bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling Biodegradation of Subsurface Oil in Sand Beaches Polluted with Oil
Authors: Geng Xiaolong , Boufadel Michel C.
Published: August 2014

In April 2010, the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) drilling platform led to the release of nearly 4.9 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The oil was brought to the supratidal zone of beaches (landward of the high tide line) by waves during storms, and was buried during subsequent storms. The objective of this paper is to investigate the biodegradation of subsurface oil in a tidally influenced sand beach located at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and polluted by the DWH oil spill. Two transects were installed perpendicular to the shoreline within the supratidal zone of the beach. One transect had four galvanized steel piezometer wells to measure the water level. The other transect had four stainless steel multiport sampling wells that were used to collect pore water samples below the beach surface. The samples were analyzed for dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrogen, and redox conditions. Sediment samples were also collected at different depths to measure residual oil concentrations and microbial biomass. As the biodegradation of hydrocarbons was of interest, a biological model based on Monod kinetics was developed and coupled to the transport model MARUN, which is a two dimensional (vertical slice) finite element model for water flow and solute transport in tidally influenced beaches. The resulting coupled model, BIOMARUN, was used to simulate the biodegradation of total n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) trapped as residual oil in the unsaturated zone. Model parameter estimates were constrained by published Monod kinetics parameters. The field measurements, such as the concentrations of the oil, microbial biomass, nitrogen, and DO, were used as inputs for the simulations. The biodegradation of alkanes and PAHs was predicted in the simulation, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the effect of the model parameters on the modeling results. Simulation results indicated that n-alkanes and PAHs would be biodegraded by 80% after 2 ± 0.5 years and 3.5 ± 0.5 years, respectively.
Stakeholder Engagement and Survey Tools for Oil Spill Response Options
Authors: Walker Ann Hayward , Bostrom Ann
Published: August 2014

Oil spill stakeholders, including decision makers and other groups, have expressed concerns about and questioned the use of dispersants and other non-mechanical response options for years. Concerns in past decades were primarily ecological, but during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill some individuals and communities in the Gulf of Mexico states also articulated perceptions of public health risks associated with the use of dispersants. Effective risk communication is essential to manage the potential risks associated with oil spills. Stakeholders concerned about risks want or need information in the form of communications products, such as guides or briefs. Because people process new information within the context of their existing beliefs, such communication products are likely to be more effective and useful for their intended audiences if they are designed to: (1) take into account the communication recipients' existing beliefs; and (2) directly address the decisions/judgments faced by recipients by providing them with the information they want and need to make those decisions. Stakeholder engagement is essential to learn about risk perceptions, to learn about what information stakeholders want and need to make decisions effectively, and to develop communication products to that end.

This paper builds upon a mental models approach to dispersant risk communications research from the 1990s. It describes and presents results from an industry-government collaborative project to develop risk-based tools designed to communicate the subject of dispersants to local level stakeholders among others. This project includes an expanded science-informed dispersant decision model, two stakeholder open houses, and two surveys (interactive and online) to gather data-driven insights about local stakeholder knowledge and understanding of dispersants, as well as their perceptions of the risks and benefits associated with dispersant use during a spill in relation to other response options. The surveys were distributed at two open houses for local stakeholders on the Eastern Shore of Virginia (Wallops Is.) and the Pacific Northwest (Port Townsend, WA). Both open houses were co-sponsored with USCG-led Area Committees. The Virginia workshop was also co-sponsored by The Nature Conservancy and the Virginia Shore Keeper. It is expected that the surveys may be incorporated into future meetings and open houses involving stakeholders at any level, e.g., local, state, regional or national. The data from the surveys can guide the improvement of future communication efforts about dispersants, as well as provide support for enhanced stakeholder engagement during preparedness and response.
DEVELOPMENTS IN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND NATIONAL PLANNING IN THE CASPIAN SEA AND BLACK SEA
Authors: TAYLOR Peter Mark , SCHNEIDER Nina , HUNTZINGER Emmanuel , CHARLEBOIS Patricia
Published: August 2014

The Caspian Sea and Black Sea regions have witnessed a growth in oil exploration, production and transportation activities, over a period of more than 15 years. Significant quantities of Caspian Sea region crude oil are shipped via Black Sea ports to markets in Europe. This development of the oil and shipping industries has brought a focus on ensuring an appropriate level of oil spill preparedness. Working under the umbrella of the ‘Global Initiative’ (GI) programme, the international community continues to support governments' efforts to build and implement national and regional systems to ensure effective response to major incidents.

Recent progress in the Caspian Sea is described, notably the signing in 2011 by the five countries surrounding the Caspian Sea (the littoral States) of a regional agreement for co-operation in case of major oil spills - the so-called ‘Aktau Protocol’ to the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (“Tehran Convention”). This Protocol is expected to enter into force in 2014 and will provide the legal basis for co-operation between the countries. A regional plan under the Protocol is in final draft and will provide the operational tool for implementation of regional cooperation and coordination procedures. The draft regional plan will be described, including its alignment to the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC) and the promotion of integrated response between governments and industry.

National oil spill contingency plans provide the fundamental building blocks for the regional co-operation mechanism. Information will be presented on the recent developments concerning two national plans in the Caspian Sea, i.e. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. The role of international organizations and the oil industry in supporting the respective government's development of these plans and the opportunities available to assist their implementation is discussed.

The on-going biennial Black Sea regional exercise activity is used to illustrate how such a programme facilitates and encourages sustainable oil spill preparedness at the regional level. Information will be presented concerning the 2011 exercise, the key lessons learned and potential developments of the exercise programme in the future.
Development and properties of a new oil binding system for marine application
Authors: Unbehaun Holger , Hieronymus Till , Tech Sören , Wagenführ André
Published: August 2014

Traditional marine oil response technology is based on ship borne techniques with oil/water separation by skimmer. These systems are very sensitive to weather conditions and have a long response time. Furthermore, conventional solid binder systems are unsuitable for marine application.

Within the research project BIOBIND, a new binder system for marine application was developed and evaluated. The oil binders are made of biogenic and biodegradable wood-fiber, which cause only a small environmental impact and are very cost-efficient. They show a high porosity of 85 %, a high oil absorption capacity of approx. 600 kg m−3 (especially for thin oil films down to 0.03 mm), and a high retention capacity for oil. On the water surface, these binders achieve an oil recovery rate of 80 % with a coverage dosage of 11 %. Having a square geometry of 50 x 50 mm and a thickness of 4 mm, the binder has superior properties for manufacturing, storage, oil adsorption and recovery. The binder system was produced in industrial scale and tested during a large scale field experiment at the Baltic Sea in the summer of 2013. Its binding capacity and flotation ability were evaluated in mesocosm tests. Because of its hydrophobic properties, the binder floated for more than 8 days. Experiments of airborne application, monitoring, and ship borne recovery confirmed the suitability of the binder system. Due to airborne distribution, the binder system is also suitable for application during bad weather conditions and on shallow water territories.

The paper describes the development of a solid oil binding system suitable for new marine application and presents the results of laboratory scale, mesocosm and field experiments.
Oiled wildlife response for Antarctica: Practical and realistic solutions
Authors: Short Michael
Published: August 2014

Through the Antarctic Treaty on Environmental Protection all of the Antarctic member nations are required to have in place contingency plans for oil spills including oiled wildlife response. The current risks for marine pollution incidents to the Antarctic environment include refuelling activities associated with Antarctic stations/bases; routine station/base activities; and shipping associated with stations/bases, tourism, commercial fishing and whaling. Between 1981 and 2011 there have been reported 33 spills or near spill incidents associated with the Antarctic marine environment. Wildlife at risk from oil spills include seabirds (flying birds and penguins), pinnipeds and cetaceans. Antarctic and polar environments both provide a number of logistical and practical complications given their climatic and geographic character. The key elements for response actions for Antarctic wildlife identified are divided amongst primary, secondary and tertiary oiled wildlife response activities. Primary activities identified include focussing containment and clean up efforts to protecting wildlife as a priority using tools such as sensitivity mapping, stochastic and real time modelling. Secondary activities specific to individual wildlife groups were identified and included specialised hazing, exclusion and pre-emptive capture mechanisms focussed to the Antarctic environment. Tertiary activities are considered with regards to the real capacity of Antarctic stations to respond, take and rehabilitate oiled wildlife given the Antarctic environment and its limitations. The paper identifies realistic mechanisms and systems considering the climatic, logistical and practical issues of the Antarctic environment. Although specific to Antarctic bases the paper outcomes can be equally applied to other polar environments.
Understanding the Keys to Effective Information Management and Situation Display During a Pollution Response
Authors: Bodnar Jill , Jacobi Michele , Bock Ed , Doucette Eric , Muskat Judd , Barr Todd
Published: August 2014

As technology and access to information increases, so do the expectations by leadership and the public for the highest quality and most current information during a pollution response (USCG, 2010). This demand is essential to the incident's decision-making process and for situational awareness (USCG, 2010, 2011a). The influx of response data generated must be met by savvy teams of information managers who can provide this need in a timely, efficient manner. This process is further complicated by the relationship between government and industry responders, both of whom often have different information management requirements yet need to work cooperatively with the same data (USCG, 2011b).

In this paper, information management common themes, successes, and failure points from three case studies including the M/V Cosco Busan oil spill, the Hurricane Sandy pollution response, and the U.S./Canada CANUSLANT oil spill exercise are discussed. Although these incidents and exercise have significant operational differences, the need for efficient dissemination of quality information remains the same.
Mobile GIS and Real-Time Data Display in a Common Operating Picture
Authors: Milanes Andrew , Stevens Mark , Alford David
Published: August 2014

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has become an integral component to the data management, analysis, and presentation needs during an emergency response. GIS allows for the rapid integration of multiple data sets and is a tool utilized throughout the Incident Command System to aid in timely, informed decision making. Advances in mobile and hand-held devices, such as smart-phones, tablets and GPSs have provided new capabilities in field GIS data collection and dissemination. In addition to GIS data, live streaming data feeds, such as vessel Automatic Identification System (AIS) and video from remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), have become increasingly important to situational awareness. Prompt broadcasting of this data in a Common Operating Picture (COP) framework has become critical as the demand for real-time incident information increases.
Comparison and Assessment of Waste Generated during Oil Spills
Authors: Wadsworth Tim
Published: August 2014

Experience has shown that the most time-consuming and costly component of a response to an oil spill is often the treatment or disposal of collected waste. The amount of waste generated is dependent on many factors, some which may be controlled more readily during the response.

This paper analyses a number of important incidents as a result of which spilled oil affected shoreline resources with significant resultant clean-up effort. Spills of crude oil and of heavy fuel oil carried as cargo in tankers are reviewed to determine the types and volumes of waste generated and the clean-up methods undertaken to generate that waste. A comparison of the incidents will allow the most effective response methods to be determined, to show the techniques that generated the least volumes of waste. Data from DEEPWATER HORIZON is included to allow a discussion of the associated response.

To achieve a practical comparison, the amount of waste is balanced against the amount of oil spilled to determine the oil:waste ratio. This ratio has evolved over many years into a long held guideline, used often for the purpose of contingency planning, that the amount of waste generated during an incident is approximately ten times the amount of oil spilled. This paper shows that with appropriate response actions, the guideline can be upheld.
Contamination and Recovery of Commercially-Reared Mussels Exposed to Diesel Fuel from a Sunken Fishing Vessel
Authors: Mearns Alan J. , Shigenaka Gary , Meyer Buffy , Drury Alice
Published: August 2014

Following the sinking of a derelict fishing vessel near a commercial mussel farm in Penn Cove, Washington, mussels ((Mytilus trossulus), suspended 1-3 m below the sea surface, were sampled to determine if they were contaminated with diesel fuel and if so, how long it took for the contamination to depurate. Composite mussel samples were collected from 6 culture floats and two intertidal beach stations on four occasions and analyzed for 43 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH43), and a suite of alkanes and petroleum biomarkers. Mussel mean total PAH43 concentrations in μ/kg (parts per billion, ppb) dry weight (dw), declined from 6462 on day 5; to 4574 on day 51; 2615 on day 186; and 1097 one year later. A market sample from the same commercial operation collected January, 2012 and analyzed by the Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratory had a value of 839 ppb dw for the sum of 42 PAHs. The affected mussels required between 6 and 12 months to return to this total PAH concentration putative background. The whole-soft tissue total PAH43 half-life was about 5 months, far longer than the days or few weeks expected based on past literature. During the incident the commercial mussel grower voluntarily shut-down harvest, and on May 15, the Washington Department of Health (WA DOH) closed all of Penn Cove to both commercial and recreational harvest. Although individual PAH concentrations never exceeded thresholds for human consumption, samples did not initially pass sensory testing. The Penn Cove commercial and recreational harvesting was subsequently re-opened in stages to give the shellfish time to depurate and return to an untainted state. Additionally, all the concentrations of total PAHs measured in Penn Cove float and shoreline mussels during this study were within the range of concentrations reported in mussels from other monitoring sites in Puget Sound and other marine coastal areas of Washington. This relatively simple but sustained monitoring effort showed that submerged as well as inter-tidal bivalves can be contaminated by a nearby diesel spill, and that recovery may take longer than generally expected.
OIL CONTAMINATION IN THE NIGER DELTA
Authors: PÅLSSON JONAS , LINDÉN OLOF
Published: August 2014

Oil spills in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria has occurred frequently since oil extraction started in the 1950's. The oil spills originates from facilities and pipelines, leaks from ageing and abandoned infrastructure and from spills during transport and artisanal refining of stolen oil under primitive conditions. It is estimated that spills in Nigeria amount to 100 000 to 200 000 tons per year and have been doing so for almost 60 years. While a number of reports have been written about the Niger Delta and the civil unrest in this area during the last decades, very few scientific reports with actual data regarding the extent of the contamination has been published. This paper describes the contamination of sediments and water in a part of the Niger Delta, which has been particularly hard to assess for decades: Ogoniland. It does not discuss the origin of the oil spills.

During 2010, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) conducted an extensive environmental assessment of Ogoniland. The assessment was conducted at the request of the Nigerian government. During the assessment, drinking water samples were taken in wells and sediment and surface water samples were collected from streams, ponds and wetlands in and around Ogoniland from April to November. The levels found in the more contaminated sites are high enough to cause severe impacts on the ecosystem and human health. Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons (EPHs) reached levels of up to 7420 μg/l in surface water and drinking water wells show up to 42 200 μg/l. Benzene levels were measured up to 9000 μg/l, which is more than 900 times the WHO guidelines. EPH concentrations in sediments were up to 17 900 mg/kg. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in sediments reached 8.0 mg/kg in the most contaminated sites. The impacts of this pollution were obvious to be seen, with large slicks of crude oil visible in the water and large areas of mangroves suffocated by oil. However, most sites did not show extremely high levels of EPH and PAH concentrations.

Although the natural conditions for degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons are favorable with high temperatures and relatively high rainfall, the recovery of contaminated areas is prevented due to the chronic character of the contamination.
Improving Planning Standards for the Mechanical Recovery of Oil Spills on Water
Authors: Casey Drew , Caplis John
Published: August 2014

As observed during several recent major oil spills, most notably the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, the current regulatory planning standard for mechanical recovery equipment has been often scrutinized as an inadequate means for vessel and facility plan holders to calculate their oil spill equipment needs. Effective Daily Recovery Capacity, or EDRC, was developed during a negotiated rulemaking process following the enactment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.

During an IOSC 2011 Workshop sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute (API), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), and the U.S. Coast Guard, there was general agreement among workshop participants that EDRC is not an accurate planning tool for determining oil spill response equipment needs. In addition, many attendees agreed that EDRC should account for the skimmer system as a whole, not individual skimmer components such as pump nameplate capacity.

In 2012, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the U.S. Coast Guard initiated and completed a third-party, independent research contract to review the existing EDRC regulations and make recommendations for improving planning standards for mechanical recovery. The contractor's final report methodology is based on oil spill thickness as a fundamental component in calculating mechanical recovery potential, and it emphasizes the importance of response time on-scene and storage for recovered oil. This research provides a more realistic and scientific approach to evaluating skimmer system performance, and more accurately accounts for a wide range of operating conditions and external influences. The federal government, with input from the oil industry, OSRO community, and other interested stakeholders, now has a sound methodology to serve as a starting point for redesigning the current planning standard that more accurately reflects skimmer system performance.
ONE-STEP OFFSHORE OIL SKIM AND BURN SYSTEM FOR USE WITH VESSELS OF OPPORTUNITY
Authors: ZHANG CHANGYONG , NEDWED TIM , TIDWELL AMY , URBANSKI NICHOLAS , COOPER DAVID , BUIST IAN , BELORE RANDY
Published: August 2014

Vessels of opportunity (VoOs), such as fish and shrimp boats, can be employed to aide offshore oil spill response operations. During the 2010 Macondo response, VoOs were utilized to collect surface slicks in booms, however, VoOs were not equipped to skim and recover the collected oil. Because of this, dedicated skimming vessels were directed to VoOs to skim and store the oil. This process is not very efficient as VoOs can often remain idle for long periods while waiting for dedicated skimming vessels to arrive and process the collected oil.

The research presented here aims to improve the effectiveness of VoO operations through development of a one-step skim and burn system. The system under development is based on the combined use of oleophilic skimmers, which can recover oil and water mixtures capable of direct combustion. Our concept would be for a VoO to collect oil in the booms, skim the oil from the booms using an oleophilic skimmer, and then pump the recovered mixture to a floating combustion system located downwind without the need for large volumes of interim storage or decanting.

The three primary objectives for system development and design are to 1) improve combustion efficiency, thereby reducing environmental impacts; 2) achieve burn rates comparable to oil recovery rates of the oleophilic skimmers utilized, enabling more efficient oil spill response operations and less down-time; and 3) design a relatively simple and robust system that will enable safe burn operations.

Experimental results from initial testing of small and medium scale burning systems will be presented. Direct combustion of skimmed oil was successfully demonstrated. Further, burns were completed with decreased smoke generation and burn residue compared to in situ burning.
Using Community Health and Clinic Capacity Assessments to Determine and Prioritize Health Needs in Gulf Coast Communities Affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Authors: Francois Samantha , Czaplicki Lauren , Gentry Lisa , Brown Lisanne
Published: August 2014

The Primary Care Capacity Project (PCCP) of the Gulf Region Health Outreach Program aims to expand access to integrated high quality, sustainable, community-based primary care with linkages to specialty mental and behavioral health, and environmental and occupational health services in four Gulf States following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. This paper presents findings from community and clinic assessments in Gulf Coast counties and parishes impacted by the oil spill and how these findings informed technical assistance and funding to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and the communities they serve. This process included community and clinic assessments. The community health assessments included existing and data and data from community stakeholders on demographics, health determinants, and health status. Existing data were gathered from sources including the U.S. 2010 Census, Vital Statistics, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and Gulf State Population Survey. State, county, and sub-county level data were gathered for 17 Gulf coast counties. These data were summarized and analyzed to create community profiles for each of the counties to characterize their demographic profile, health status, healthcare access, social environment, and oil spill impact. These profiles were then used to facilitate a community prioritization process with county stakeholders. Stakeholders representing multiple sectors of the community participated in focus groups and a group consensus building activity to determine the health priorities for their counties. Concurrent to the community assessment, clinic assessments were conducted with FQHCs identified through the Health Resources and Services Administration Data Warehouse in 16 of the 17 counties. The clinic assessment was conducted with FQHC administrative staff and clinic staff to measure clinic capacity and needs.

Data gathered from the community and clinic assessments suggest that mental health and chronic illness, such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease are health priorities in the Gulf Region. Primary care and mental health care provider shortages were “access to care” priorities as evidenced by both the community and clinic assessments. Also, transportation and proximity to primary care facilities were access to care priorities. These findings helped to inform funding and technical assistance to the FQHCs located in Gulf Coast counties. The assessment processes and how the data and information gathered through them can translate to preparedness, response, and recovery action planning and decision making following oil spills or other natural or man-made disasters.
Managing new expectations with Enhanced Tier I capability
Authors: Ng Xiang Xin , Gillow Matthew
Published: August 2014

With the growing oil and gas sector in Australia, comes more stringent guidelines set by the regulators for the operators to demonstrate their capability in preventing another Montara or Macondo type incident. The setting up of National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) to provide oversight of all petroleum activities in the Commonwealth waters of Australia is a milestone to raise the operating standards of the industry. Together with the urge for operators to build up their in house competence for responding to oil spill incidents and the increasing importance of mutual aid agreements within the industry to form a new operating picture in the oil and gas sector.

Being one of the major oil and gas operators, Chevron Australia Business Unit (ABU) plays an active role in fulfilling the requirements set by the regulators and equipping the team with the necessary skill sets and technologies to perform the duty of care to minimise the impact and damage to the environment during an oil spill incident. An Enhanced Tier I concept is developed to provide a guidance to the Emergency Management Team to build up the in house capability as a response agency for oil spill incident.

In order to engage the operators in the region, Chevron ABU has also taken up the initiative to set up industry working groups to discuss issues like dispersant application, waste management and oiled wildlife response as part of the response strategies and how they can share knowledge and resources in the event of an incident. Continuous involvement in Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre (AMOSC) core group training and active participation in meetings with NOPSEMA allows ABU to keep up to date with the evolving changes in the field of oil spill response preparedness.

Through the continuous improvement on the Enhanced Tier I concept and the engagement with internal and external stakeholders, Chevron ABU aims to meet the expectations set by the regulations and maintain the highest level of preparedness and response readiness for any oil spill incident.
Integrated Mental and Behavioral Health Services to Improve Patient Outcomes and Clinical Care
Authors: Osofsky Howard J. , Osofsky Joy D. , Wells John , Weems Carl F. , Hansel Tonya C. , King Lucy , Reuther Erin , Speier Anthony
Published: August 2014

This presentation will focus on the importance of addressing mental health in the overall response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Emphasis will be placed on evidence based, integrated mental and behavioral health services in primary care clinics as an essential component of physical and mental health care. Community surveillance data collected by LSUHSC Department of Psychiatry in the fall of 2010 and one year post spill revealed increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress compared to national norms. Symptoms were higher for individuals directly impacted by the spill. The Mental and Behavioral Health Capacity Project (MBHCP), part of the Gulf Region Health Outreach Program (GRHOP), was developed across the four impacted states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

In collaboration with the Primary Care Capacity Project (PCCP) and other GRHOP projects, it is designed to decrease disparities in care and develop an evidence-based system of integrated mental and behavioral health services within primary care clinics. In Louisiana, seven impacted parishes, culturally diverse and predominantly rural, were designated for services. Louisiana MBHCP (MBHCP-LA) is applying established principles of collaborative care combining on-site and telemedicine consultation, training, therapeutic services, and care management. It is working with PCCP to develop and utilize a technologically advanced telemedicine system to integrate mental and behavioral health into electronic health records to meet physical and mental health needs. Preliminary analysis of screening and follow-up data beginning in May 2013 from 303 clients who completed measures at intake into services indicates that integrating mental health services in primary care clinics resulted in significant decreases at follow-up in reported depression, generalized anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. The data showed that the greater the decrease in reported depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms at follow-up, the greater the decrease in physical health symptoms. While the MBHCP-LA integration of mental and behavioral health in primary care clinics in parishes heavily impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill has been in place for less than a year, the outcomes are promising in reducing both behavioral and physical health symptoms. The clinics are reporting greater comfort in addressing mental and behavioral health problems as well as more resilience by having mental and behavioral health partners. MBHCP-LA will continue to evaluate improvement in physical and mental health symptoms as well as resilience and quality of life by more fully addressing mental and behavioral health concerns.
Sunken Oil Recovery System Recommendations
Authors: Hansen Kurt A. , Guidroz Leo , Hazel Bill , Fitzpatrick Michele , Johnson Gregory W.
Published: August 2014

The Coast Guard R&D Center (RDC) has just completed a multi-year project to develop a complete approach for recovery of spills of submerged oils, specifically for sunken oil. Three companies spent one year in designing and one year in developing prototypes to identify and recover oil that attempt to address some of the shortfalls of relying on divers. This paper briefly describes the technologies and results from prototype testing at the Ohmsett test facility in the United States and some field tests. Based on this research, proposed guidance for responders to heavy oil is provided to identify all of the issues that need to be addressed when working with sunken oil.
A Means to Streamline Historic and Cultural Resource Consultation and Compliance for Pollution Assessment and Recovery Activities on Shipwrecks
Authors: Symons Lisa , Delgado James , Marx Deborah , Seibert Erika Martin
Published: August 2014

In May 2013, per Congressional direction and to support a better understanding of pollution sources in the U. S. waters, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provided the U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) a detailed report on the assessment of risks from potentially polluting shipwrecks. The report, Risk Assessment for Potentially Polluting Wrecks in U.S. Waters, was a result of the Remediation of Underwater Legacy Environmental Threats (RULET) project that evaluated 20,000 shipwrecks for their pollution potential as well as issues that could impact operations including whether or not those wrecks could be historically significant properties and/or gravesites. “Historic property” is defined by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), to be any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in, or eligible for inclusion in, the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP.) The NHPA requires a Federal agency to “take into account” the effects of its undertakings, such as pollution removal from a submerged shipwreck, and afford the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) a reasonable opportunity to comment. Federal agencies meet Section 106 responsibilities through a consultation process with the ACHP and other parties as set out in the ACHP's regulations implementing Section 106 of the NHPA (36 CFR Part 800), or through implementation of the nationwide 1997 Programmatic Agreement for emergency response under the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan.

NOAA evaluated a number of the report's shipwrecks for eligibility under the NRHP criteria to determine if any could be considered historic properties. The majority of RULET sites are associated with World War II casualties in the Battle of the Atlantic. As of 2013, the average age of each wreck is 83 years old, as many were built or retrofitted for service during WWII, meeting one of the criteria, per the National Park Service's regulations at 36 CFR Part 60 for eligibility for nomination to the NRHP. Three potentially eligible shipwrecks were subsequently nominated and accepted to the NRHP. The information contained in the RULET risk assessments and the NRHP nominations, facilitates the efforts of USCG to work through the required consultation processes; more effectively balancing responsibilities to address potential environmental impacts and legal mandates to avoid or mitigate impacts to historic resources.
ABANDONED VESSEL AUTHORITIES AND BEST PRACTICES GUIDANCE- A REVIEW OF NRT WORK
Authors: Kimrey LT Christopher , Helton Doug
Published: August 2014

Abandoned and derelict vessels are a problem in almost every U.S. port and waterway, and these vessels can have significant impacts on the coastal environment and economy, including oil pollution, marine debris, and wildlife entrapment. They become hazards to navigation, illegal dumping of waste oils and hazardous materials and general public health hazards. Pollution response, including removal and disposal of these vessels can be complex and costly. As a result, many abandoned vessels are left in place unless they are obstructing or threatening to obstruct navigation, or threatening a pollution discharge.

Faced with a growing number of abandoned vessels and costly interventions, the National Response Team (NRT) held a session on abandoned vessels during the 2011 Co-Chairs meeting in Dallas, TX. Representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) gave presentations about the scope of the problem and the need for national guidance for Federal On-Scene Coordinators (FOSCs). Based on issues presented and discussed during the session, the NRT Executive Secretariat agreed an interagency best practices document was needed.

An Abandoned Vessel Response Workgroup was established, co-chaired by the USCG and NOAA, and was tasked with identifying: 1) best practices used for responding to abandoned vessels; 2) the regulatory and policy authority of each agency with a nexus to abandoned vessels; and 3) the roles and responsibilities of each agency pursuant to those authorities. This paper summarizes the report on authorities and best practices.
Oil Source Identification Using Diagnostic Biomarker Ratio Analyses
Authors: Meyer Buffy M. , Overton Edward B. , Turner R. Eugene
Published: August 2014

The foremost questions asked about spilled oil are its source, quantity in various compartments of the environment, and the risk and consequences associated with various levels of oil within these compartments. The heterogeneous distribution of oil, with a continually changing composition due to weathering, causes considerable uncertainty in determining the source of a spilled oil and whether or not any notable impacts are due to the presence of that particular oil. Oil source-fingerprinting, an environmental forensics technique, is one way to determine the origin of oil in an unknown sample by comparison to a known oil source. Oil source-fingerprinting utilizes oil biomarkers that are naturally occurring in crude oils and most petroleum products which tend to be more resistant to environmental weathering processes compared to most other oil components. More importantly, vast amounts of geochemical research has established that distributions of oil biomarkers are unique for different types and blends of petroleum products and represent an oil-specific fingerprint to which samples can be correlated.

In order to determine whether oil detected in coastal Louisiana marsh sediments originates from the Deepwater Horizon incident, an oil source-fingerprinting methodology using GC/MS and specific hopane, sterane, and triaromatic steroid ratios in Macondo 252 (MC252) source oil was developed and tested. A final suite of 15 diagnostic biomarker ratios were determined that will allow for the statistical comparison of diagnostic biomarker ratios of an “unknown” sample to the 15 diagnostic biomarker ratios of MC252 source oil. Unknown samples can then be classified into one of four operational and technically defensible categories: positive match, probable match, inconclusive, or non-match based on their diagnostic biomarker ratio score.
Oil Source Fingerprinting in Heavily Weathered Residues and Coastal Marsh Samples
Authors: Overton Edward B. , Miles M. Scott , Meyer Buffy M , Gao Heng , Turner R. Eugene
Published: August 2014

Oil source fingerprinting uses capillary column GC/MS analyses of a source oil and environmental oil samples to try and match the chemical composition of key indicator compounds in both samples, thus providing strong evidence that the environmental samples came from the suspected source. These environmental samples are typically not heavily weathered. However, after a major oil spill, such as the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DHOS), oil can travel in the environment for many miles, and reside in coastal marshes and sandy beaches for months to years after the spill. This environmental resident time, and the compositional change associated with weathering process, makes oil source fingerprinting of spill residues more challenging and technically difficult. This was especially true during the DHOS because the spilled oil impacted coastal areas that had experienced chronic oiling that contributed to a high probability of background petroleum contamination due to other spill events. We have collected a large number of samples since the tragic accident in late April 2010 from near shore coastal environments, including those following storm events like Hurricane Isaac. Analytical concentration data was generated using high resolution GC/MS in selected ion monitoring mode for the saturate normal hydrocarbons (C10 to C35) and the isopreniods, pristane and phytane, and several families of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, including parent PAHs and their C1 to C4 alkyl homologs. GC/MS-SIM data was also generated for the oil biomarker compounds. Since most of the sample residues were heavily weathered, all of the light aromatic hydrocarbons, as well as the normal saturate hydrocarbons below ~nC20 were not present in the samples. As a result, oil source fingerprinting relied heavily on the relative composition of the recalcitrant hopanes, steranes, and triaromatic steroids biomarker compounds (mass chromatograms 191, 217, 218, and 231). Data will be presented to demonstrate how these relative compositions were changed by weathering over a three year time frame as well as in different coastal environments.
Assuring your agency's Area Contingency Plan is equipped with an effective Joint Information Center Model
Authors: Young Jaclyn
Published: August 2014

Public trust in joint agency oil spill responses is generated or broken based on how well the Joint Information Center (JIC) communicates. Since the Deepwater Horizon spill response in 2010, responders recognize the importance of communicating with the public and stakeholders about response efforts. Despite this, the development of comprehensive plans to organize an effective Joint Information Center at an Incident Command Post is often overlooked.

Area Contingency Plans (ACP) are designed to ensure effective management and organization during an incident response. However, a review of a sampling of ACPs reveals an overall lack of planning for the organization of JIC operations. Including a pre-designed JIC model within the ACP will help initial Public Information Officers (PIO) avoid errors that can cause disorganized messaging early in the response. Quick organization within a JIC helps participating agencies to speak with one voice and release timely and accurate information.

Using data and experience collected during responses, exercises, and Area Contingency Plans, this paper outlines: the role of a Joint Information Center Plan, the elements of a Joint Information Center Plan, how to be involved in the planning process, and how to better evaluate your plan.
The Oil Spill Response Fund – Four Decades of Success
Authors: Thuring Allen R.
Published: August 2014

This paper examines the oil pollution response fund created by Section 311(k) of the 1972 CWA and then modified, culminating with the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) established by OPA. Could the CWA have been successful absent the provision for a federal fund? This Fund is now four decades old. Has it passed the “test of time”? Did it meet the goals set at its birth? Is it still relevant? Should it continue?

CWA Section 311 and later OPA created a range of response tools to deal with oil and hazmat spills on the waters of the US. They established a public/private solution to spill response. Key components:An expectation that the spiller was responsible and liable to clean up the spill;The National Contingency Plan and the Federal On-Scene Coordinator/FOSC;Establishing expertise on “special teams”: the CG's National Strike Force and EPA's Emergency Response Team;An up-front trust fund available only to the FOSC that pays for removals if the responsible party (RP) does not step forward. The fund exists to:Pre-empt the RP from using delay as a response option, despite the law.Give the FOSC money to quickly hire private response companies, if the RP does not act or if the spill's origin is a mystery.

Equally important, the CWA and OPA did NOT designate a government agency to “clean up” oil spills. Rather, the law envisioned private companies performing that role, paid for by the spillers/RP or the 311(k)/OSLTF Fund, under the oversight of the USCG or the EPA. It tasked the USCG with managing this Fund.

The Fund achieved its results. The US has a robust private oil spill removal sector that responsible parties hire when needed. If an RP does not act, the CG and EPA FOSCs use the Fund to mobilize those same companies to remove oil spills on US waters. The US economy has grown, as has the number of oil spills reported. Cases each year requiring Fund use have not increased proportionally. Responsible parties continue to clean up their spills, as the CWA envisioned.

The Fund retains its ability to respond simultaneously to major spills, even during Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon. In forty two years, the Fund has always been available for an FOSC directed removal.

The opinions stated in this paper are the author's alone, and do not reflect the official policies of the United States Coast Guard.
The Gulf Region Health Outreach Program – An integrated public health response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Authors: Buckner Ayanna V. , Beitsch Leslie M. , Goldstein Bernard D.
Published: August 2014

We describe the Gulf Region Health Outreach Program (GRHOP), a series of four integrated community-based projects designed to be embedded in and to complement the existing efforts undertaken by the public health community along the Gulf Coast. Funded from the Deepwater Horizon Medical Settlement, the GRHOP target beneficiaries are residents of 17 coastal counties and parishes in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. The GRHOP is unique in that it integrates projects focused on primary care, mental and behavioral health, environmental and occupational medicine, and training community health workers to help residents navigate the healthcare system and access needed care. We explore the evolution of the program, integration and collaboration among GRHOP projects, sustainability, and lessons learned. We also discuss how health professionals, public health organizations, and community groups, have come together, with lawyers from both the Plaintiff's Steering Committee and BP, to integrate their efforts toward the ultimate goal of bolstering evidence-based services and community resilience by increasing sustainable access to high-quality medical and mental and behavioral healthcare, increasing health knowledge among individuals, communities, and providers, and strengthening public health research infrastructure within an integrated public health program.