Development of U. S. Coast Guard Prototype Airborne Oil Surveillance System*

ABSTRACT In the past, the U. S. Coast Guard has relied on visual and photographic sightings for detection, monitoring and law enforcement associated with the oil pollution control mission. However effective enforcement of the provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, pertaining to the discharge of oil and hazardous substances into the U. S. navigable waters and the contiguous zone, the effective execution of responsibilities assigned by the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, and the assessment of the impact on the marine environment of pollutants introduced by the transportation process requires a supporting surveillance system. To meet this need, the U. S. Coast Guard has contracted with the Aerojet Electrosystems Company, a Division of Aerojet-General Corporation, for the design, development and flight test evaluation of a prototype Airborne Oil Surveillance System. This system as conceived will utilize multispectral sensors to provide for the day / night all-weather airborne detection, mapping and documentation of oil spills at sea. The sensors used in this system will operate from the ultraviolet to the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum. This paper will describe the development of this Airborne Surveillance System including the sensor mix and their relationship to the oil pollution surveillance mission. In addition the operational mission and system performance requirements used to define the system will be briefly considered. This prototype system will be ready for flight test evaluation by early 1974.

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Coast Guard Oil Pollution Control Systems

10.4043/1994-ms ◽

1974 ◽

Author(s):

Leo Jordan ◽

Louis K. Bragaw

Keyword(s):

Control Systems ◽

Pollution Control ◽

Oil Pollution ◽

Coast Guard

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Challenges of OPA and NMSA Related Responses in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa: NO.1 JI HYUN

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2017.1.2389 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 (1) ◽

pp. 2389-2407

Author(s):

Lisa C. Symons ◽

Joseph Paulin ◽

Atuatasi Lelei Peau

Keyword(s):

Local Community ◽

Oil Pollution ◽

The United States ◽

American Samoa ◽

Coast Guard ◽

Cultural Resources ◽

Cultural Significance ◽

Integral Role ◽

Territorial Government ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT: 2017-226 Fa’a-Samoa (the Samoan way) is a living tradition and continues to define the Samoan way of life. It is the foundation of Polynesia’s oldest culture - dating back some 3,000 years. Fa’a-Samoa is interconnected with Samoan lands and waters and by sharing the intact and vibrant traditions, values, and legends that connect the Samoan people to the land and sea, the local community plays an INTEGRAL role in the protection and preservation of natural and cultural resources of the area. Fa’a-Samoa places great importance on the dignity and achievements of the group rather than individuals. On April 14, 2016, the 62 ft. FV NO1 JI HYUN lost the main engines and grounded off the west side of Aunu’u Island in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (NMSAS). This area is of ecological and cultural significance for the local residents using hook-and-line, casting nets, spearfishing (non-scuba assisted) and other non-destructive fishing methods including those traditionally used for sustenance and cultural purposes such as gleaning, ‘enu and ola. The village on Aunu’u was extremely wary of inclusion of the waters of Aunu’u in the expansion of the sanctuary being concerned about loss of control of their traditional uses of the nearshore environment. In what became an extension of Fa’a-Samoa, the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the American Samoa Territorial government worked, together to address both the pollution hazards from the incident and the impact to the coral reef ecosystem even after the fuel was removed. While a relatively straight forward response were it to happen in the continental U.S., severe weather (Tropical Cyclone Amos), high winds and swells, limitations on site access, daylight high tides, and availability of resources to include tugs, tow lines and trained personnel made this quite challenging. Three removal attempts occurred under Oil Pollution Act (OPA) authorization and three efforts occurred under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA), with guidance from a professional salvage master. This prolonged 4-month response has prompted some new dialogue and hopefully new commitment to increase preparedness and spill response capabilities within the territory. The designation of the NMSAS allowed for the use of the combined authorities of OPA and the NMSA, forging new path that protects and preserves both the natural and cultural resources of the region from the impacts of pollution and from future groundings whether large or small.

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United States and Canada Transboundary Oil Spill Liability and Compensation Regimes: An Overview

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2021.1.1141278 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Helkei S. Hemminger

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Natural Resources ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Pollution ◽

The United States ◽

Coast Guard ◽

Marine Habitat ◽

Inland Waterways ◽

Funding Sources ◽

The Impact

Abstract # —1141278 — In 2018, the Canadian government purchased the Trans Mountain pipeline, running from Alberta to British Columbia, along with the plans for expansion. The expansion could triple the transport capacity from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels of oil per day, and would increase the tanker traffic in the inland waterways of the Salish Sea, an area known for its sensitive marine habitat, and narrow, difficult to navigate passages. The anticipated increase in tanker traffic in this busy waterway continues to raise concerns about the impact of an oil spill and the financial means to address related injuries, particularly to natural resources. The transboundary nature of any spill further complicates the situation vis-à-vis the applicable liability regimes and response resources. Under the Canada-United States Joint Marine Contingency Plan (“JCP”), the United States Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard acknowledge each country's responsibility to fund their own response actions and pursue reimbursement of those costs within their respective jurisdictions. The availability of funding for a response, and to compensate injured parties, however, including the limits of liability of the responsible party, differs under each regime, and could impact the nature and scope of a response. For spills into or posing a substantial threat to the navigable waters of the United States, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 governs and a national fund, the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (“OSLTF”), is immediately available to address an incident, including emergency restoration to natural resources. Canada's Marine Liability Act enables the Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund (“SOPF”) to pay claimants who have incurred damages as a result of oil pollution. Both countries' funds operate under the same principal—the polluter pays—but the compensation structure, and claims processes and procedures are entirely different. This paper provides an overview of these funding sources and claims procedures, comparing and contrasting the different systems. The discussion is meant to provide an overall understanding of potential funding pools available for spill responses under each scheme in order to facilitate transboundary spill planning and discussion.

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CLEANUP OF THE ABANDONED BUNKER BARGES1

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-1997-1-383 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 1997 (1) ◽

pp. 383-388

Author(s):

LTJG Edward L. Bock ◽

Dennis J. McCarthy

Keyword(s):

Pollution Control ◽

Open Water ◽

Coast Guard ◽

Hazardous Substances ◽

Environmental Damage ◽

Hampton Roads ◽

Federal Water Pollution Control ◽

Oily Waste ◽

Marine Safety ◽

Abandoned Vessels

ABSTRACT An estimated 1300 abandoned vessels are decaying on U.S. waterways. An unknown number of these vessels contain oil or hazardous substances and pose a substantial threat of discharge into the environment. Historically, the Coast Guard has responded to environmentally harmful oil and hazardous material spills from abandoned vessels after they occur, sometimes spending millions of unrecoverable dollars in cleanup and disposal costs. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act as amended gives the Coast Guard jurisdiction to mitigate a “substantial threat of discharge” of oil or hazardous substances into the water. Responding to a substantial threat of discharge prevents environmental damage, reduces the number of medium or major spills, and costs substantially less than large shoreline or open water cleanups. Recently, Coast Guard Marine Safety Office (MSO) Hampton Roads initiated the first federal removal action in response to a substantial threat posed by abandoned barges; the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund was used to remove 691,000 gallons of oily waste and to clean and render gas-free the abandoned tank barges Bunker Delaware, Bunker 1000, and VTL-1.

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OIL SPILL AND HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE RESPONSE EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS STANDARDIZATION PROGRAM

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-1993-1-591 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 1993 (1) ◽

pp. 591-593

Author(s):

F. S. Wood ◽

H. Whittaker

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Pollution ◽

Coast Guard ◽

National Standards ◽

Hazardous Substances ◽

Hazardous Substance ◽

Technical Standards ◽

Worst Case ◽

Adverse Weather ◽

Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) requires vessel and facility owners and operators to prepare oil spill response plans to remove a worst case discharge (total loss of cargo in adverse weather). It requires the Coast Guard to review response plans for approval. Plan preparers need objective standards for selecting and assigning sufficient response resources to facilitate plan approval. All parties must have common, national standards for matching oil spill response resources to anticipated response needs. The Coast Guard has solicited the assistance of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) to develop consensus technical standards for oil spill response equipment and systems. ASTM Committee F20 on Hazardous Substances and Oil Spill Response formed separate work groups to develop standards for such things as booms, skimmers, temporary storage devices, sorbents, dispersants, pumps, and bioremediants. ASTM standards take the form of test methods, guidelines, specifications, terminology, practices, classifications, and other standards pertaining to performance, durability, strength of systems, and techniques for the control and removal of oil and hazardous substances spills. The Coast Guard is working closely with Environment Canada on this process to ensure that resulting standards apply equally well across North America. This paper will discuss the Coast Guard's role and progress being made in the development of consensus standards to facilitate the enforcement of the regulations that implement OPA 90.

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OIL POLLUTION CONTROL LEGISLATION AND THE WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1970, THE FEDERAL VIEWPOINT

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-1971-1-11 ◽

1971 ◽

Vol 1971 (1) ◽

pp. 11-15

Author(s):

K.E. Biglane ◽

R.H. Wyer

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Quality Improvement ◽

Pollution Control ◽

Oil Pollution ◽

Point Of View ◽

Oil Removal ◽

Water Quality Improvement ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT The Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970 was enacted and signed into law on April 3, 1970. This Act provides the mechanism for strong Federal actions relating to oil removal, prevention and enforcement. This paper discusses the most significant provisions of the Act and describes the Federal point of view relating to key provisions. Emphasis is placed on the rationale behind the designation of a harmful quantity of oil, the impact of the notification requirement, adequacy of oil removal procedures, prevention of spills, and enforcement provisions.

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The drilling solution components’ impact on the environment and directions of its reduction

Biolohichni systemy ◽

10.31861/biosystems2020.01.052 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 52-57

Author(s):

Nataliia Glibovytska ◽

Lesya Plaksiy

Keyword(s):

Oil Pollution ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Drilling Fluid ◽

Oil Production ◽

Structural Features ◽

Soil Salinization ◽

Hazardous Substances ◽

Drilling Fluids ◽

Drilling Solution ◽

The Impact

The problem of the oil wells operation influence on the environmental ecological state is considered. The technical and biological aspects of the impact of drilling solution components used in the process of oil production on the biotic and abiotic environment are analyzed. The methods of preserving the cleanliness of reservoirs and soil during the wells operations and preventing pollutants from entering the environment are described. Possible effects of the toxic compounds of the drilling fluid on living organisms, in particular plants, have been identified. The components of drilling fluids of different types are characterized by different levels of environmental hazard. The lowest level of threat to environmental safety is inherent in the clay type of solution, and the polymer-potassium solution is characterized by the highest potentially dangerous impact on the biota. Despite belonging to the third class of moderately hazardous substances, sodium salts, calcium and chlorides, as components of drilling fluids, have the highest destructive effects on the environment. Soil salinization has the most detrimental effect on plants, as it breaks the osmotic equilibrium in the soil-plant system, disrupts the transport of organogenic elements throughout the plant, and reduces the availability of moisture and minerals. Increasing soil pH due to the ingress of calcium and sodium hydroxides as components of drilling fluids adversely affects plant growth and development. Stability of some groups of plants to the influence of components of drilling fluids and ability of phytoobjects to resist stress influence are noted. Halophytes are well adapted to the growth in conditions of excessive soil salinization due to the specific metabolic and structural features of the organization. Low oil content in drilling fluids can be released into the environment and, when accumulated in the aquatic and soil environments, lead to a number of destructive processes in living systems. Plants sensitive to oil pollution respond by reducing growth processes, increasing catabolic processes, and reducing assimilation function. In order to minimize the negative impact of chemicals on the environment of oil production territories, it is necessary to apply a comprehensive approach that combines the technical aspects of pollution control with effective biological methods. The urgent task of modern environmental science is to search for oil-resistant plant species that are effectively capable of converting toxic petroleum products to biota-safe compounds. Technological recommendations for the prevention of environmental pollution by drilling fluids are proposed, as well as phytorecultivation methods for controlling already polluted ecosystems.

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