Developing the Great Lakes National Center of Expertise for Oil Spill Preparedness and Response: An Opportunity to Reduce Risk and Impacts of Future Spills in Freshwater

ABSTRACT Computer models recently have been developed for simulating oil slick transport in rivers, including the connecting channels of the Great Lakes, the upper St. Lawrence River, and the Allegheny-Monongahela-Ohio River system. In these models, a Lagrangian discrete-parcel algorithm is used to determine the location and concentration distribution of the oil in the river as well as the deposition of oil on the shore. The model for the Great Lakes connecting channels (ROSS) is a two-dimensional surface slick model which considers advection, spreading, horizontal diffusion, evaporation, dissolution, and shoreline deposition. The model is applicable to both open water and ice covered conditions. Models for the St. Lawrence River and the Ohio River System are developed based on a two-layer scheme (ROSS2) which considers vertical mixing and emulsiflcation processes in addition to the processes considered in the surface slick model. All of these models are implemented on microcomputers and can be used as integral parts of oil spill response programs to assist cleanup actions.

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Shoreline Surface Washing Agent Test and Evaluation Protocol for Freshwater Use in the Great Lakes Region1

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2003-1-319 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 2003 (1) ◽

pp. 319-325 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Darrell R. Robertson ◽

Jason H. Maddox

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Recovery ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Federal State ◽

Small Scale ◽

Test And Evaluation ◽

Primary Means ◽

Labor Requirements ◽

Freshwater Environments

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

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Planning and Responding to a Petrochemical Disaster in the North American Inland Seas

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2021.1.686916 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nicholas N. Monacelli

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Great Lakes ◽

Oil Spill ◽

The United States ◽

Coast Guard ◽

Current Response ◽

Us Congress ◽

The Us ◽

Us Coast Guard ◽

Response Policy

The Great Lakes represent the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world along a 1,500 mile international boundary between the United States and Canada. A source of drinking water for 35 million people and a hub of unique biodiversity, a major petrochemical spill would be devastating. With the increase in pipeline activity due to regional tar sands drilling and the navigationally challenging waterways hosting an increasing stream of petrochemical commerce, risk to the Lakes is higher than ever. Given the Lake's closed-system nature and their geographic remoteness relative to current US and Canadian government and private sector assets, the current response posture is inadequate. As the primary maritime spill response agency in the United States, the US Coast Guard retains the mantle of prevention and planning for a Great Lakes petrochemical disaster. This paper seeks to examine the historic, current, and future states of the Great Lakes' oil-spill risk, in light of increased maritime commerce and recent spill “near-misses” regarding submerged pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac. The US Congress and the US Coast Guard have identified that the Great Lakes are not prepared for a large scale spill. Current resourcing levels and technology are insufficient, especially given the challenge of responding while the Lakes are frozen for a substantial portion of the year. With resources focused on the prospect of disaster in salt water regions, the “inland seas” of the Great Lakes receive too little attention. After identifying the evolution of Great Lakes spill prevention and response policy, this paper will apply the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon spill as a case study into what spill response would look like on the Great Lakes. Given the authors' expansive experience as an operator during that historic spill and current commander of one of two US oil spill response assets in the Great Lakes, this paper will also identify remaining challenges to an effective spill response policy, and conclude with recommendations on how to tackle the response issues identified. The US Congress recently established the US Coast Guard's National Center of Expertise for the Great Lakes and one of their primary tasks is to analyze the effect of a spill in freshwater and develop an appropriate response plan. By attempting to identify critical gaps, this paper seeks to advance government and industry's ability to posture the region swiftly in the face of a growing threat and assist in the Center's work.

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