bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DISPLAY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS VIA POSTER ILLUSTRATION FOR OIL STORAGE FACILITIES: FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT CASES
Authors: Coakley Louis , Jones Mark A.
Published: January 2013

Florida Power & Light (FPL) is creating posters for its bulk oil storage facilities that graphically illustrate various site characteristics important in preparing and responding to an oil spill event. The posters provide valuable information in a concise visual format that minimizes the necessity to utilize numerous support documents. The posters incorporate oil storage facility area information including environmentally sensitive areas, shoreline types, bathymetry, currents, area infrastructure (roads, pipelines), digital and ortho-photos, and historical wind conditions. In addition, the posters provide oil spill preparedness maps using stochastic results (multi-trajectory runs) from FPL's Spill Impact Model Analysis Package (SIMAP) oil spill model. These consolidated maps show potential oil impact areas and dissolved aromatic concentration plumes over various timeframes from the beginning of the spill. Booming strategy and equipment deployment site maps are additional items. Finally, the posters provide important graphical and textual information concerning Incident Command System (ICS) strategic objectives, organizational chart, spill response contacts and phone numbers, and tide data.
THE OSSA II PIPELINE SPILL, BOLIVIA: CLEANUP CRITERIA, CLEANUP OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING, AND COMMUNITY ISSUES
Authors: Henshaw Tony , Owens Edward H. , Copeman Vicky , Mianzan Alfio
Published: January 2013

An estimated 29,000 bbl of mixed crude oil and condensate was spilled from the OSSA II pipeline, which was damaged during summer flood conditions, at the Río Desaguadero river crossing on the Bolivian Altiplano. The oil was deposited as far as 250 km downstream along a total of approximately 400 km along the banks of river channels, meander floodplains, and irrigation ditches, as well as on several hundred hectares of low-lying floodplain. Residual oil samples had sediment contents as high as 80%, which indicates that considerable mixing took place during the transport process. The combination of the mixing processes with evaporation resulted in high depletion rates of oil (60%). The region has a rural population of about 30,000 whose primary activity is subsistence agriculture and animal husbandry (mainly sheep, llama, and cows). Downstream, the Lago ?oopó area is an extremely important habitat for aquatic birds. Following an initial assessment, and despite repetitive ground and aerial surveys throughout the entire region, no dead or oiled fish, birds or other animals were found as a result of the spill, hence the ecological concern was low. Water samples collected soon after the spill showed no detectable hydrocarbons in either the river or in potable water sources. Cleanup endpoints were established early in the response, and most of the cleanup was completed over a 2-month period. Cleanup operations were constrained by few crossing points over the river (bridges or hand-drawn ferries) and by the problems of access in the wetlands of the floodplain zone during the summer season. The response involved an outreach program through Community Liaison Officers, and 3,200 local inhabitants were hired to remove the oil from their individual village areas. A team of agronomists, veterinarians, and doctors was established to deal with the social and human-use issues.
IDENTIFICATION AND MAPPING OF AREAS UNUSUALLY SENSITIVE TO ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE FROM A HAZARDOUS LIQUID RELEASE
Authors: Sames Christina
Published: January 2013

The Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation is required to identify areas unusually sensitive to environmental damage in the event of a hazardous liquid pipeline accident, in accordance with pipeline safety laws. Pipeline operators that can affect these “unusually sensitive areas” (USAs) must develop and follow an integrity management program to continually assess and evaluate the integrity of the pipeline through internal inspection or pressure testing and data integration and analysis. After extensive consultation and pilot testing with drinking water experts, conservation biologists, government agencies, and other stakeholders, a process has been developed to identify USAs for both drinking water and ecological resources. This process begins by designating and assessing environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs), determining which ESAs are potentially more susceptible to permanent or long-term damage from a hazardous liquid release, and finally identifying filtering criteria to determine which resources can be affected by a release and sustain permanent or long term damage. Filtering criteria for ecological resources consider areas with critically imperiled species, multispecies assemblages, and migratory waterbird concentration areas. Filtering criteria for drinking water resources consider community water supplies that rely on surface water intakes and do not have an adequate alternative source of water, and groundwater wells in aquifers that are at high risk of contamination, as determined by a specific hydrogeological classification, and do not have an adequate alternative source of water. This paper presents the results of a pilot test and technical review of the USA model, the current definition of USAs, and RSPAs goal to map these areas.
TARBALL DATA FROM THE OREGON COAST
Authors: Owens Edward H. , Lamarche Alain , Martin C. Andrew
Published: January 2013

Approximately 300 kilometers of the coast of Oregon were surveyed following the spill from the New Carissa and a long-term observation program focused on the documentation of stranded tarballs in the vicinity of the spill site. Field documentation methods applied to shoreline oiling after the spill in February 1999 initially followed standard SCAT reporting procedures. After a brief period of relatively heavy oiling, most of the stranded oil took the form of oil pellets of various sizes (“tarballs”). As the amounts of oil on the shoreline diminished, the standard SCAT method resulted in evaluations of oil quantities that were invariably too high. Field observations were conducted for a year after the incident and the data presented in this discussion cover tarball observations in two segments adjacent to the accident site and at two distant locations over the period March 1999 to June 2000. Data output from the study included maps, tables, and histograms of stranded tarball volumes and concentrations (gm/m2). The semi-logarithmic scale time-series plots of the tarball concentration proved the most useful format for identifying trends, as the data spanned as many as nine orders of magnitude. When plotted on conventional histogram, only the larger values can be identified and smaller trends are masked in the time series. Long-term (> 1 year) data on the monthly median tarball size and the monthly tarball volume are provided for four sites.
GUIDELINES AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING OIL SPILL EFFECTS
Authors: Robertson Scott B.
Published: January 2013

It is becoming increasingly important that scientific studies be conducted to determine the effects of a spill (and its cleanup) on the environment. Data are needed to assess environmental injury (e.g., for Natural Resource Damage Assessment, NRDA) and to set restoration targets. Data must be scientifically valid and timely to be of value in this process. To facilitate achieving these goals the Guidelines for the Scientific Study of Oil Spill Effects was prepared. By having scientific methods in place, no time is wasted developing them during the hectic early period of spill response. The guidelines should minimize the time spent reaching a consensus on how to conduct the work, thus minimizing the amount of ephemeral data that may be missed. By employing well-designed methods at the outset, the need for modification later is minimized.

This peer-reviewed, multi-author, over 1,300-page document consists of guidance and methods for a wide variety of investigations. The document is organized into fourteen study elements: overflights, photodocumentation, and shore description; water column and oil source sampling; shoreline and sediment sampling; chemical analyses; intertidal biota; subtidal biota; tissue sampling and analysis; toxicity effects; birds and marine mammals; nekton; plankton; inland spills; quality assurance/quality control; and data management. Not all elements should necessarily be employed in every spill, and individual methods may require modification depending on circumstances. Also, there are many excellent, equally valid tools and approaches that are not included in the document, but their absence should not inhibit their use. To make the guidelines readily available to the public, the American Petroleum Institute will be posting it on their Web site.
ASSESSING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FROM A PUGET SOUND OIL SPILL
Authors: Chen Cindy , Neumann Robert
Published: January 2013

An oil spill risk assessment determines the likelihood of accident occurrence and potential consequences of a spill when the spill occurs. An essential part of the risk assessment is an environmental impact assessment. The impact assessment identifies resources at risk and examines potential environmental contamination. Computer models can be used in conjunction with resource distributions to predict the impact of an oil spill. This paper provides an overview of the methodology used in assessing environmental impacts from an oil spill and examines various oil spill-modeling tools. The Regulatory Assessment: Use of Tug to Protect Against Oil Spills in the Puget Sound Area (USCG, 1999) includes a Qualitative Environmental Impact Assessment that serves as a case study demonstrating the environmental impact assessment process. The U.S. Coast Guard used this Regulatory Assessment to study the alternatives for improving maritime safety in the Puget Sound area. The following are elements and approaches adopted for the impact assessment:Problem formulation. Problem formulation is a planning and scoping process that establishes the goals, breadth, and focus of the risk analysis. A conceptual model is developed to identify environmental resources to be protected, data needed, and analysis to be used.Analysis. This analysis phase develops profiles of environmental exposure and effects of oil spills. The exposure profile characterizes the ecosystem that may be exposed and describes the magnitude and pattern of exposure.Validation. The validation process is a crucial step in defining the reliability of modeling environmental impacts. The use of several oil spill models can minimize the weakness and assumptions associated with each model. Actual spill incidents provide a range and magnitude of possible environmental damages, which further validate model results.
SURFACE-WASHING AGENTS: PRODUCT EVALUATIONS, CASE HISTORIES, AND GUIDELINES FOR USE IN MARINE AND FRESHWATER HABITATS
Authors: Michel Jacqueline , Walker Ann Hayward , Scholz Debra , Boyd John
Published: January 2013

Surface-washing agents (SWAs) are chemicals that are used to enhance oil removal from substrates. These products have been used infrequently because the incident-specific Regional Response Team (RRT) has to concur with the use of chemical agents, and there is very limited, and difficult to understand, information available on the effectiveness and effects of specific products. To address these problems, information on SWAs currently listed on the National Contingency Plan (NCP) Product Schedule was compiled, evaluated, and summarized. The following tools were developed to assist responders in evaluating appropriateness of use and selection of specific SWA products:Summaries of the mechanism of action, when to use, authority required for use, general application requirements, health and safety issues, limiting factors, and environmental concerns to assist in determining when and how to use SWAsProduct-specific information needed by responders to select the most appropriate products in an easy-to-use format comparing the key characteristics of each listed productSuggested monitoring plans and strategies for operational use of SWAs

Case histories of all documented SWA use during spills also are included to build the knowledge base and promote the effective use of SWA technology.
BLUE MASTER: USE OF COREXIT®9500 TO DISPERSE IFO 180 SPILL1
Authors: Kaser Richard M. , Gahn Julie , Henry Charlie
Published: January 2013

COREXIT®9500 was used to disperse 100 barrels (bbls) of Intermediate Fuel Oil (IFO) 180 30 nautical miles south of Galveston, Texas. The dispersant was highly effective in dispersing this heavy fuel oil. Efficacy was based on the fact that only 1.5 barrels of oil washed up on the beach in the form of tarballs a week later. No reports of oiled birds or wildlife related to the incident were received. The pre-authorization limits of the Regional Response Team (RRT) Region VI On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) Pre-Approved Dispersant Use Manual were outdated; COREXIT®9500 was placed on the National Contingency Plan (NCP) Product Schedule list of approved dispersants after the manual was written. COREXIT®9500 enables dispersal of heavier products than those originally considered by the RRT. The specific gravity of IFO 180 is 0.988 while the OSC Pre-Approved Dispersant Use Manual considered 0.953 an upper limit. The dispersant was applied outside the 6-hour time limit because an overflight showed little to no emulsification of the oil because of calm weather conditions. Although current conditions were calm, thunderstorms were expected to develop in the area that would provide the mixing action needed to enhance dispersal. The Unified Command considered this dispersant application a “cautious success.” The small amount of oil that reached the beach and the absence of oiled birds support a statement of success but, because of time limitations, Tier II SMART (Specialized Monitoring of Applied Response Technologies) data were not obtained to substantiate this conclusion.

Following this case, RRT Region VI convened a committee to review the Pre-Approved Dispersant Use Manual, to evaluate whether the pre-approved protocols were still relevant, and to develop changes to the Pre-Approved Dispersant Use Manual if needed for consideration and approval by the RRT. At its January 2000 meeting, RRT Region VI approved several short-term changes to the manual and authorized continued work on several mid- and long-term revisions. These changes not only give the OSC more flexibility in choosing the right dispersant tools, but also give greater requirements to document dispersant operations.
THE INTERNATIONAL COMPENSATION SYSTEM IN A PERIOD OF TRANSFORMATION
Authors: Jacobsson Måns
Published: January 2013

Two international treaties elaborated under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)—the 1969 International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (1969 Civil Liability Convention) and the 1971 International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage (1971 Fund Convention)—established the international regime of compensation. These Conventions were revised by Protocols in 1992, and the revised Conventions, known as the 1992 Conventions, are intended to replace the original ones. The Civil Liability Conventions govern the liability of the shipowner, whereas the Fund Conventions provide for supplementary compensation through two intergovernmental organizations, the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds, financed by a levy on oil receipts in Member nations.

A number of nations has ratified the 1992 Conventions and denounced the original 1969/1971 Conventions, but a number of other nations has not yet done so. After the denunciation by a number of nations whose oil industries are major contributors to the system, the old regime soon will be reaching a point where it is no longer financially viable. It is therefore important that the 1971 Fund Convention be terminated as soon as possible. It is likely that the maximum amount of compensation available under the 1992 Conventions (at present some US$180 million) will increase to some US$270 million as of November 1, 2003.

In view of the experience of recent major incidents, the question has been raised as to whether the 1992 Conventions should be reassessed to ensure that the international regime continues to meet the needs of society.
OIL SPILL MODELING FOR CONTINGENCY PLANNING AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND EXAMPLE APPLICATION FOR FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT
Authors: McCay Deborah P. French , Jones Mark A. , Coakley Louis
Published: January 2013

Important questions that are asked by spill responders as well as those assessing potential impacts are: (I) What is the probability of oiling, above a threshold of concern, for each location near a potential spill site? (2) How soon will oil reach each site of concern? (3) How much oil contamination is expected (on average and worst case)? (4) Is there a potential for impacting biological resources with this oil? Using Applied Science Associates, Inc.'s (ASA) oil spill model (Spill Impact Assessment Package, SIMAP) in stochastic mode, these questions were evaluated for Florida Power & Light (FPL) for a variety of oil types and spill volumes, and for each of FPL's plants and terminals. The model was run many times, randomizing the start time over decade-long wind records. The model evaluates surface oil, shoreline oil, subsurface oil, and low molecular weight aromatics (the most toxic fraction of the oil). Both the mean and worst case exposure thickness/concentration are evaluated. The output includes contour maps, which may be interrogated (with the user interface) to determine the conditions under which worst case oiling occurs. The contours are overlaid on resource maps, showing where resources are most at risk and where protection would be most beneficial.

FPL uses SIMAP for contingency planning, drills, spill response, and evaluation of fates and impacts of spills. ASA has developed databases for use in the model for the locations around each of FPL's plants and terminals. These data include shore and habitat type mapping, locations of sensitive resources, and current data sets generated by ASA's hydrodynamic model.

The stochastic model may be used as a contingency planning tool or as a component of the ecological risk assessment process. It determines the range of distances and directions oil spills are likely to travel from a particular site, given wind and current data for the area. Practical uses for this information include the determination of which kinds of response equipment should be used in a particular area and where the equipment should be placed to be most effective, what areas are most at risk from possible spills at a specific location, and the expected magnitude of impacts.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF OIL SPILL RESPONSE OPTIONS: A NOAA-U.S. NAVY JOINT PROJECT
Authors: Barker Christopher H. , Healy William P.
Published: January 2013

The U.S. Navy is in the process of re-evaluating its oil spill response preparedness. As part of that effort, the Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have teamed up to continue development of a tool designed to help planners assess their response effectiveness: the Trajectory Analysis Planner (TAP).

TAP is an interface to a database of thousands of modeled oil spill trajectories, an ensemble of trajectories that represent the population of all possible spills. The TAP interface helps response planners understand characteristics of the possible oil spills in a given region. With this understanding, they can not only plan for one or a few possible high-impact events, but can determine the best overall plan for many events, across a large spectrum of probabilities and levels of impact.

This paper is the result of the joint NOAA-Navy project to extend the capabilities of TAP. The capabilities and interface of the current version of the program (TAP II) are presented, along with some of its limitations. The need and direction of the development of a new version (TAP III) that will address some of these limitations is discussed. This future approach will allow planners to assess how different response options are likely to influence the ultimate impact of an oil spill in a region.
RESPONDING TO THE BIG SPILL OF 20111
Authors: Lehr Bill , Goodman Ron
Published: January 2013

The authors use a hypothetical spill incident 10 years in the future to examine the possible advances of spill response technology. The status of remote sensing at present, as well as its capabilities a decade hence, are discussed. The authors examine spill communication improvements, speculate on the use of the Internet to disseminate spill information, and examine electronic database systems for slick management. Progress in effectively using alternative cleanup strategies such as in situ burning and dispersants are reviewed, along with some of the likely impediments to their use in spills of 2011. Spill trajectory and behavior forecasting techniques of tomorrow are discussed in light of the expected continuing advance in computer technology. The authors review the likelihood that these new capabilities would actually be implemented. The resulting picture is a mixed one. Possible positive and negative scenarios are described.
WHATCOM CREEK STREAM REMEDIATION FOLLOWING A GASOLINE SPILL
Authors: Owens Edward H. , Reiter Gary A. , Challenger Gregory E.
Published: January 2013

The gasoline release, explosion, and fire that resulted from the Olympic Pipe Line rupture on June 10, 1999 in Bellingham, Washington affected approximately 5 km of the Whatcom Creek system. One component of the response program involved remediation of the affected streambed sections. An initial interagency streambed survey provided information that was used to develop the remediation strategy. The project was carried out between July 6 and August 16, 1999 using a combination of mechanical, manual, and hydraulic in situ treatment techniques to remove product from the streambed and stream banks, as well as a series of controlled, hydraulic flushes that were effected by opening the sluice or control gates at the head of Whatcom Creek each night. Additional larger flushes were implemented prior to, and on completion of, the treatment operations. A water and sediment sampling program supported the field operations. The results of analyses performed on these samples provided data on the initial stream water and stream sediment conditions, and on the effects of the various remediation activities in different sections of the stream system.
AN OVERVIEW OF ALASKA CLEAN SEAS' PUBLIC OUTREACH PROGRAMS
Authors: Majors Lee
Published: January 2013

Alaska Clean Seas (ACS) participates in several programs involving the local schools, communities, and regulatory agencies. The programs range from short-term 2-day training sessions to longer-term industry training or internships. They provide both classroom and hands-on training opportunities. Personnel participating in these programs may be used to supplement daily ACS activities when needed and can be included on the list of trained personnel in planning for a major event.

The programs work both ways. Not only do they assist in educating the communities and agencies, but they also provide an insight to ACS of the communities' concerns. They also open a means for effective communications both before and in the event of an incident.

In the event of a major oil spill, public interaction is required to keep people informed of response efforts. Alaska Clean Seas' public outreach programs provide the education on the considerations, methods, and tactics utilized during a spill. Providing this information and training prior to a spill can be of extreme assistance during an actual spill event.
FIELD OBSERVER TRAINING FOR OIL SPILL RESPONSE
Authors: Hall Christopher J. , McFarland Barry A.
Published: January 2013

Spill prevention is working. The United States is experiencing fewer and fewer spills and the spills that do occur have involved smaller volumes (USCG, 1999). This fact is an overwhelming positive. There is, however, one area where this gain can be seen as a minor setback for oil spill response preparedness. Fewer spills means less experience, fewer people who have responded to a spill, and fewer yet that have practical experience in making the critically important interpretations of what is observed in the field during an actual event. For this reason, training of the field observer is an increasingly important area of response preparation. The single most difficult aspect of field training is the lack of an actual oil spill. This paper explores some of the challenges of training field observers as well as sharing some of the successes. The emphasis is on training of aerial observers and shoreline assessment teams. The poster session will present photos, training aids, and response kits from several realistic courses, including those highlighted below.
NET ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS ANALYSIS TO EVALUATE MITIGATION ALTERNATIVES FOR A PIPELINE SITING
Authors: Kealy Mary Jo , Rockel Mark L. , Nicolette Joseph P.
Published: January 2013

A net environmental benefits analysis (NEBA) approach offers a powerful set of tools for rigorously evaluating and comparing the natural resource benefits of alternative mitigation, restoration, enhancement, and preservation actions for compensating for natural resource damages, site remediation and pipeline-siting projects, for example. Combining the results of the NEBA with an assessment of the costs of the alternative measures shows which alternative(s) achieve a net environmental benefit at least cost. NEBA uses environmental or monetary metrics to measure the change in the value of ecological services from the site under alternative actions compared to the baseline condition. This presentation describes a NEBA application to a pipeline-siting project. The approach is equivalent to evaluating compensatory restoration as part of a natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). For example, under NRDA, a habitat equivalency analysis (HEA) model almost always is used in a two-sided NEBA, which sums the negative environmental benefits—interim losses—that result from the oil spill injury on the debit side and compares to the sum of the positive environmental benefits due to the compensatory restoration actions on the credit side. Most reports prepared as part of NRDAs are confidential. However, the NEBA used in the present pipeline-siting example is equivalent to how it has been applied in NRDA applications including two oil spills involving pipelines, the Colonial Pipeline Sugarland Run NRDA and the Colonial/Texaco Pipeline San Jacinto River Oil Spill. The present pipeline-siting example uses NEBA to determine the quantity of quality-adjusted acres of forested wetland that are needed to offset a loss in forested wetland acreage because of the construction and operation of the proposed pipeline.
Command, Control, Response and Preparedness – New Issues, New Problems, Proven Solutions
Authors: Plourde Kristy , Foresman Lee
Published: January 2013

Since the enactment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA ’90), the National Response System (NRS) preparedness program has been responsible for the steady evolution and improvement in the response readiness of the “community as a whole” – Area (local), Regional and National. While the direct impact that any one specific component of the NRS preparedness programs have had on the response to a spill may be difficult to evaluate, local response communities and plan holders continue to attest to the value of preparedness in improving their response capabilities. The M/V KURE Spill in Eureka, California in September 1996 is another example of the value of the current Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP). Key government and industry stakeholders exercised only three months before the spill and were able to quickly come together to respond to this incident. In the aftermath of 9/11/01, the NRS is again facing the challenge of having to make significant changes to response management processes in response to the increased likelihood of a Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) incident requiring the implementation of the National Contingency Plan (NCP). While the tactical response of how oil, hazardous materials, and other pollutants are contained, recovered, and stored/disposed of remains the same (i.e. a response is a response) – the NRS is faced with the addition of new players with input into, and participation in overall (strategy development) response management development, and changes in how some response tactics are implemented. The NRS preparedness programs are proven approaches for improving local readiness and assisting the NRS in adapting to the changes in response management brought on by OPA ‘90. If it can do it for one change, why shouldn't it be used to support the development of changes needed after 9/11?
Tactical Action Planning for Pipelines
Authors: Castle Robert W. , Malamma Kevin , Barry David C.
Published: January 2013

Contemporary Oil Spill Contingency Planning commonly focuses on notification procedures and organizational issues. Specific pre-planning for the physical response to specific oil properties, local geography, and environmental conditions is frequently neglected. The tactical action planning concepts presented in this paper address these issues by carefully examining the characteristics of specific oils under the spectrum of ambient conditions, the physical properties of the potentially impacted area, probable spill movement, and the presence of sensitive resources. These concepts also address the availability of response equipment and those techniques that will perform under the conditions encountered. Field surveys are then conducted to identify and catalogue specific control sites where initial response actions may be appropriate. Surveys include taking digital photographs of the area and collecting GPS coordinates of response locations. The resultant plans will facilitate the initial response to releases anywhere along the subject pipeline. Data and recommendations are organized in the form of a hard-copy manual consisting of maps, tables, and illustrated instructions. Data files, interactive mapping software, and data management software are also provided on CD. A software component allows the planning effort to be used during drills and exercises, as well as for emergency response management.
Evaluation of Volume and Performance of a Free Phase Recovery System in an Oil Spill – Case Study of an Accident in Araucária, Brazil
Authors: Luna Caicedo Nelson Oswaldo , Bastos Neto Artur Cezar , Finotti Alexandra , Melo Clarissa Lovato
Published: January 2013

On July 16, 2000, about 4000 m3 of crude oil were spilled in a pipeline accident at the REPAR Refinery in Brazil, reaching part of the refinery area and the banks of the Barigui and Iguaçu rivers. An Oil Recovery and Cleanup Action Plan was conducted as a cooperative action between PETROBRAS and the Federal and State environmental agencies. One of the areas which suffered the most impact was Ponto Zero, right behind the pipeline failure site, where there was a lot of time for infiltration. Thus, a large amount of oil infiltrated and a free phase was formed for the oil. An estimate of the free phase volume from fluid levels in monitoring wells was conducted using the method of Lenhard and Parker (1990), on two occasions during the recovery action plan, the first in October 2000 right after the oil spill with a value of 43m3, the second in August 2001, after constructing the hydraulic structures to recover the infiltrated crude oil, at a value of 5.5 m3. The recovery system consisted mainly of closed trenches with well-sorted gravel to control the groundwater level and conduct the oil and water collected to a separator system. This recovery system was very efficient (about 87% in one year of operation), at a relatively low implementation and operation cost.
Guanabara Bay Oil Spill 2000, Brazil – Cetacean Response
Authors: Short Michael Kirwan John
Published: January 2013

On the 18th January 2000 a broken pipeline owned and operated by the oil company Petrobras spilt some 1300 tonne of bunker fuel into Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro. The wildlife response was divided amongst 2 operational strategies and included – avian fauna and cetaceans. This paper deals with the cetacean response only. Cetaceans are generally not considered as an important feature of an oil spill response. Contingency planning for cetaceans in oil spills is now becoming an important element for preparedness for some countries. The cetacean response in Guanabara Bay specifically targeted a pod of about 70 members of the species Sotalia fluviatilis, a small dolphin that inhabits the bay. The response included the development of a plan that included a response system, a monitoring program and action plans. The response system detailed the mechanism for the plan to work and adopted the incident control management system. The monitoring program related to the study of any short term or long term deleterious effects resulting from the spill and consisted of basic spatial, temporal and behavioural studies. Action plans were developed specific to the character of Guanabara Bay and included the rescue and rehabilitation strategies necessary to respond to oil affected cetaceans. A training program was then developed and implemented to personnel who were to enact the cetacean response.
Oil Spills in a Tropical Country – Brazilian Case Studies
Authors: Gabardo I.T. , Carneiro M.E.R. , Falcão L.V. , Meniconi M.F.G. , Barband S.M. , Platte E. B.
Published: January 2013

Faced with the latest experiences on Brazilian oil spill incidents, Petrobras has been trying to overcome many challenges in environmental management and operational safety, aiming to prevent environmental risks. This paper presents the oil characterizations and monitoring studies in affected ecosystems such as the hot spots on soils affected by the Iguassu River oil spill (occurred in July 2000, due to a pipeline rupture in the scraper area of REPAR, a Petrobras refinery located in the state of Parana), by the Vessel Vergina II oil spill in São Sebastião channel (located in the state of São Paulo, occurred in November 2000) and lastly, the Guanabara Bay oil spill (a pipeline rupture that occurred in January 2000, due to a pipeline rupture between oil terminal and REDUC, a Petrobras refinery located in the state of Rio de Janeiro). Chemical analysis were performed in different sample matrixes including many parameters such as total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), aliphatic compounds (n-alkanes), unresolved complex mixtures (UCM), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), terpanes and steranes, that are the parameters usually monitored after a spill oil. Visual inspections were also performed mainly in Guanabara Bay in order to identify the affected ecosystems by the spilled oil and to plot maps of classified regions based on the level of visual oil contamination. The acute toxicity was evaluated in water soluble fraction (WSF) of the spilled oils using ecotoxicological tests.
International Standards for Responders1
Authors: Gair Stuart , Salt David
Published: January 2013

Effective spill response requires trained and competent people, but how do we assess the competence of staff involved in the operation? Within the oil spill response industry there are few systems which assess the competence of staff to undertake their roles. Suitability is often left to the discretion of the response contractor, based on the provision of training but training does not guarantee competence. Therefore as an industry, when using response contractors, does the organisation using the services of the clean-up contractor really know that the team is competent to accomplish the job and are they getting value for money? The terminology used to describe the roles of members in a response team is not common, having a different interpretation in each country. In many cases it is better to describe the competency for the job rather than the use a post title. These are the questions that the OSRL / EARL Alliance have been answering over the past year. A solution has been achieved by developing a Competency Matrix / Database. Through the use of this database we have been able to gain many useful outputs such as personnel development plans, training needs and most importantly a measure of staff competence. By having the ability to measure staff competence, we are now able to demonstrate the level of competence that our response staff require to complete the different tasks required in a spill response. It is important that the industry has confidence the response to the spill is being conducted in the most effective manner and that safety, quality and efficiency are not being compromised at any time. This paper will describe how a system of competency management can ensure that competence is assessed and measured and thus benchmarks and standards can be set for the whole industry.
Entrainment of Oil from Oil Spills into the Water Column: A New Theory
Authors: Dunnewind B. , Bos M.A. , Koops W.
Published: January 2013

Dispersion of oil into the water column is one of the oil spill response options. Under certain circumstances natural dispersion may be efficient enough. In other situations dispersant may be added to improve the dispersion efficiency. An empirical model for natural dispersion, based on laboratory results of Delvigne and Sweeney (1988), has been used for many years now, to estimate the entrainment of oil in the water column. That model, however, does not include surface rheological properties and, hence, is not sufficient to describe both natural and chemical dispersion. In the present paper we propose a new approach based on theory on emulsification processes as occurring in homogenizers. This approach includes all relevant physical characteristics of water and oil and their interface and of the turbulence of breaking waves. The deformation of oil droplets in the turbulent flow, the adsorption of surface active material to the surface of oil droplets, the encounter between oil droplets and the eddies of the turbulent flow were each described in a characteristic time. This characteristic time gives an indication of the time needed for the process to proceed. The ratios between the characteristic times of the different processes determine to what extent droplets can be broken-up. Maximum and minimum droplet sizes were estimated, from which a droplet size distribution was calculated. From the size distribution the percentage of the oil that would be present in droplets smaller than 100 μm, was estimated. The results show similarities with observations from practice. A large influence of the wave height, interfacial tension and oil viscosity was noticed. Therefore, this new approach may form the basis for a new oil spill dispersion model.
Use of in Situ Burning at a Diesel Spill in Wetlands and Salt Flats, Northern Utah, U.S.A: Remediation Operations and 1.5 Years of Post-Burn Monitoring
Authors: Williams Galen W. , Gondek Robert , Allen Alan A. , Michel Jacqueline
Published: January 2013

On 21 January 2000, a release of an estimated 100 barrels of diesel was reported from a product transportation pipeline north of Great Salt Lake in Utah. During the next few days, due to weather related conditions (freeze/thaw periods and wind), the product spread over 38 acres of salt flat and wetlands. Initial oil containment efforts were successful in reducing the risk of oil impacts to natural resources in a nearby national migratory bird refuge, but the risk remained to migratory waterfowl that were expected to arrive at the impacted wetland within approximately 6 weeks. As a result, in situ burning was proposed to remove the free-phase diesel and destroy the hydrocarbon-impacted vegetation. Upon approval of a Site Remediation Plan and Fire Management Plan, a Heli-Torch was used on 10 March, 2000 to burn the most-highly impacted 12.8 acres. The following month (late-April), 3.2 acres of remaining lightly oiled vegetation were burned using drip torches and propane wands. It was estimated that 75–80% of the spilled diesel was burned in these operations. Because burning of the free-phase hydrocarbons and impacted vegetation would not remove product that had penetrated into the soils, bioremediation techniques were subsequently implemented, in order to further reduce hydrocarbon levels in the soil and attain the regulatory cleanup level of 20 mg/kg total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
NOAA's Response to the Jessica Oil Spill in the Galapagos Archipelago
Authors: Henry Charlie , Levine Ed
Published: January 2013

During the night of 16 January 2001, the 260-foot tanker, Jessica, grounded on a reef at the entrance to Wreak Bay on the island of San Cristobal. Ironically, the site of the grounding was very near where Darwin first stepped ashore in 1835. Ecuador, realizing the threat posed by spilling more than 240,000 gallons of diesel and intermediate fuel oil, declared a state of emergency and made a request for assistance. NOAA immediately sent spill response and environmental experts as part of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) response effort to the remote islands. The Galapagos Islands are composed of shorelines not atypical of those NOAA has responded to in the past, but the unique wildlife, including many species found only in the Galapagos Islands, made this response different. This paper documents the USCG-NOAA mission, provides and overview of the incident response, an estimated oil mass balance, and the NOAA HAZMAT AWAY Team - HOME Team concept.
Development of a Composition Database for Selected Multicomponent Oils
Authors: Wang Zhendi , Hollebone B. , Fingas M. , Sigouin L. , Fieldhouse B. , Landriault M. , Thouin G. , Noonan J. , Weaver J.
Published: January 2013

Multicomponent composition and corresponding physical properties data of crude oils and petroleum products are needed as input to environmental fate simulations. Complete sets of such data, however, are not available in the literature due to the complexity and expense of making the measurements. Environment Canada has previously developed a database of various physical and chemical properties of crude oils and petroleum products. In this cooperative project, ten “typical” crude oils and refined products in common use or transport were identified for subsequent characterization. Measured oil physical properties include API gravity, density, sulphur content, water content, flash point, pour point, viscosity, surface and interfacial tension, adhesion, the equation for predicting evaporation, emulsion formation, and simulated boiling point distribution. The chemical composition of the oils are quantified for hydrocarbon groups, volatile organic compounds, n-alkane distribution, distribution of alkylated polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) homologues and other EPA priority PAHs, and biomarker concentrations. This project will provide the most complete and comprehensive database for the selected oils to date. The new composition data will be integrated into the existing Environment Canada oil properties database. The results will be made available to the public both on the world wide web and as a database on disc.
Treatment and Cleanup Standards: The Development of End-Point Criteria for Oil Spills
Authors: Owens Edward H. , Sergy Gary A.
Published: January 2013

Every oil spill response operation has an end point when treatment or cleanup is stopped. How an end point is reached involves unique decisions that reflect the individuality of each spill incident. Factors involved in the decision process include assessments of the probable environmental and socioeconomic effects of the spill, the rate of natural recovery, the effects of the various treatment or cleanup options, and the effects of increasingly more stringent criteria or standards. Other factors that influence the decision process include the roles and responsibilities of the interested parties and the perceptions of the public sector. The establishment of end-point criteria is an essential step at the outset of a spill response in order to provide a foundation for selecting appropriate treatment or cleanup strategies and tactics and for planning operations activities and logistic support. A variety of techniques can be applied to measure treatment or cleanup end points, and typically these are qualitative rather than quantitative measurements. Field analytical techniques that define the presence or absence of hydrocarbons can be used to measure a treatment end point, but this approach can be complicated if other hydrocarbon sources are present in the affected area. Chemical and toxicological data may be appropriate for damage assessment studies but it may well be impractical, or even illogical, to expect that analytical techniques can provide accurate and timely assessments for measuring the treatment or cleanup end point in all circumstances.
Changes in the Use of Incident Command System in the U.S. Coast Guard1
Authors: Plourde Kristy , Deal Tim , Lincoln Doug
Published: January 2013

Incident Command System (ICS) is a proven multi-contingency response management system that is flexible and provides improved interoperability with other organizations. The U.S. Coast Guard adopted the use of ICS in oil spill responses well before 2001, but the U.S. Coast Guard announced and published is implementation plan for use of ICS Coast Guard-wide in February 2001. This paper will discuss how the U.S. Coast Guard has been moving forward with a phased ICS implementation program and will discuss some of the new tools that have been established. In the Atlantic and Pacific regions, the U.S. Coast Guard has established Incident Management Assist Teams (IMATs), which are a group of trained and experienced personnel who exercise and deploy as a team. These IMATs have been developed to support local U.S. Coast Guard Incident Commanders in their response organization on large incidents. The U.S. Coast Guard has begun work on an ICS qualification system with Position Task Books (PTBs), qualification tracking, and instructor qualifications and continues to move forward with ICS training programs. The U.S. Coast Guard published the Incident Management Handbook (IMH) in April 2001. This handbook incorporated the oil spill Field Operations Guide (FOG) and included information for other types of incidents including Hazardous Materials, Terrorism, and Search and Rescue. The U.S. Coast Guard has also published job aids to help personnel in specific ICS positions. While the U.S. Coast Guard recognizes that implementation of ICS in its organization will take some time, it continues to move forward. This will only improve the way the U.S. Coast Guard responds to incidents.