fjord system; (3) the state of knowledge concerning environmental risks and trade-offs associated with dispersant use in PWS; and (4) the needs and methods for monitoring the effectiveness and environmental effects of dispersant operations. This paper synthesizes information concerning the major issues as identified and discussed by conference participants.
Vessel Response Plans: Measuring Effectiveness After The First 5 Years
Authors: Caplis John , Tavel Shari
Published: January 2013

The owners or operators of tank vessels (herein referred to as “plan holders”) have clear preferences regarding the effectiveness of the vessel response plan (VRP) requirements. Surveys were used to rank the planning elements with respect to preparedness, actual usage, and quality of response. With respect to preparedness, the preferred areas of plan development are “Notification Procedures,” “List of Contacts,” “Onboard Checklists,” “Qualified Individuals,” and “Spill Management Teams.” For actual usage, the planning elements most frequently implemented during an incident are “Qualified Individuals,” “Notification Checklists,” “Shipboard Spill Mitigation Procedures,” “Oil Spill Removal Organizations,” and “Spill Management Teams.” With respect to the quality of a response, the preferred elements for enhancing a response are “Notification Information,” “Lists of Contacts,” and “Qualified Individuals.”, Survey measurements indicate that plan holders perceive the plans as being closely linked to enhancing their preparedness, but not necessarily to enhancing a response through the use of the plan itself during an incident. This highlights the fact that much of a VRP's contents is dedicated to enhancing the plan holder's preparedness and is not, in most cases, intended to be used as an operational set of tools during an incident. VRPs have been designed as planning documents and should not be viewed or used as performance documents. An analysis of the survey data reveals that the common thread or strength that ties all the “most effective” planning elements together is their involvement in creating a predetermined, rapid response structure. The true value of the plans, then, lies in their ability to create this structure and prepare the plan holder to implement it quickly, enabling the response to be set in motion without delay.
Unified Command Response To Simultaneous Oil Spills1
Authors: Austin Meredith
Published: January 2013

At 10:30 p.m. on January 22, 1998, Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit (MSU) Galveston, Texas received notification of a sudden pressure drop within the High Island Pipeline System (HIPS), indicating a possible break in the pipeline, approximately 55 miles from Galveston in the Gulf of Mexico. The Coast Guard, Responsible Party, and State of Texas established a Unified Command to respond to the incident. At 3:15 p.m. on January 23, the M/V Red Seagull, located approximately 60 miles from Galveston, reported oil around her hull. The Federal Incident Commander established a second Unified Command, using Coast Guard members of the HIPS response, augmented by personnel from other Coast Guard units, the second Responsible Party and the state of Texas. As the level of activity for each of the responses changed, so did the Incident Command structure. The responses were a success due to the Unified Command's understanding of the Incident Command System, and the willingness to bring in additional personnel from other sources as necessary.
The Adaptation of Mariculture Practices In Response To Spilled Oil
Authors: Wadsworth Tim , Dicks Brian , Lavigne Clément
Published: January 2013

Oil spills may contaminate both mariculture facilities and livestock. Prevention of oiling should therefore be afforded a high priority. Given appropriate conditions, this may be achieved by the traditional spill response measures. However, a number of self-help response options are open to mariculturalists, that may avoid or limit the effects of spilled oil. These include the relocation of cages, transfer of stock, and early harvest, although such measures are only likely to be successful if a well-prepared contingency plan exists. The advantages and drawbacks of each of these approaches in the context of oil spill response are discussed.
Organizational and Financial Considerations of Wildlife Operations During Two Orphan Spills Off California1
Authors: Gautier Peter , Bauer Kent , Tarpley John
Published: January 2013

In November 1997 and again in January 1998, U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office San Francisco Bay, California Department of Fish and Game Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), the National Park Service, and the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary responded to “mystery” oil spill incidents in the Point Reyes National Seashore, California area. These spill responses were unique because they were primarily wildlife recovery and rehabilitation operations; very little oil was sighted despite wildlife impacts that rank the event as the fourth worst in California history. A large-scale investigation including the use of multiple laboratories to identify the source of the oil has established a connection between the two spills, but no responsible party has been identified to defray the response costs. As a result of the spills, a significant effort is underway in Northern California to better define the role of wildlife operations within the incident command system and to rethink its organization and protocols. Other lessons to apply to future responses involve the funding issues revolving around the difference between response efforts and natural resource damage assessment when the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) is the primary source of funding.
A Statistical Model for Estimating Natural Resource Damages from Oil Spills
Authors: Dunford Richard W. , Freeman Miranda L.
Published: January 2013

This paper presents a statistical model using multiple-regression analysis that explains variations in past natural resource damage (NRD) settlements (excluding assessment costs) for oil spills in the United States based on a variety of factors, such as the amount of oil spilled, the type of oil spilled, and the geographic location of the spill. The results of this statistical model indicate that, other things being equal, NRD settlements are higher for larger oil spills, spills in California, spills that occur in the winter months (December, January, and February), and when endangered species are injured. Alternatively, other things being equal, NRD settlements are lower for spills of light crude oil than for other types of petroleum products (mainly heavy crude oil), and spills with unvalued compensatory restoration projects.

In this paper, the authors use their statistical model to predict a point estimate and range for the NRD settlement for two hypothetical oil spills. This demonstrates that their statistical model could be used to predict the NRD settlement for future oil spills within a few weeks of occurring, which could significantly shorten the time required to reach a settlement.
A Maritime Oil Spill Risk Assessment Model
Authors: Yudhbir Lalit , Iakovou Eleftherios
Published: January 2013

Mantime oil transportation decision-making models that integrate with oil spill risk assessment methodologies are scarce. Recently, first time quantitative efforts have been developed for the maritime transportation of petroleum products. However, there still exists a serious gap in the literature concerning risk assessment models that provide a rather significant input to any maritime oil transportation model, namely the estimation and assignment of risk costs to the links of such a network. The authors first present a critical review of oil spill risk assessment efforts found in the literature and then the development of a novel oil spill risk assessment model. The goal of this risk assessment methodology is twofold: first, to determine and assign risk costs to the links of a maritime transportation network, and second, to provide insights into contributors that lead to spills. Such insights may further lead to guidelines for the prevention of future incidents leading to spills. A federal regulatory agency (such as the U.S. Coast Guard) and/or a commercial shipper may use the identification of the dominant contributors to oil spills to evaluate the merits of alternative regulatory and shipping policies that could lead to improved safety performance of the marine system. The authors finally exhibit the usage of the proposed methodology on a real case scenario.
Tabletop Exercises-Preparing Through Play
Authors: Patrick Laura , Barber Cliff
Published: January 2013

The Vancouver International Airport (the Airport) is Canada's second busiest airport, handling approximately 16 million passengers, 370,000 aircraft movements. and 1.5 billion liters (400 million gallons) of aviation fuel annually. The Airport is located on an island in the estuary of the Fraser River, a major migration corridor for salmon. The Fraser River estuary is on the Pacific Flyway. Twice in the past 20 years, a major fuel spill on the Airport has reached the Fraser River.

The Vancouver International Airport Authority's (Airport Authority) Environmental Emergency Response Program places a dual emphasis on prevention and emergency response. Key objectives include:Fostering cooperation among tenants, response agencies, and the Airport AuthorityEnsuring a quick, safe, and effective response to spillsReducing the severity and frequency of spills

One of the program tools used, and the subject of this paper, is a tabletop exercise. A tabletop exercise brings together various response organizations in an environment where a scripted scenario can be worked from the comfort of a meeting room. The Airport Authority has used tabletop exercises for the past 8 years to practice various emergency scenarios that can occur at an airport (e.g., plane crashes, bomb threats, and hazardous material incidents).

The frequency of exercises is planned. The specific scenario to be exercised purposely is not identified too far in advance, allowing for a timely response to actual incidents or near incidents. For example, a tenant had a major fuel spill involving a mobile refueler. The incident response was well managed, with the tenant undertaking responsibility for the long-term site remediation. However, other fueling tenants were not sure they were as well prepared. Therefore, the next tabletop exercise was tailored to allow all fuel-handling tenants, including government agencies and Airport Authority response management to take part in an event mimicking the actual spill, thus adding an element of reality and urgency to the tabletop exercise.

Participants appreciate the opportunity to participate in the tabletop exercises. They come away with a solid understanding of their responsibilities and what resources they would bring to a real incident. Most of all, it is an opportunity for the individuals who have taken part in an actual incident to share their experience. While there continues to be more effort on preventing hazardous material spills, well-scripted and facilitated tabletop exercises are excellent tools for preparing for the real thing.
Developing Epa's Core Oil Spill Program
Authors: Valdes Dennisses , Stalcup Dana , Christopherson Wendy
Published: January 2013

The purpose of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Core Oil Spill Program effort is to help define core or fundamental Oil Spill Program activities nationwide to ensure that EPA maintains a well-trained, dedicated staff with the necessary resources to prevent, prepare for, and respond to oil and hazardous substance incidents the threaten the waters of the United States. It is especially important that sound oil spill programs are in place in all EPA regions and headquarters to adequately address the changing industry culture and to prevent future disasters comparable to the Ashland tank collapse, the Exxon Valdez spill, and recent major pipeline spills. Emphasis on these core activities should help the regional oil spill programs prioritize activities in an era of reduced funding for EPA's Oil Spill Program and aging oil industry infrastructure.
Petroleum Industry's Use of Seagrass Restoration as Mitigation for Construction and as a Potential Cleanup Tool
Authors: Thorhaug Anitra
Published: January 2013

The Laguna Madre in Corpus Christi, Texas has a great deal of petroleum and natural gas activity while housing a national seashore. The area is a flyway for a wide array of bird species, as well as heavily fished. Historically, the laguna had a series of infrastructure modifications, gas and oil rigs, and real estate development. In the process of placing a drilling rig, a winter storm blew the vessel with the rig off a narrow channel. To remove the vessel, other vessels had to be called. A 35-acre accident occurred. In mitigation, 75 acres of the seagrass Halodule wrightii was planted in three areas: (1) a 15-acre dredge island where a portion of the island was scraped down from upland-spoil deposit to −2 ft mlw; (2) a mile-long channel where seagrasses were restored from −7 to 10 ft mlw to −3 to ft mlw; and (3) a persistently barren site for decades (scraped by another petroleum company's vessel) was restored in the shallows while holes were filled in and seagrass planted on top. The fill throughout was from the scraping from the dredge islands. The fill was transmitted several miles by a new device. Planting of Halodule plugs proceeded from March to July 1999. Within 3 months, the shallow sites had been covered with the restored Halodule,. Endangered species of roseate spoonbills, brown pelicans, great white herons and other wading and fishing birds were regularly feeding at two sites. The deeper sites had heavy fish populations return to the area, fished by man, seagulls and pelicans. Despite a direct hit by Hurricane Bret in 1999, lateral growth at all depths was deemed governmentally satisfactory. This same procedure with seagrasses is recommended for after-effects of estuarine oil spill cleanup, and mitigation banks of seagrasses are recommended for construction or operations mitigation.
Turkey-Oil Spill Response Following an Earthquake
Authors: Harmer Tony
Published: January 2013

This paper provides an overview of the incident at the Tupras Oil Refinery in Izmit, Turkey following the August 1999 earthquake, including the scenarios encountered and lessons learned. Oil spill operations are not simply confined to “at-sea incidents” and can be situated within areas of complete devastation, where priority for the cleanup of leaking oil is simply an afterthought. A good example of this would be Kuwait during the Gulf War and the strategic destruction of the oil fields.
Dispersant Testing at Ohmsett: Feasibility Study and Preliminary Testing
Authors: Ross Sy , Buist Ian , Potter Steve , Belore Randy , Lewis Alun
Published: January 2013

The Minerals Management Service (MMS), U.S. Department of the Interior, operates a wave tank facility in Leonardo, New Jersey known as OHMSETT (Oil and Hazardous Material Simulated Environmental Test Tank), which is used primarily for testing oil spill booms and skimmers. This paper summarizes two studies undertaken to examine the feasibility of testing dispersants at the facility as well. The first study included: (1) interfacial tension laboratory tests, (2) turbidity tests, (3) laboratory tests to evaluate filtering materials for removing dispersant and chemically dispersed oil, and (4) full-scale evaluation testing at OHMSETT. The results indicated that dispersant testing at OHMSETT could be done with good success if the testing program were carefully designed and implemented. It was determined that a number of dispersant tests could be conducted over several days, after which the tank water would have to thoroughly cleaned to remove dispersed oil (with a cellulose-based filter) and dispersant (with an activated carbon system).

Following the feasibility study, the project moved to the second study, namely the design and validation of an experimental protocol for dispersant effectiveness testing at the facility. Full-scale tank work was conducted in April 2000. Preliminary results, provided in this paper, indicate that OHMSETT is an attractive facility for determining dispersant effectiveness.
Using the Pieces to Solve the Puzzle: A Framework for Making Decisions About Applied Response Technologies
Authors: Walker Ann Hayward , Scholz Debra , Boyd John N. , Levine Ed , Moser Eric
Published: January 2013

The National Contingency Plan (NCP) Product Schedule, the Applied Response Tool Evaluation System (ARTES), and the Selection Guide for Oil Spill Applied Technologies (Selection Guide) are information and evaluation resources that, used together, provide spill response decision makers with a comprehensive framework to assess the potential uses and effects of applied response technologies either during an oil spill emergency or in advance. The applied response technologies addressed by these response tools include fastwater booming strategies, nonfloating oil strategies, water-intake monitoring, alternative sorbents, bioremediation agents, dispersants, elasticity modifiers, emulsion treating agents, firefighting foams, in situ burning on land and inland waters, solidifiers, surface-collecting agents, surface-washing agents, and shoreline pretreatment agents. The U.S. NCP regulates the use of any chemical/biological product as a spill response tool.

In most instances, decision makers are aware of these information resources, but many government and industry users are unclear on the relationship among the three, that is, what does each do, how are they similar and/or different, and how can each be used in relation to the others. To make a well-reasoned decision, decision makers need to understand the functions of each.

This paper provides an overview of the NCP Product Schedule, which is a regulatory requirement for considering the use of biological and chemical additives on oil spills in the United States, and how the Product Schedule can be used in conjunction with decision aids, like ARTES and the Selection Guide, to select the proper response products and strategies for oil spills. The paper reviews the functions, limitations, and flexibility of each component in this decision framework and discusses ways to use all three information resources to reason through when the use of applied response tools might be ecologically appropriate.
Reengineering of A Stainless-Steel Fire Boom for Use in Conjunction With Conventional Fire Booms
Authors: Buist Ian , Potter Steve , McCourt James , Lane P. , Newsom P. , Hillebrand L. , Buffington Sharon
Published: January 2013

Many existing refractory fabric fire booms will deteriorate quickly in use and may require frequent replacement in a large-scale burn operation. These problems can be minimized, or even eliminated, by using a highly durable and fire-resistant material in the pocket of the boom where the highest heat and stress loads exist.

In this project, an existing, large stainless steel boom was reengineered to reduce its size, weight, and cost. The large boom was designed, constructed, and tested successfully in the early 1980s; however, because of the rigorous criteria used for the original design, it is expensive, heavy, and cumbersome to deploy. The project was completed in nine phases:The existing boom was redesigned to reduce its cost, size, weight, and handling problems, and to make it compatible with existing boom systems.A prototype section of the reengineered boom was constructed for testing.The boom was tested in Lake Erie to evaluate its towing and sea-keeping characteristics.The prototype was tested at OHMSETT to quantify its oil-containment capability.Three hours of burn tests in waves were conducted in a diesel fire at the U.S. Coast Guard Fire and Safety Test Detachment in Mobile, Alabama.Postburn tow tests were performed at OHMSETT to confirm the containment capability of the boom after the diesel-fire exposure.Three hours of burn tests in waves were carried out in enhanced propane flames at OHMSETT.Destructive testing was used to estimate the operational life of the flexible connector sections, and the tensile strength of several key load-bearing components.Finally, the design of the boom was refined, and final detailed engineering drawings and a report were produced.

The boom passed all tests. The final design is presented in the paper. The boom may be purchased commercially from Applied Fabrics Technologies, Inc.
The Use of Scenarios in Contingency Planning
Authors: Holt William (Biff)
Published: January 2013

Prior to the enactment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), predesignated On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) prepared local contingency plans (LCPs) with little opportunity for participation outside the OSC's staff by affected stakeholders. OPA 90 changed the fundamental structure of this vitally important planning tool used to articulate the policies and arrangements for oil spill and hazardous material release in a geographic area. A new plan, called an Area Contingency Plan (ACP), was envisioned to be developed by Area Committees that generally include the principle stakeholders in an area.

By and large, the ACP process is working, although the quality of plans varies greatly around the United States. A new planning concept, however, currently in use by some of the leading and most successful businesses in the world, has yet to find its way into planning for oil spills and hazardous substance releases. That new concept, scenario planning, creates the means for capturing the potential for a variety of futures without attempting to predict the future.

The Julian N spill in Portland, Maine in 1996 was considered a success in large measure because the incident followed on the heels of a scenario-driven area exercise. Scenario planning formalizes that process in such a way as to make the ACP reflect the consensus—what incidents might occur, what are the critical areas of concern, and how might they be dealt with in an efficient way. It brings together the response community and others in a way that ensures participation, understanding, and cooperation in the planning process when it is most needed—before an incident occurs.
Quantifying the Scale of Restoration Required to Compensate for the Impacts of the North Cape Oil Spill on Fish and Invertebrates
Authors: McCay Deborah P. French , Manen Carol-Ann , Gibson Mark , Catena John
Published: January 2013

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) seeks to make the environment and public whole for injury to or loss of natural resources and services as a result of a discharge of oil. This means that restoration projects implemented as part of a natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) must be of a sufficient scale to produce resources and services of the same type and quality and of comparable value to those that were lost. Services, for an NRDA, include both the ecological and human uses of the resources. Also, the loss must be quantified from the time of impact until the resource returns to baseline conditions—the level in the absence of the impact. This paper details a series of methods that may be used for scaling NRDA restoration projects and describes how these methods were used in the restoring the injuries incurred as a result of the North Cape oil spill.
Improving Global Response: The Alliance of the Tier 3 Centers1
Authors: Mead Lindsay
Published: January 2013

In a paper presented at the 1999 International Oil Spill Conference in Seattle, Washington, Capt. J. Irvine described the industry Tier 3 centers and finished with a vision of the independent centers coming together. That vision has become a reality with the global Alliance formed between Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) and East Asia Response Pte Ltd. (EARL).

Under the Alliance, OSRL and EARL agreed to pool all their resources and expertise, and make the combined resources available to all their customers wherever they may be required. The resources now available to customers comprise some 70 personnel and over $24 million of response equipment including two Hercules aircraft with aerial dispersant equipment.

The benefits for industry from this Alliance are:Improved spill response times for shareholders in both OSRL and EARL wherever in the world that response is requiredEnhanced dispersant capability through the availability of two Aerial Dispersant Delivery System (ADDS) pack systems and L382G Hercules aircraftIncreased resources available in the “pool”Access to more options for servicesConsistency of approach and operating standardsAll services available at preferential rates for members of either organization

This paper describes the value added by the Alliance, discusses the pitfalls, and looks to the future and how the vision may be further developed.