bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
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

ABSTRACTWe 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.
Human Dimension Impacts of Oil Spills and Social Responsibility: Evolving Needs
Authors: Walker Ann Hayward 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT
Beyond the traditional ecological impacts of oil spills, oil spills can also affect people; these are the human dimensions of oil spills. Under current institutional procedures in the US, little attention is given during preparedness and response to social issues and implementing actions to mitigate the human dimension impacts of oil spills. Social responsibility is increasingly being used as a measure of the overall performance of businesses and organizations. Previous work recognized that public and stakeholder reactions to, and perceptions about, an oil spill response can influence the overall success of response. However, improvements in recent years to achieve the “best response” focus increasingly on operational aspects of oil spills. Human dimensions, representing the non-operational aspects of oil spills, generally remain unaddressed in the US regulatory framework.
With the widespread use of social media, stakeholders and the global public are able to express their concerns and objections about oil spills; demand transparency and aggressive action during an incident to protect people and the environment, mitigate all impacts; and call to punish those responsible. Spills which are perceived as technological disasters are viewed as preventable by those in affected areas. Spill management teams (SMTs) in the US typically are comprised of the organization of responsible party (RP) and government responders, which is integrated in function but necessarily aligned in their respective priorities. The influence of politics and legal teams on SMTs represents both opportunities for and barriers to addressing human dimension concerns and impacts during response.
This paper discusses the evolving needs for the USCG and EPA, as agency leaders in the US National Response System (NRS), to adapt existing preparedness and response practices. This paper also explores potential opportunities to incorporate social responsibility into oil spill preparedness and response strategies as ways to mitigate human dimensions impacts going forward. Research has shown that community adaptation and resilience is: at least in part related to a community having access to knowledge and resources which are possessed by oil spill experts; that transfer of knowledge takes time; and that building connections between local communities and oil spill experts helps promote community adaptation and resilience. The author suggests that within the existing regulatory framework there is conceptual space to leverage trusted networks of existing relationships and enhance our ability to carry out preparedness and response activities consistent with social responsibility.
Recent Advances by the API Remote Sensing Technical Working Group for Oil Spill Preparedness and Response
Authors: Sweeten David , Palandro David , Neuwirth Lindsey 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT
In 2010, the American Petroleum Institute coordinated the establishment of an Oil Spill Preparedness and Response Joint Industry Task Force (JITF) comprised of experts from industry and government. The JITF was established to examine the efforts implemented during recent oil spill events, assess the current state of the industry's ability to respond to significant spills, and identify potential learnings. A remote sensing technical working group (TWG) was formed under the Oil Sensing and Tracking program to document current remote sensing technology and future research and development needs related to tracking oil on the water's surface.
Since its inception, the Remote Sensing TWG has held face-to-face meetings, engaged with other joint industry groups, and completed a planning guide, “Remote Sensing in Support of Oil Spill Response,” to assist in the identification of surveillance technologies, sensors, and platforms that could enhance response efforts. The document provides information related to both strategic and tactical response activities. The guide was designed as a practical “Users Guide” as well as a planning and preparedness tool for response personnel that may be required direct surveillance activities.
The group also identified key areas for industry and academia for future research and development, including:Quantifying the aerial extent and concentration of oil on the water's surface; andEnhancing ways to provide quality-assessed data in near real-time to both field resources and command centers.
In addition, the TWG is currently researching the development of a web-based tool that would aid in the selection of appropriate satellite sensors for a particular response scenario. The group is working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to customize and expand an existing NASA satellite tool for use during oil spill response.
The TWG plans to continue collaboration and knowledge-sharing with other joint industry projects, and to continue to hold regular meetings to share recent experiences, collaborate on potential technology areas that need development, and disseminate scientific findings in the field of remote sensing that will enhance the capabilities and readiness for response.
The Application of RADARSAT-2 Quad-Polarized Data for Oil Slick Characterization
Authors: Staples Gordon , Touzi Ridha 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACTSpaceborne radar data has been extensively used to monitor numerous oil spills worldwide. The radar imagery provides information on the spatial extent of the oil, but in general, there is limited information on the characteristics of the oil such as the discrimination of sheen from emulsion. The full polarimetry capabilities of RADARSAT-2 were investigated in this study using acquisitions collected over the Gulf of Mexico. In this study, the Cloude-Pottier target decomposition algorithm was used to extract polarimetric information from RADARSAT-2 quad-polarized images acquired over the Macondo oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Cloude-Pottier entropy (H) provides a measure of the amount of mixing between scattering mechanisms. For a wind-roughened ocean surface, the scattering is dominated by a single dominant scattering mechanism, namely Bragg scattering (H → 0). In the presence of an oil slick, however, the entropy increases (H → 1) which is due to the number independent scattering mechanisms increasing due to damping of the small-scale Bragg waves. Comparison of entropy with the over flight observations indicated that the variability of the entropy was consistent with the variability of the oil properties suggesting that the entropy was providing a qualitative measure of the oil characteristics. Specifically, when there was open water and a thin sheen, the entropy was close to 0, but in the presence thicker oil due to the presence of, for example, an emulsion, the entropy had values that were close to 1.
Overview of the American Petroleum Institute (API) Joint Industry Task Force Subsea Dispersant Injection Project
Authors: Nedwed Tim 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT
The American Petroleum Institute has sponsored research on subsea dispersant injection since 2011. The research is studying issues related to subsea injection of dispersant as a response to a deep water oil release. This information will be used to develop and communicate acceptable methods for implementing this technology to ensure its availablity both within the U.S. and internationally. Project teams are looking into all aspects of subsea dispersant injection including its effectiveness, fate and effects, subsea plume monitoring, and numerical modeling. As a result of this research, the body of knowledge regarding subsea dispersant injection has grown. Laboratory studies have demonstrated the utility of directly injecting dispersants at the source of a blowout. Work has begun to understand the biodegradation potential and toxicity of a subsea plume to deepwater organisms. Additionally, progress has been made on enhancing numerical models to predict the fate of oil dispersed subsea. This paper provides the scope of the project and preliminary results.
Subsea Release of Oil & Gas – A Downscaled Laboratory Study Focused on Initial Droplet Formation and the Effect of Dispersant Injection
Authors: Brandvik Per Johan , Johansen Øistein , Farooq Umer 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACTThis article describes the SINTEF Tower Basin (located in Trondheim, Norway) and its use for examining droplet formation and the effectiveness of dispersant injection. The Tower Basin is 6 m high and 3 m in diameter, containing 42 m3 of natural sea water. Oil is injected from the base of the basin and oil droplets are monitored by laser diffraction and in-situ camera techniques.Size distributions of oil droplets formed in deep water oil & gas blowouts have a substantial impact on the fate of the oil in the environment. However, very limited data on droplet size distributions from subsurface releases exist. The objective of this study has been to establish a laboratory facility to examine droplet size versus release conditions (flow rates and nozzle diameters), oil properties and injection of dispersants (injection techniques and dispersant types). Changes in the size of oil droplets that result from injection of dispersant are used to assess the effectiveness of the dispersant application (dosage and injection method).This comprehensive dataset is used to develop and calibrate existing algorithms to predict droplet sizes from subsurface releases, and the effect of dispersant treatment. The improved algorithms are implemented in current operational models where they are used to describe subsurface use of dispersant and fate of the dispersed oil in the water column.
International Offers of Assistance Guidelines – Developing an IMO Tool to "Internationalize" Oil Spill Readiness and Response
Authors: Parker Heather A. , Knutson Scott R. , Nicoll Andy , Wadsworth Tim 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT
During the Macondo 252 incident in 2010, it became apparent that the lack of clear guidance to effectively manage the flood of response assistance offered and required from other nations and organizations. To help address these concerns, the U.S. Coast Guard hosted an international ad hoc workgroup after the 2011 International Oil Spill Conference to discuss challenges and issues associated with sharing equipment, technology and expertise among nations and organizations to support a national response authority faced with a significant oil spill exceeding the domestic response capacity. Ideas and recommendations were captured and the need for the development of a comprehensive set of guidelines for International Offers of Assistance (IOA) was formed. The U.S. Coast Guard recognized the importance of establishing these guidelines with a broad, global perspective and proposed the concept to the International Maritime Organization's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). In July 2011, MEPC approved the proposal submitted by the United States, and added this item to the work program of the Technical Working Group of the IMO Protocol on Preparedness, Response and Co-operation to pollution Incidents by Hazardous and Noxious Substances (OPRC-HNS TG). The OPRC-HNS TG began this work during its 13th session in March 2012, and continues to conduct the bulk of guideline development during intersessional periods via an International Correspondence Group, comprised of a range of national response authorities, spill contractors and industry representatives from around the world. These international guidelines will be available for use by nations as a tool to assist in managing a multitude of requests for and offers of assistance from other countries, regional coordinating bodies, or other entities. This paper summarizes work already completed and still in progress on the development of the IMO International Offers of Assistance Guidelines for oil spills. The ultimate goal for these Guidelines, once completed within the OPRC-HNS TG and approved by MEPC, will be adoption and utilization by IMO Member States, particularly those that are party to OPRC Convention and to the OPRC-HNS Protocol which require States to establish procedures for international cooperation during pollution incidents.
Response to Heavy, Non-Floating Oil Spilled in a Great Lakes River Environment: A Multiple-Lines-Of-Evidence Approach for Submerged Oil Assessment and Recovery
Authors: Dollhopf Ralph H. , Fitzpatrick Faith A. , Kimble Jeffrey W. , Capone Daniel M. , Graan Thomas P. , Zelt Ronald B. , Johnson Rex 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT
The Enbridge Line 6B pipeline release of diluted bitumen into the Kalamazoo River downstream of Marshall, MI in July 2010 is one of the largest freshwater oil spills in North American history. The unprecedented scale of impact and massive quantity of oil released required the development and implementation of new approaches for detection and recovery. At the onset of cleanup, conventional recovery techniques were employed for the initially floating oil and were successful. However, volatilization of the lighter diluent, along with mixing of the oil with sediment during flooded, turbulent river conditions caused the oil to sink and collect in natural deposition areas in the river. For more than three years after the spill, recovery of submerged oil has remained the predominant operational focus of the response.
The recovery complexities for submerged oil mixed with sediment in depositional areas and long-term oil sheening along approximately 38 miles of the Kalamazoo River led to the development of a multiple-lines-of-evidence approach comprising six major components: geomorphic mapping, field assessments of submerged oil (poling), systematic tracking and mapping of oil sheen, hydrodynamic and sediment transport modeling, forensic oil chemistry, and net environmental benefit analysis. The Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC) considered this information in determining the appropriate course of action for each impacted segment of the river.
New sources of heavy crude oils like diluted bitumen and increasing transportation of those oils require changes in the way emergency personnel respond to oil spills in the Great Lakes and other freshwater ecosystems. Strategies to recover heavy oils must consider that the oils may suspend or sink in the water column, mix with fine-grained sediment, and accumulate in depositional areas. Early understanding of the potential fate and behavior of diluted bitumen spills when combined with timely, strong conventional recovery methods can significantly influence response success.
DISCOBIOL: Assessment of the Impact of Dispersant Use for Oil Spill Response in Coastal or Estuarine Areas
Authors: Le Floch Stéphane , Dussauze Mathieu , Merlin François-Xavier , Claireaux Guy , Theron Michael , Le Maire Philippe , Nicolas-Kopec Annabelle 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT
Dispersants are known to be an appropriate solution for offshore spill response when sea conditions provide enough energy to disperse and then dilute oil into surface waters. In shallow coastal areas, the use of dispersant is restricted due to the potential that the dispersed oil might come into contact with sensitive resources before dilution can take place. However, after assessing the advantages and potential risks of dispersing oil in coastal areas, it may emerge after careful consideration that and in some cases the use of dispersants could provide a net environmental benefit.
The DISCOBIOL research program aimed to provide practical recommendations on dispersant use in coastal and estuarine areas by acquiring relevant (in terms of likely dispersed oil concentrations) and robust experimental information on the impact of mechanically and chemically dispersed oil on living resources. The main conclusion from these experiments was that there is no significant difference between the impacts from oil with and without dispersant use in terms of acute toxicity. However there are some observable sub-lethal effects from exposure to dispersed oil which do not persist more than a few weeks. In a natural environment, on a medium or long timescale, biota which have been exposed to oil (with and without dispersant) do exhibit some symptoms which could affect their survival rate in the field even though they do not lead to acute toxicity effects. However the DISCOBIOL project demonstrated that effects of dispersed oil were less severe than previously recorded for near shore environments.
In terms of applying these results to decision making at an oil spill, it highlights the need in coastal areas prior to the use of dispersant to complete a “Net Environmental Benefit Analysis” (NEBA) to determine whether the use of dispersant is expected to minimize the overall damage resulting from the pollution. As it is difficult to cover the number of possible spill scenarios at the contingency planning stage, instead of completing a NEBA, many countries define geographical limits where dispersion can be undertaken, based on the water depth and the distance to the shore as well as the presence of sensitive resources. The DISCOBIOL study confirmed the appropriateness of these pre-defined limits for France's coastal waters but demonstrated that they could be less restrictive since the exposure to dispersed oil could be at least five times higher than was previously considered the safe limit.
A HIGH RESOLUTION OPERATIONAL OIL SPILL MODEL AT SANTANDER BAY (SPAIN): IMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATION
Authors: Castanedo Sonia , Perez-Diaz Beatriz , Abascal Ana J. , Cardenas Mar , Olabarrieta Maitane , Medina Raul , Receveur Justine , Evrard Esterine , Guyomarch Julien 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACTA High Resolution Operational Oceanography System that provides decision makers with short-term (within 48 hours) oil spill trajectory forecasting at local scale, has been developed in the Bay of Santander (Spain).The system is based on process models applied in a set of nested grids. Hydrodynamics in the study area are calculated with the COAWST modelling system which uses daily boundary conditions and meteorological forcing obtained from the European network MYOCEAN (http://www.myocean.eu/) and from the Spanish met office, AEMET, respectively. Daily COAWST's outputs and meteorological forecast are ready to be used by the oil spill transport and fate model, TESEO. A web service that manages the operational system and allows the user to run hypothetical as well as real oil spill trajectories has been implemented.Data from two hydrodynamics field campaigns and from experimental tests carried out with two types of oils have been used to validate the hydrodynamic and the oil spill models.
Utilization of the Northern Gulf Operational Forecast System to Predict Trajectories of Surface Oil from a Persistent Source Offshore of the Mississippi River Delta
Authors: MacFadyen Amy , Wei Eugene , Warren Christopher , Henry Charlie , Watabayashi Glen 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT
In this paper, we demonstrate the use of a new operational, unstructured-grid hydrodynamic model within the oil spill trajectory model GNOME (the General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment) to examine the transport of surface oil from a known source approximately 10 miles offshore of the Mississippi River Delta. At this location, a cluster of wells and/or contaminated sediments have been persistently leaking small amounts of oil since they were damaged in 2004. Slicks associated with this source are frequently detected in satellite imagery analysis, which indicates they are often oriented in the along isobath direction with typical dimensions of 0.5–2 km by 10–30 km varying with wind conditions.
The Northern Gulf of Mexico Operation Forecast System (NGOFS) has recently been deployed by NOAA and includes this region. The underlying hydrodynamic model is an unstructured grid finite-volume model which allows variable grid resolution ranging from 10 km offshore to ~600 m near the coastline. Unstructured grid models are ideally suited for coastal areas as they allow flexible resolution to resolve complex bathymetry and coastlines. However, large model domains combined with high grid resolution can provide a challenge for operational trajectory models as sub-setting the model grid is not as straightforward as in the structured grid case. The utility of any hydrodynamic model for emergency response depends not only on its accuracy, but on the trajectory modeler's ability to access and use the information in a timely manner. As part of this study, we have developed tools to allow the NGOFS results (in addition to other unstructured grid models) to be readily available to GNOME users. Using output from the NGOFS in GNOME, a one year modeled simulation was run in which surface particles were released continuously from the location of the damaged wells. Predicted trajectories of modeled particles less than ~24-hours in age compare qualitatively well with the satellite observations.