AN ONGOING ASSESSMENT OF THE USE OF SPACE TECHNOLOGY IN MONITORING OIL SPILLS

1979 ◽  
Vol 1979 (1) ◽  
pp. 313-316
Author(s):  
William F. Croswell ◽  
John C. Fedors
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Space Technology ◽  
Bureau Of Land Management ◽  
Space System ◽  
Use Of Space ◽  
The Status ◽  
The U.S

ABSTRACT The U.S. Congress has directed NASA to conduct an assessment of the potential use of space technology in the monitoring of oil spills and ocean pollution. As a result, laboratory studies, aircraft missions, and spacecraft studies are underway to perform this assessment with the cooperation of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing. Primary emphasis in the space system will be directed toward all-weather remote sensing and surveillance in which the space system would provide information to regulatory agencies for closer investigation with aircraft or ships. Laboratory and aircraft missions will be directed toward understanding and obtaining simultaneous microwave and optical imagery of oil spills on the sea with instruments of potential usefulness in the modeling of the movement of spills, along with detection and surveillance image definition. This paper summarizes the status of these efforts as of late 1978. Initial results of the required assessment should be available by the end of 1979.

Implications of OPA 90 in General and Its Effect on the T-AO 187 Class Oilers in Particular

1994 ◽  
Vol 31 (03) ◽  
pp. 175-182
Author(s):  
Hans Hofmann ◽  
George Kapsilis ◽  
Eric Smith ◽  
Robert Wasalaski
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
International Maritime Organization ◽  
The Status ◽  
Oil Tankers ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Hull Construction

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 has mandated that by the year 2015 all oil tankers operating in waters subject to jurisdiction of the United States must have double hulls. This paper examines the Act and the status of regulatory initiatives it has generated. Guidance for new hull construction and retrofit of existing vessels is outlined, and both IMO (International Maritime Organization) and U.S. Coast Guard requirements are discussed. Finally, the structural changes necessary to convert the U.S. Navy's T-AO Class oil tankers to meet the requirements of the Act are specified and illustrated.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/U.S. Coast Guard Peer Exchange Program1

1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 (1) ◽  
pp. 1137-1139
Author(s):  
Jeffrey C. Babb ◽  
Glenn Cekus
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Environmental Response ◽  
Protection Agency ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Response Team ◽  
The U.S

ABSTRACT Nationwide, the U.S. Coast Guard (CG) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are both tasked with the implementation of several environmental and safety statutes (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liabilities Act [CERCLA], Oil Pollution Act of 1990 [OPA 90], Clean Water Act [CWA], international Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships [MARPOL], etc.). They share important leadership roles on the National Response Team (NRT), Regional Response Team (RRT) and several other response planning bodies. Often EPA On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) and CG OSC representatives work together in oil and chemical response operations and on various planning and exercise committees. However, the joint efforts of both organizations are often impacted by a mutual lack of understanding of each other's authorities, policies, procedures, internal structures, and leadership roles. Even the response zones for CG and EPA are often based on factors other than geography and often may not be well understood. USCG Marine Safety Office (MSO) Chicago and EPA Region V are bridging this gap in understanding by sponsoring a Peer Exchange Program. Representatives from each agency are spending up to a week with the other agency for hands-on training and education. The program was initiated in April 1996 and has produced excellent results. As a result, joint CGIEPA responses run more smoothly, mutual understanding and accessibility are enhanced, and overall public health and welfare and the environment are better protected.

Improving Planning Standards for the Mechanical Recovery of Oil Spills on Water

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 1772-1783
Author(s):  
Drew Casey ◽  
John Caplis
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
System Performance ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Environmental Enforcement ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Mechanical Recovery

ABSTRACT 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.

The Refugio Oil Spill Response: Case Study and Lessons’ Learned/Best Practices for the Future

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-123
Author(s):  
Yvonne Najah Addassi ◽  
Julie Yamamoto ◽  
Thomas M. Cullen
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Santa Barbara ◽  
California Department ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Santa Barbara County ◽  
The U.S

ABSTRACT The Refugio Oil Spill occurred on May 19, 2015, due to the failure of an underground pipeline, owned and operated by a subsidiary of Plains All-American Pipeline near Highway 101 in Santa Barbara County. The Responsible Party initially estimated the amount of crude oil released at about 104,000 gallons, with 21,000 gallons reaching the ocean. A Unified Command (UC) was established consisting of Incident Commanders from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), Santa Barbara County, and Plains Pipeline with additional participation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California State Parks. Within hours, the CDFW closed fisheries and the following day Governor Brown declared a state of emergency for Santa Barbara County. The released oil caused heavy oiling of both on and offshore areas at Refugio State Beach and impacted other areas of Santa Barbara and Ventura. A number of factors created unique challenges for the management of this response. In addition to direct natural resource impacts, the closure of beaches and fisheries occurred days before the Memorial Day weekend resulting in losses for local businesses and lost opportunities for the public. The Santa Barbara community, with its history with oil spills and environmental activism, was extremely concerned and interested in involvement, including the use of volunteers on beaches. Also this area of the coast has significant tribal and archeologic resources that required sensitive handling and coordination. Finally, this area of California’s coast is a known natural seep area which created the need to distinguish spilled from ‘naturally occurring’ oil. Most emergency responses, including oil spills, follow a similar pattern of command establishment, response and cleanup phases, followed by non-response phase monitoring, cleanup and restoration. This paper will analyze the Refugio oil spill response in three primary focus areas: 1) identify the ways in which this spill response was unique and required innovative and novel solutions; 2) identify the ways in which this response benefited from the ‘lessons’ learned from both the Deepwater Horizon and Cosco Busan oil spills; and 3) provide a summary of OSPR’s response evaluation report for Refugio, with specific focus on how the lessons learned and best practices will inform future planning efforts within California.

TANK VESSEL PETROLEUM TRANSPORTATION AS A PREDICTOR OF MARINE OIL SPILLS

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-147
Author(s):  
Daniel R. Norton
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Annual Volume ◽  
The U.S

ABSTRACT The annual volume of oil spilled into the marine environment by tank vessels (tank barges and tanks hips) is analyzed against the total annual volume of oil transported by tank vessels in order to determine any correlational relationship. U.S. Coast Guard data was used to provide the volume of oil (petroleum) spilled into the marine environment each year by tank vessels. Data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Department of Transportation's (US DOT) National Transportation Statistics (NTS) were used for the annual volume of oil transported via tank vessels in the United States. This data is provided in the form of tonnage and ton-miles, respectively. Each data set has inherent benefits and weaknesses. For the analysis the volume of oil transported was used as the explanatory variable (x) and the volume of oil spilled into the marine environment as the response variable (y). Both data sets were tested for correlation. A weak relationship, r = −0.38 was found using tonnage, and no further analysis was performed. A moderately strong relationship, r = 0.79, was found using ton-miles. Further analysis using regression analysis and a plot of residuals showed the data to be satisfactory with no sign of lurking variables, but with the year 1990 being a possible outlier.

ESA Section 7: Time for a Refresh in the Pre-Spill Planning Consultation Process

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-192
Author(s):  
Stacey L. Crecy ◽  
Melissa E. Perera ◽  
Elizabeth J. Petras ◽  
John A. Tarpley
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
The United States ◽  
Federal Agencies ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Service Agency ◽  
Consultation Process ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
The U.S

ABSTRACT #2017-373 Federal agencies involved in oil spill response in the U.S. are required to comply with several environmental compliance laws. Where a Federal agency is operating in a way that may affect endangered species in the area, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires the agency to “consult” with the two Federal agencies responsible for protecting those species and habitats – the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, nonprofit organizations filed several lawsuits against the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (the “Action Agencies”) for failure to comply with the ESA during oil spill contingency planning. In one case, a settlement required the Action Agencies to consult with the NMFS and USFWS (together, called the “Services”) on the plan to use oil spill dispersants in California waters. Perhaps responding to these developments, several Regional Response Teams across the country initiated or made plans to review the status of their ESA Section 7 consultations. These efforts have varied in cost, scope, composition of agency representatives involved, and success in completing a consultation for a variety of reasons. There have been numerous challenges for USCG and EPA in meeting the ESA Section 7 consultation requirements for oil spill planning. First, the most recent framework for cooperation between the Action Agencies and the Services regarding consulting on oil spill planning and response activities is contained in an Interagency Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed in 2001. Although the agreement is still valid, some parts have been identified as outdated or in need of clarification. Secondly, there are no direct funding mechanisms or dedicated personnel assigned to the Action Agencies to work on pre-spill ESA Section 7 consultations. Third, recommendations and consultation outcomes can vary between Service agencies as well as internally within each Service agency due to a high level of regional autonomy. In 2015, the National Response Team (NRT) formed a new, interagency subcommittee to improve the Federal Action Agencies’ ability to comply with environmental laws such as the ESA with respect to oil spill response and pre-spill planning. A workgroup of the NRT Subcommittee was formed to specifically address pre-spill ESA Section 7 consultation processes. The workgroup includes regional and national representatives from the Action Agencies and the Services. In addition to strengthening relationships and understanding among the participating agencies, the workgroup has identified gaps in the 2001 MOA and is in the process of developing tools and templates on how to conduct pre-spill ESA Section 7 consultations to help fill some of the existing gaps. The workgroup ultimately hopes to facilitate the development of updated, complete, efficient, and consistent ESA Section 7 consultations across the nation.

scholarly journals The Marine Transportation System's Economic Juggernaut: A Tonic for Pollution Prevention?1

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (1) ◽  
pp. 249-252
Author(s):  
Mark H. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spills ◽  
Current System ◽  
Pollution Prevention ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Marine Transportation ◽  
Decision Tools ◽  
Early Results ◽  
Safety Committees ◽  
The U.S

ABSTRACT In September 1999, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater delivered a report on the marine transportation system (MTS) to the U.S. Congress. It captured the growing alarm by MTS stakeholders that the current system of marine transportation was barely adequate now and certainly not capable of accommodating the predicted growth and changing nature of shipping over the next two decades. While the report's recommendations seemed to highlight the economic aspects of the MTS, solving impediments to economic efficiency also can translate into significant pollution prevention. Principal among potential pollution prevention is in the area of reducing the numbers of vessel collisions, allisions, and groundings—29 of which resulted in oil spills of 10,000 gallons or more between 1995–1999. These casualties impact the ability of a port to conduct business, resulting in accrual of demurrage and risking competitive position. Attacking the port-specific and systemic factors influencing human factor causes of collisions, allisions, and groundings, the U.S. Coast Guard has embarked on several risk-based decision tools that enable local MTS coordinating committees, called harbor safety committees (HSCs), to evaluate the greatest factors that can contribute to vessel casualties. The tools include a Ports and Waterways Safety Assessment (PWSA) and a tailored model to evaluate U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facility permits. Early results show opportunities to improve navigational risk in specific ports. Additionally, another MTS effort involves providing real-time navigational and environmental information to vessels to aid decision making.

Coast Guard Requirements for Marine Vapor Control Systems

1991 ◽  
Vol 28 (05) ◽  
pp. 270-275
Author(s):  
Robert H. Fitch ◽  
Gordon D. Marsh
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Control Systems ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Quality Standards ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Protection Agency ◽  
Safe Operation ◽  
Air Quality Standards ◽  
The U.S

The paper describes the U.S. Coast Guard's efforts to establish regulations for marine vapor control systems that will maintain the safe operation of tankships, tank barges, and waterfront facilities when the more stringent air-quality standards are implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency. The reasons for the new standards are given. Marine vapor control systems are described, along with their attendant hazards. The development and nature of the Coast Guard's regulations are described and, finally, international efforts in the area are briefly reviewed.

OHMSETT RESEARCH OVERVIEW, 1979–1980*

1981 ◽  
Vol 1981 (1) ◽  
pp. 661-666
Author(s):  
John S. Farlow ◽  
Richard A. Griffiths
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
High Viscosity ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Oil Emulsions ◽  
Oil Debris ◽  
The University ◽  
The U.S

ABSTRACT This paper presents an overview of the 1979–1980 work performed at the OHMSETT spill research facility of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The experiences of these 2 years are discussed in the light of the purpose and objectives of OHMSETT, as is the probable direction of research there during the coming years. Foremost among the objectives has been the evaluation and advancement of the state of the art for spill response. The bulk of the effort at OHMSETT, therefore, has been toward testing and investigating ways to improve equipment. This paper briefly summarizes the results of 12 equipment performance evaluations, 2 new equipment development programs, and an experimental oil weathering program. The equipment evaluated was the U.S. Coast Guard high speed “zero relative velocity” skimmer prototype; the Sapiens Sirene skimming system; the Hydrovac System sweeper arm; the Soviet harbor oil/debris skimmer; the Oil Mop remote skimmer prototype; the Versatile Bennett Arctic skimmer prototype; the Petro-Fiber, Oljesanering, AB Sorbent Distribution/Recovery System; the Global Oil Recovery (DiPerna) skimmer; the Clean Atlantic Associates Fast Response Open Sea Skimming System; the University of Lowell oil gelation system; the Peabody Meyers Corp. Vactor air conveyor; and a Coleman Environmental Pollution Control Equipment Co. vacuum truck. The equipment developed was the Johnson sampler for stratified liquids and the Johnson high speed skimmer. Several new areas of work are anticipated for the near future. These include evaluation of cleanup equipment in the presence of ice, increased emphasis on testing at spills-of-opportunity, a study of some of the problems associated with high viscosity water-in-oil emulsions, testing separators and pumps for spill response, increased emphasis on smaller skimmers, and further testing with hazardous materials.

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