bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CHARACTERIZATION OF OIL-MINERAL AGGREGATES
Authors: Lee Kenneth , Stoffyn-Egli Patricia
Published: January 2013

Oil associates with fine mineral particles in an aqueous medium not only as molecules adsorbed on mineral surfaces, but also as a discrete phase to form microscopic oil-mineral aggregates (OMA). On the basis of recent studies, OMA formation now is believed to be instrumental in the natural recovery of oil spill impacted shorelines and in the efficacy of cleanup techniques such as surf washing. A better understanding of the nature and properties of OMA will help predict the fate of oil spilled in the aquatic environment.

This work describes the various instruments and methods currently available for the detection and identification of OMA. Three types of OMA have been characterized by microscopy techniques: droplet, solid, and flake aggregates. Droplet aggregates are oil droplets (usually a few μm in diameter) surrounded by individual or aggregated mineral particles. Solid aggregates are a mixture of oil and minerals blended into microscopic bodies of various shapes. Flake aggregates are thin sheets reaching several millimeters across in which mineral and oil are arranged in a regular pattern.

Energy from breaking waves facilitates OMA formation. Once formed, OMA appear to be very stable structures the buoyancy of which depends on the ratio of oil to mineral in each individual aggregate.
Image Archival and Access: Critical Support for the Mission
Authors: Kaperick John
Published: January 2013

Every organization has images of incidents they've been involved with, including 35 mm slides, photographs, negatives, digital camera files, graphics from this presentation or that, PowerPoint files, etc. What does an organization do with these after the fact? Is there a central repository? Who takes care of them? How do I find them again? These are very valid questions whether an organization has been involved in incidents for one year or twenty-five years. NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (NOAA OR&R) has been taking pictures of incidents since December 1976 at the ARGO MERCHANT oil spill in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. Since that time, roughly 20,000 pictures have been taken. Before 1995, there was very little organization and even sketchier access to the images. Today, more than 14,000 are available as digital files and can be searched through the use of an image database. The process of getting from very little access to near full access has been daunting at times but is well worth the effort.
Improvement of Drift Calculation in Mothy Operational Oil Spill Prediction System
Authors: Daniel Pierre , Marty Fabien , Josse Patrick , Skandrani Chafih , Benshila Rachid
Published: January 2013

MOTHY (Modèle Océanique de Transport d'Hydrocarbures) is a pollutant drift model, developed and operated by Météo-France. MOTHY includes hydrodynamic coastal ocean modelling and real time atmospheric forcing from a global meteorological model. Pollutants can be oil or floating objects. To improve forecasts on the Mediterranean Sea, several methods were tested to inject large scale currents (permanent part) into the MOTHY system. The best results were obtained with monthly means of currents at 5 meters (from Mercator system). The addition of altimetric corrections improved the results. In addition the impact of wave (or swell) current, which is usually neglected in such models, is investigated. The literature has surprisingly little to say on the topic of wave-driven surface oil slicks. Earlier review on oil spill transport modelling includes wave driven transport among potential advection mechanisms. The discussion of wave-induced advection (mass transport) adopts a Lagrangian framework, focusing on the analyses of Stokes and Longuet-Higgins for the vertical profile of the Lagrangian velocity beneath waves. In our work, the action of a vertical shear due to waves is accounted for by including the Stokes drift due to weakly non linear waves. We evaluate this term and compare with observations of Erika pollution incident.
THE Windy Bay Discharge – A Success Story
Authors: Marchant Sharon O. , Pearson Leslie , Hurst John
Published: January 2013

In the world of mechanical spill response, success stories are limited. The case of the F/V Windy Bay is an exception and much has been learned from the experience. On August 4, 2001, the fishing vessel Windy Bay hit a charted rock near Olsen Island in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The vessel carried 35,000 gallons of diesel fuel and sank quickly with no loss of life. A response was initiated, led by the USCG, with input from the owner, their response contractor, Chadux, and the contractor for the USCG, Alyeska/SERVS. The response lasted 20 days and involved 192 personnel, 20 spill response trained fishing vessels, the Valdez Star, and the CurrentBuster™ nearshore recovery system. By day six, over 12,000 gallons had been recovered and 19,500 gallons had evaporated or naturally dispersed. The mechanical response was very successful. The response also included major programs for protecting sensitive resources, informing the public and stakeholders, issue management, wildlife response programs and evaluations, decontamination, and waste management programs.
Master Plans, a New Approach for Contingency Planning in the Colombian Oil Industryi
Authors: Miranda Darío , Betancur Ana María , Gutiérrez Guillermo
Published: January 2013

Up to a few years ago, contingency planning in the Colombian oil industry treated contingency plans for oil spills, fires and explosions as independent contingency plans. Strategies, operational procedures and equipment were selected for each type of emergency response. This condition reduced overall performance for different types of emergencies and restricted an emergency brigade's responsibility and commitment when facing an emergency. The members of a fire brigade, for example, did not have enough experience to control an oil spill and simply felt that they were not responsible for such work. In 1989, new legislation in Colombia established an approach for emergency response in which local, regional and national committees were created at municipal, departmental and national levels. These committees were responsible for emergency response coordination that depended on the emergency type and size, and on the resources involved. It soon became evident that individual contingency plans should be incorporated into a single comprehensive document. However, there were no guidelines available to provide contingency planners with the tools necessary to develop such integrated plans. The Colombian Petroleum Institute's new approach for designing and structuring Contingency Plans for the Colombian oil industry is presented in this document. New schemes for comprehensive emergency response are discussed, considering strategic, operational and data processing issues. Master Contingency Plans provide Local Contingency Plan developers with suitable tools that will enable them to develop their own plans in a comprehensive way, while coordinating the plans with the Colombian National System for Disaster Prevention and Response considered in Colombian law.
Contingency Regulations and Oil Spill Preparedness in Norwegian Arctic Areas1
Authors: Bjerkemo Ole Kristian
Published: January 2013

Svalbard includes all landmasses between 74 and 81 degrees North and between 10 and 35 degrees east, as well as the sea inside a territorial boundary stretching out 4 nautical miles from land. Ice and snow permanently cover two thirds of this area. Svalbard is a very sensitive area in case of oil spill or chemical accidents. A lot of activities on Svalbard may lead to oil spill. Spills from tourist cruise vessels, coal carriers and tank farms may be the largest threat. The law and regulations in this area gives the authorities an opportunity to direct the different companies to prepared an oil spill contingency plan. Because of a large expansion of the coal shipment from Svea mines on Svalbard and that the sailing would take place in a very sensitive area, the authorities took decision to ask for an oil spill contingency plan. The shipment takes place from July to November during the “ice free” months. The responsible company worked out different reports such as a weathering study of different bunker oils, environmental risk analysis, emergency preparedness analysis, a report discussing safe shipment within the sensitive area and an oil spill contingency plan. Based on these reports, the responsible parties received further requirements including carrying out a training program, oil spill exercises and efforts to avoid ship grounding. One of the the challenges of oil spill contingency planning in an area like Svalbard is how to keep the organisation trained for every sailing season.
Assessing the Capability of Remote Detection Systems to Identify Oil Slicks in Harbours
Authors: Goodman Ron , Hudema Henry , Mullin Blair , Amtech Alex Markov
Published: January 2013

In the past, the presence of oil slicks in harbours has been acknowledged as a natural result of ship movement and industrial activity in the area. In recent years, such pollution has become socially and environmentally unacceptable. The most common method of detecting the presence of oil in a harbour is currently the use of marine patrols and visual observations. This is a costly activity, which is not very effective. Harbourmasters and others involved in the operation of major marine facilities have recognized the need for a system that would continuously monitor for the presence of oil on water, and report its location to a central control room. In order to prosecute such violations, the system should be capable of identifying the oil and relating the oil to a specific ship. In the last ten years there have been significant developments in the remote sensing of oil on water in the support of oil-spill response. Such systems have generally been used as airborne packages, which allow the coverage of large areas. For the harbour situation, the area of coverage is fixed permitting the sensors to be mounted on towers. It would be ideal if the system had coverage similar to that of existing Vessel Traffic Systems (VTS). This paper will examine the applicability of using existing and proven oil-spill detection systems for harbours.
Mexus Gulf Exercise: Making it Count
Authors: James Terry , Pertuz David , Powell Billy , Stankovich Gary
Published: January 2013

In May 2002, an oil spill exercise was led by Unocal Corporation - a major US based independent energy company, the U. S. Coast Guard, The Mexican Navy and members of several U.S. and Mexican government agencies. The objective of the exercise was to test the recently signed joint contingency plan between Mexico and the United States regarding pollution of the environment by discharges of hydrocarbons or other hazardous materials (MEXUS) and one of the associated geographic annexes; the MEXUS-Gulf. Participants and exercise design team members included representatives from U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Minerals Management Service, the Texas General Land Office, Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Unocal Corporation, ERST/O'Brien's Inc., 1st Naval Zone of Mexico, Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), Procuraduria Federal de Proteccion al Ambiente (PROFEPA) and Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). This paper will describe the many lessons learned as the exercise was planned, conducted and evaluated. The exercise resulted in an exemplary show of cooperation between industry, U.S. and Mexican government officials in the desire to learn and understand the issues associated with hydrocarbon spills that cross or have the potential to cross the U.S./Mexico borders. Communications, language barriers, acceptable practices and standards for oil spill cleanup were all challenges faced by the teams in this unique exercise. Gaining a better understanding of these challenges and many other issues was invaluable and it was the consensus of all involved that this type of cooperative effort is the key to a successful cross-border response. Joint planning and training should continue in order to assure an effective implementation of the MEXUS plan should a real event ever occur.
Underwater Cleanup Assessment Program During the M/V Kuroshima Incident, April 1998
Authors: Martin C. Andrew , Mauseth Gary S. , Suggs Robert D.
Published: January 2013

On 26 November 1997, the M/V KUROSHIMA went aground in Summer Bay on Unalaska Island, Alaska during a severe windstorm (Figure 1). The vessel released approximately 39,000 gallons of Bunker C fuel oil into the intertidal zone. A portion of this oil was forced into Summer Bay Lake by storm winds and high tides. From the outset of the incident, the trustees and the Responsible Party considered the possibility that oil had been submerged and covered parts of Summer Bay Lake substratum. Therefore, an underwater survey was included as part of the overall spring shoreline cleanup assessment program. This paper focuses on the process of performing an underwater survey as part of a larger cleanup operation. Surveys were conducted by representatives for the State of Alaska and the Responsible Party and incorporated standard Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) guidelines (Owens, 1992). The primary objective of these surveys was to locate submerged oil, quantify the amount of oil, and to document the characteristics of the oil. The underwater survey program had two main components; delineation and cleanup assessment for sign-off surveys. The logistics and support needed for performing an underwater survey with SCUBA, methods of navigation above and below the water surface, and the generation of maps for the dissemination of survey results to cleanup personnel are discussed.
Integration of Response, Restoration, and Enhancement in a Northwest United States Salmonid Stream Following a Gasoline Spill
Authors: Mauseth Gary S. , Challenger Greg E. , Owens Edward H. , Campbell Ronald F. , Macrander Michael , Doty Dan
Published: January 2013

The gasoline release, explosion, and fire that resulted from the Olympic Pipeline rupture on June 10, 1999 in Bellingham, Washington affected approximately 4 kilometers of the Whatcom Creek system. One component of the response program involved remediation of the affected streambed sections. A combination of mechanical, manual, and hydraulic in situ treatment techniques were used to remove product from the streambed and stream banks. Much of this work involved placement of heavy equipment in the stream and manipulation of unconsolidated substrata. Several kilometers of the streambed being treated had been the subject of historical anthropogenic alterations substantially lowering the suitability of the stream to support salmon spawning and rearing. While the equipment was in the stream, a series of emergency restoration modifications were made to increase the suitability of the stream to support increased viable salmonid populations. Enhancement included: erosion control, provisions for pools, runs, riffles, effective use of groundwater infiltration providing colder water, enhancement of partial passage barriers, and installation of large woody debris. Work was completed by September 1999 prior to the return of spawning adult salmon. Subsequent data collected on the stream used by salmon indicates that the measures were successful. Integration of response, restoration, and enhancement allowed the accomplishment with very little interruption to the anadromous fish cycle following a substantial insult to the stream system.
Commercial Diving Operations During Salvage and Pollution Response Operations1
Authors: Elliott James E.
Published: January 2013

Oil spill response personnel encounter commercial diving operations during salvage and pollution response operations. During an oil spill or hazardous substance release, the National Contingency Plan requires that response operations, including commercial diving operations, be conducted in accordance with the requirements, standards, and regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Additionally, the Coast Guard requires that commercial diving contractors meet their own commercial diving regulations (46 CFR 197) during response operations. Incident commanders and safety officers should ensure that an inspection of the on-site diving operation is conducted to confirm that commercial diving personnel, operations, and equipment meet the applicable regulations. This technical paper provides guidance to response personnel on the inspection of commercial diving operations during marine response operations and an overview of the equipment used to protect divers in contaminated waters. Additionally, this guidance provides checklists to facilitate the inspection of commercial diving operations to protect the health and safety of commercial divers.
Use of GIS and Digital Orthoquads to Support Inspection and Operations During Oil Spill Response
Authors: Lamarche Alain , Gundlach Erich R.
Published: January 2013

Maps are essential tools of spill response. They are traditionally used in a variety of sizes and formats to report and show the location of oil, cleanup activities and, in later phases of the response, the status of beach inspections. Very precise maps are also needed by operations personnel to direct cleanup crews to the right location, along with specific cleanup instructions. Detailed aerial pictures provide the ideal type of representation for this specific task. Such pictures are now available in the form of one to six meter resolution digital orthophotos quadrangles (DOQ), which are georeferenced and may be used as basemaps within a Geographical Information System (GIS). We have designed a system using these aerial pictures that allows the provision, on a daily basis, of large scale representation used 1) by inspection teams as forms to report location and nature of areas of concern and 2) by cleanup supervisors to more efficiently direct the effort of cleanup crews. These maps incorporate all relevant information needed by their users such as location and identification of shoreline segments, nature of oiling conditions, or any other observation needed by operations personnel. These detailed representations are complemented by georeferenced 1/100 000 scale topographical maps, which prove to be very effective for general reporting and orientation purposes. This system was developed and implemented in the course of the Swanson Creek Incident (Maryland) oil spill response.
Current and Future Geographic Information System Projects within the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and the Potential for One Universal Application
Authors: Harbaugh Seth
Published: January 2013

Geographic information systems (GIS) have a wide range of capabilities, which can be used for a variety of useful applications, such as a resource for oil spill management or a maritime security response tool. These systems provide useful information in a graphically and timely fashion, making it an ideal system for managers making critical decisions. A number of GIS programs have been developed. Among these are the Geographic Specific Tactical Response Plan (GSTRP), Florida Marine Spill Analysis System (FMSAS) and the Maritime Security Strategic Information System (MSSIS). The GSTRP and FMSAS were developed to assist responders in the event of an oil spill, where response time is critical in order to effectively reduce environmental and monetary impact. The MSSIS has been developed to better plan for, react to, or protect the port from a terrorist/criminal threat. All of these programs are similar in scope and function, with overlapping areas of operation. Each also has unique features and together they form an excellent base upon which to build a universal GIS system. Many believe the development of a universal GIS, which combines spill response, maritime security, and potentially other functions would be beneficial to the area, region, and country. This concept was discussed following a presentation of the Alabama and Mississippi Oil Spill GIS at the Regional Response Team (RRT) IV meeting at the beginning of 2002. The Alabama and Mississippi Oil Spill GIS was developed with the intention of building upon the existing systems and adding state of the art technology with additional capabilities and an internet platform to make an all encompassing system. This discussion sparked a future meeting to discuss this potential and the logistics involved in it's undertaking. This paper examines the value and development of a universal GIS within RRT IV. This project also has the potential to address the same maritime security issues as previously discussed, making it a broad application. With this continuity the project could be a living application, which would grow as needs change and technology advances, enabled by the scope of the project and combined resource management and funding.
A Simulation Model to Predict Spill-Induced Bird Mortality Using Beached Carcass Data
Authors: Wakefield Jeffrey R , Tomasi Theodore , Byrd Heath , Greer Richard
Published: January 2013

Beached bird models have been used to estimate spill induced bird mortality as a function of carcass recovery. The basic models generate defensible estimates given the sparse data generally associated with large, infrequently searched, areas. We have extended the model to address spills of limited geographic extent and intense recovery effort. Our model simulates the number of carcasses required to re-create the vector of carcasses actually collected. Each simulation generates a single estimate of mortality consistent with carcass recovery data. Monte Carlo methods facilitate a mean mortality estimate.
Scaling Primary and Compensatory Restoration of Endangered Species
Authors: Wakefield Jeffrey , Tomasi Theodore , Greer Richard , Byrd Heath
Published: January 2013

As a result of oil spills endangered species may be killed. This paper discusses issues associated with scaling restoration projects that would compensate for mortality of an endangered species due to an oil spill. We illustrate our concerns using hypothetical data and a simple stochastic population dynamics model meant to (roughly) approximate Marbeled Murrelets (a federally-listed west- coast seabird) killed as result of a spill. The paper discusses the implications of possible outcomes with very long run implications (i.e. extinction), for which conservation biologists have generated various approaches for guiding management decisions in which discounting is not used. These are contrasted with the usual scaling approach, Resource Equivalency Analysis, which uses (expected) discounted bird years (EDBYs).
The West Coast Offshore Vessel Traffic Risk Management Project
Authors: Cameron Jean R. , Holly Rick , Uberti Captain William , Springer LT Patricia
Published: January 2013

The West Coast Offshore Vessel Traffic Risk Management Project resulted from a unique collaboration between the US Coast Guard Pacific Area, the Canadian Coast Guard, and the environmental agencies representing the Province of British Columbia and the States of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California. In addition to these organizations, the Project Workgroup included federal military and environmental agencies from both the US and Canada, industry from all the affected regions, as well as public interest organizations. The primary focus of the project is prevention of drift groundings - and subsequent oil spills - by disabled vessels traveling coastwise off the West Coast of the US and Canada anywhere between Cook Inlet and San Diego. Working together over a three-year period, the Project Workgroup collected information on West Coast traffic patterns, traffic volume, existing management measures, ship drift rates, historical casualty data, weather data, assist vessel availability, and economic and environmental sensitivity of the coastlines. Vessel types of concern included laden tank vessels and barges, plus cargo, passenger, and fishing vessels over 300 gross tons. Two risk assessment tools were developed that incorporated this information and delineated average and higher risk areas of operation on the West Coast. Based upon these outcomes, the Workgroup has developed findings and recommendations focused on reducing risk associated with the distance offshore, collision hazard, tug availability, and historic casualty factors. In addition to the collaborative partnerships involved in this project, the risk assessment techniques and the regional applications are unique and provide a model which could be applied to offshore regions worldwide.
Revisions to the OSRO and Prep Guidelines: What's that about?1
Authors: Pond Robert G. , Gelzer Claudia C.
Published: January 2013

The Coast Guard's Oil Spill Removal Organization (OSRO) Classification Program Guidelines and National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) Guidelines are periodically reviewed and revalidated. The OSRO program, managed by the National Strike Force Coordination Center (NSFCC), affords plan holders relief from having to include extensive equipment lists within already lengthy plans. It also gives government plan reviewers a national standard against which to evaluate response contractors listed in plans. The PREP Guidelines offer a cycle of internal and external exercises to be followed in the preparedness cycle of plonning and assessment by government and industry members of the response community. For years, these programs enjoyed support from both government and industry. Recently, however, response community rumblings revealed growing doubt about the usefulness of these standards in assuring response readiness. This skepticism threatened to undermine both programs. The government responded by engaging industry through a series of meetings and public workshops to examine concerns and identify solutions. In the process, two critical findings revealed what had changed: 1) While initial regulatory momentum was high following enactment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, industry and government plan holder focus had been slowly diverted to competing priorities; 2) The OSRO and PREP Guidelines, originally envisioned as tools to guide plan holders, had become a vehicles for plan holder acceptance of NSFCC evaluations of OSRO adequacy without local user analysis, and of OSRO exercises as sufficient without plan holder participation or oversight. The Coast Guard's response has been to overhaul each program's policy guideline to clarify the original intent of the response plan regulations. The success of these efforts hinges on their effectiveness to reemphasize that ultimate accountability falls on the shoulders of plan holders at the local level under active government oversight.
Slaying the Paper Tiger
Authors: Klumpp Christopher J.
Published: January 2013

California's Oil Spill Response Organization (OSRO) and Plan-Holder Unannounced Drill Programs have provided an opportunity for state, Federal, and industry representatives to work together to ensure that the best achievable response for the State of California is attained. As a result of the success of these two initial programs, the Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) considers unannounced drills to be the cornerstone of response resource assessment. Unannounced drills present an opportunity to practice and improve how the OSROs and plan-holders (tank vessels, non-tank vessels, and facilities) respond to oil spills by testing contingency plans, reviewing the systems approach, and revealing issues that may hamper an oil spill response. The OSRO unannounced drills test the OSRO's response capabilities for the first six hours of a response, while the plan-holder drills test the owner/operator's ability to initiate a response to a spill incident, based on the owner/operator's contingency plan, for the first three hours of a response. Unannounced OSRO and plan-holder drills both require government agency notification, equipment activation and deployment, and response resources to be operated. Since the only way to evaluate how a plan-holder's team will respond in an emergency is to evaluate them in a non-emergency, adding the element of surprise allows the state to better make the determination as to the adequacy of their preparedness. Non-tank vessel, tank vessel, and facility operators are also required to conduct to plan-holder initiated drills, and these have also been highly successful. Part of the success of these drills is that they have revealed potential problems, for which plan-holder-initiated solutions or OSPR regulatory fixes have been identified and proposed. Through this process, the California Unannounced Drill Program has evolved from being planning standard-based to performance standard-based for OSROs. Under new legislation that reflects the OSRO performance requirements (Government Code 8670.29), plan-holders must now contract with one or more state-rated OSROs to meet contingency plan requirements and an OSRO will only be granted a state rating by participating in unannounced drills.
New Norwegian Policy on Use of Dispersants
Authors: Vik Ann Mari
Published: January 2013

On the 1st of January 2002 the Norwegian Ministry of Environment introduced new regulations regarding the use of dispersants in oil spill response at sea. The Norwegian policy is to allow the use of dispersants when this means of response gives the best environmental results. Compared with former regulations this extends the possibilities of using a broader range of combat methods well suited for different spill scenarios. A thorough analysis has to be done in advance and the criteria for use must be documented in a contingency plan. Specific tests are required to make sure the dispersants are low toxic and effective (oil type specific). The regulations state that use of dispersants is prohibited unless well planned and documented. Whenever an oil company or other enterprises handling considerable amounts of oil, plans to use dispersants as a means of combat, the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority will consider the criteria for use described in their contingency plan. In oil spills where use of dispersants is not pre-planned the polluter or organization in charge of the operation at sea has to apply to the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority to get permission to disperse. This application has to include weather conditions, water depth, oil type, toxicity and effectiveness of the dispersant, and a Net Environmental Benefit Analyze. The large amount of documentation required compared with the short windows of opportunity means that in practice the use of dispersants has to be pre planned to be successful.
The Chemical Baseline as a Key to Defining Continuing Injury and Recovery of Prince William Sound
Authors: Boehm Paul D. , Brown John S. , Page David S. , Burns William A , Neff Jerry M. , Maki Alan W. , Bence A. Edward
Published: January 2013

Studies of records and data pertaining to anthropogenic and natural sources of petroleum, and specifically of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), have indicated a generally constant background, with episodic input spikes of bioavailable PAH to the marine environment of Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska. The Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS) was one such PAH spike. However, hundreds of smaller spills, occurring prior to and since the EVOS, contribute a background of bioavailable petrogenic PAH to PWS. The widespread historical and contemporary uses of PWS by man have left chronic, sizeable, and widespread petrogenic and pyrogenic PAH fingerprints and bioavailable PAH at many locations in PWS. Evidence from mussel samples, taken both prior to and since EVOS, and from subtidal sediments, indicates that bioavailable PAH are a constant feature of the PWS system. While EVOS may continue to add some bioavailable PAH to highly localized areas, most PAH inputs to the PWS marine environment are unrelated to EVOS. Such findings indicate that biological, sublethal effects studies, which rely on tissue body burdens and biomarkers as leading indicators of continuing effects from EVOS (e.g. CYP1A-P450, etc.) may have been misinterpreted, as they are confounded by this easily detectable, significant, and continuing background of bioavailable PAH. Therefore measurements of exposure to PAH as indicating lingering effects from EVOS, 13 years after the spill, are speculative and ignore the baseline PAH from non-EVOS inputs.
Shoreline Surface Washing Agent Test and Evaluation Protocol for Freshwater Use in the Great Lakes Region1
Authors: Robertson Darrell R. , Maddox Jason H.
Published: January 2013

Although opportunities exist to use shoreline surface washing agents for oil spill removal in freshwater environments, this response technique is seldom tried because little is known about its insitu effectiveness and toxicity. In January 2000, the Federal Region V Regional Response Team chartered a Subcommittee of international, federal, state and industry representatives to develop a protocol for evaluating the test use of shoreline surface washing agents in freshwater environments on oil spills of opportunity in the Great Lakes Region. Currently, mechanical and manual recovery are the primary means of oil spill cleanup in freshwater environments which can be costly, labor intensive, and often results in limited oil recovery. Oil recovery inefficiency is related to shoreline composition and complexity that allow oil to cover, fill, and penetrate the substrate. Responders, with limited options, may compromise their efforts by leaving residual oil in the environment or expend a substantial effort sanitizing the shoreline, which can be more detrimental to the environment. The application of shoreline surface washing agents may improve recovery efficiency and ameliorate long term harm to freshwater shorelines if properly applied. Surface washing agents may also reduce labor requirements typically associated with diminishing returns from continued mechanical or manual cleanups required to achieve similar oil removal results. The RRT V Subcommittee developed a protocol for conducting small-scale insitu tests on the effectiveness and toxicity of surface washing agents to gain experience and confidence in its utility as a response tool in freshwater environments. The resulting protocol guides the user in assessing physical criteria, constraints and special considerations needed to determine if the use of two surface washing agents is appropriate. The protocol also includes procedures for test preparation and application and provides effectiveness, water quality and toxicity monitoring guidelines, data collection, booming, and oil recovery procedures.
Determining Dispersant Efefctiveness Data for a Suite of Environmental Conditions
Authors: Chandrasekar Subhashini , Sorial George , Weaver James W.
Published: January 2013

Chemical dispersants are used in oil spill response operations to enhance the dispersion of oil slicks at sea as small oil droplets in the water column. To assess the impacts of dispersant usage on oil spills, US EPA is developing a simulation model called the EPA Research Object- Oriented Oil Spill (ER03S) model (http://www.epa.gov/athens/research/projects/erosl). Due to the complexity of chemical and physical interactions between spilled oils, dispersants and the sea, an empirical approach to the interaction between the dispersant and oil slick may provide a useful or practical approach for including dispersants in a model. The main objective of this research was to create a set of empirical data on three oils and two dispersants that has the potential for use as an input to the ERO3S model. These data are intended to give an indication of the amount of dispersal of these oils under certain environmental conditions. Recently, the US EPA developed an improved dispersant testing protocol, called the baffled flask test (BFT) which was a refinement of the swirling flask test. Use of this protocol was the basis of the experiments conducted in this study. The variations in the effectiveness of dispersants caused by changes in oil composition, dispersant type, and the environmentally related variables of temperature, oil weathering, and rotational speed of the BFT were studied. The three oils that were tested were South Louisiana Crude Oil, Alaska North Slope Crude, and Number 2 fuel oil. Two dispersants that scored effectiveness above 85% by the BFT were selected for this study. A factorial experimental design was conducted for each of the three oils for four factors: volatilization, dispersant type, temperature and flask speed. Each of the four factors were studied at three levels except for the dispersant factor where only two dispersants were considered. Statistical analysis of the experimental data were performed separately for the three oils. Analysis of variance was conducted to determine which factors, or set of factors, were related to the percent effectiveness. Empirical relationships between the amount of oil dispersed and the variables studied were developed.
Managing Risk Issues vs. Managing Risk: Energy Pipeline Communications & Public Awareness Programs
Authors: Roth Alan T.
Published: January 2013

The oil and gas pipeline industry is increasingly proficient in responsibly managing operational risks to public and employee safety and the environment. However, all too often we are less competent at managing risk-related issues. Potential consequences of poor risk issues management can include seriously tarnishing corporate reputation, triggering expensive regulatory censure, loss of investor confidence, negative impacts on employee morale and significant new landowner compensation costs, to note just a few. One need only look at recent examples from other industries to see that sometimes the possible outcomes can even be catastrophic: the cost of the Mad Cow Disease issue to the UK beef industry, the effects of the collapses of Enron and WorldCom on the accounting / financial consulting industry and on big business generally, or the massive class action awards against silicon breast implant makers. With respect to our own industry, the Exxon Valdez oil spill that happened 14 years ago is still one of the most commonly-evoked buzzwords of environmental disaster and an enduring symbol of the risks associated with the marine transportation of oil. This paper provides advice and information about understanding the differences between – and making competent use of – the methodologies of risk communication and crisis communication in issues management for oil pipeline companies. The knowledge gained, if applied appropriately, can help steer a pipeline operator / owner away from – or out of – damaging entanglement in a risk management controversy stemming from an incident such as an oil spill.
Preparing to Minimize the Environmental Impact of Terrorism
Authors: Gugg CDR Paul , Austin John H.
Published: January 2013

The EXXON VALDEZ grounding in 1989 served the response community with an abrupt reminder of the importance of preparedness for maritime incidents. As a result, such incidents would no longer be viewed as simply human or economic tragedies but also as environmental catastrophes. The October 12, 2000 attack on the USS COLE at its berth in Aden, Yemen and the attack on the French tanker LIMBURG off the coast of Yemen two years later made it clear that terrorists are aware of the vulnerability of ships and port targets and are capable of operating in the marine environment. Finally, the attacks on September 11, 2001 erased any notion that terrorism was limited to developing nations, Europe or the Middle East. In addition to their horrific toll on human life and property, terrorism-spawned events have environmental impacts that must be addressed in our response plans. These impacts may be the primary or secondary goal of the perpetrators, particularly where environmental attributes like marine resources are readily accessible, highly valued, and serve as a symbol of a nation's culture and prosperity. This paper is intended to suggest the concept of environmental response preparedness as a means of minimizing the impact of terrorism when the best laid plans and protective measures have been compromised. The authors also suggest that preparedness is, in itself, a form of deterrent to terrorist acts. Equally important, the paper promotes the use of terrorism scenarios in preparedness exercises and proposes a balanced approach to readiness that can be sustained for the long haul. The paper not only recognizes the value and applicability of “all event” response agencies and management systems but also illustrates some of the important differences and challenges the subject events introduce. Among the differences cited are: stakeholder composition; attention to crime scene investigations; secondary attack hazards; and the need for adherence to established safety procedures in the midst of high op-tempo and emotionally charged national emergencies. The topic is timely. It is special due to the magnitude and international significance of the consequences it discusses and the impetus it presents toward actively deterring terrorism's impact, effectiveness and likelihood. It is unique because it calls attention to the need for a change in focus through the established lens of interdisciplinary coordination among agencies and stakeholders that have mature and well-practiced response systems.
Damage Assessment and Restoration Following the JULIE N Oil Spill: A Case Study
Authors: Mauseth Gary S. , Csulak Frank G.
Published: January 2013

On September 27, 1996, the T/V JULIE N inbound with a cargo of 8.8 million gallons of #2 fuel oil struck the Million Dollar Bridge, spanning Portland Harbor between Portland and South Portland, Maine. The incident resulted in a spill of approximately 180,000 gallons of oil, which spread throughout a large area of Portland Harbor. The marine and coastal resources of Portland Harbor and the Fore River, including water resources, shellfish, wetlands, sediments, and birds were exposed and/or injured by the oil. The spill also had an adverse impact on several different public use services. The natural resource trustee agencies (including the State of Maine, NOAA, and the Department of the Interior) and Amity Products Carriers, Inc. (Responsible Party, RP) conducted a cooperative natural resource damage assessment to assess and restore natural resources exposed and/or injured by the spill. The trustees and RP operated under an initial verbal agreement to cooperate until a written agreement was executed over a year after the incident. The cooperative process and lessons learned are described in the paper. Particularly positive components included cooperative data collection and active collaboration on study design and endpoints. The trustees expended $782,860 in assessment costs. The RP expended an additional $169,101 in cooperative laboratory and field investigations, as well as $364,720 in consultant costs. The total assessment costs were $1,316,681. The trustees and the RP were then able to successfully negotiate a $1 million dollar settlement for the purpose of planning, implementing, and overseeing selected restoration projects. These projects included reducing the discharge of PAH's into the Fore River, wetland and bird habitat restoration, and construction of a recreational trail along the Fore River. The RP sought compensation from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund under the limitation of liability provisions of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Compensation included expenses beyond statutory liability for response, NRDA assessment, and damages to natural resources among others.
The Effect of Varying Salinity and Temperature on the Dynamics of Orimulsion in Water
Authors: Fingas Merv , Wang Zhendi , Landriault Mike , Noonan Jordan , MacKay Ron
Published: January 2013

Studies have shown that Orimulsion behaves somewhat predictably in saltwater (33 ppt NaCl) and freshwater, driven by buoyancy to rise in saltwater and sink in freshwater, but behaviour in brackish water (20 ppt NaCl) is difficult to predict. Temperature has also been indicated as having an influence on Orimulsion behaviour. The current study extended experimentation to lower temperatures and a large number of salinity values, ranging from fresh to saltwater. This study resulted in information on the behaviour of Orimulsion spills in salt, fresh, and brackish water with salinity values ranging from 0.1 to 33 °/oo at temperatures of 5 and 15 °C. Depletion rates and characteristics were determined by adding Orimulsion to a 300-L tank of water, taking a time series of samples, and determining the concentration of bitumen and the particle size distribution. Changes in bitumen concentration and particle size distribution as a function of time were also measured. Resurfaced bitumen was scraped from the top of the tank and weighed to determine the amount rising. Using these data, simple equations were developed to describe and predict the concentration of bitumen in the water column as a function of time. Similarly, nomograms showing the amount of oil on the bottom and on the water surface are presented.
Sustainable Development and the US
Authors: Walker Ann H. , Warren Steven R. , Scholz Debra , Boyd John
Published: January 2013

In the late 1980s, the United Nations recognized that industrial activities of the 19th and 2(20th centuries were responsible for global pollution-related problems, and presented a future threat to life-sustaining qualities of the environment. While difficult to document in a perfectly quantifiable and defensible case, the evidence was sufficiently strong for the UN to create a global initiative for sustainable development. Many countries around the world now have institutionalized programs for sustainable development. Target projects and procedures to implement incremental changes in the way the natural elements necessary for life are sustained for their support of, and use by, future generations by managing growth and pollution are underway. The United States has a number of initiatives in various agencies that primarily consist of discrete government-government or government-industry partnerships. Nonetheless, the concept of sustainable development in the US remains ambiguous in terms of its widespread understanding and adoption by the public and private sectors, which are responsible for activities that can cause pollution, or indirectly affect the ability of the environment to sustain future human populations, lifestyles, and the economy. The US Environmental Protection Agency refers to some of its sustainable development initiatives as “Smart Growth” to more clearly and positively conveys the focus of these activities. It has been observed that sustainable development will not make a significant difference in the US, relative to the strides made in other countries, unless sustainable development programs become regulatory in nature. The US sustainable development initiatives are discretionary and essentially implemented according to the prevailing political will. Since the US economy is based on capitalism, and growth in profits is a pre-requisite to economic success, sustainable development programs will only be implemented if program managers in industry and government believe that these programs somehow tangibly benefit “the bottom line.” While exhibiting pioneering leadership in many areas, with regard to innovative and across-the-board programs for sustainable development, the US in fact may lag behind the rest of the world.