Evaluation of Shoreline Cleaning Versus Natural Recovery: The Metula Spill and the Komi Operations

1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 (1) ◽  
pp. 503-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward H. Owens ◽  
A. Mark Sienkiewicz ◽  
Gary A. Sergy
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Asphalt Pavement ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Remote Locations ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Long Term Changes ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Straits Of Magellan

ABSTRACT An appropriate oil spill response involves evaluation of the likely consequences of treatment or cleanup on ecological and human resources. Two cases are examined: the first is the Metula spill in the Straits of Magellan, Chile, where surveys over a 24-year period provide data on long-term changes on oiled shorelines that were not cleaned or treated. The consequences of the decision not to clean or treat are minimal as the only remaining oil today is restricted to an asphalt pavement and two marshes. In the second case, the 1995–1996 cleanup that followed the Komi pipeline spills in Russia, the operational objective was to prevent oil from affecting downstream resources and populations. This objective was achieved by containment of the oil near the source but the success of the project must be weighed against the consequential additional oiling and construction damage that resulted from the operations to more than 20 hectares of pristine terrain. These two spills in remote locations provide valuable lessons on some aspects of decision trade-offs and on the consequences of the cleanup decision in the context of the concept of net environmental benefit.

THE APPROACHES TO THE SOLVING ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ON THE SHELF OF THE ARCTIC SEAS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Krivichev ◽  
Alexander Krivichev
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Marginal Stability ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Arctic Seas ◽  
Dynamic Simulations ◽  
Economic Problems ◽  
Technogenic Loads ◽  
Oil Spill Response

Russian Arctic shelf - rich larder of the hydrocarbons, at the same time Northern Sea Route (NSR) - a strategically important route for transporting them. The extraction and the transportation of the hydrocarbons along the NSR requires the solution of a number of ecological and economic problems in the first place to ensure environmental and technogenic safety. For the solving of these problems on the continental shelf it is required a system of comprehensive measures: - the development of the regulatory framework for environmental support oil and gas projects; - the introduction and use of integrated methods for monitoring environmental conditions at the sites of technogenic loads on the shelf of the Arctic seas, including the use of drones; - creating different models for assessing the marginal stability of ecosystems to technogenic loads during production and transportation of hydrocarbons on the continental shelf based on systems of dynamic simulations; - the development and use of sensitivity maps of coastal areas of the Arctic seas during oil spill response; - accounting of the results of the analysis of the total environmental benefit in the development of oil spill response plans; - application of the principle of "zero" resetting, due to the high fishery valuation in Barents and Kara seas and the conservation of marine biological resources.

EFFECTIVELY MANAGING LEVEL OF EFFORT IN OIL SPILL CLEANUP: RESOLVING THE “HOW CLEAN IS CLEAN” ISSUE

1995 ◽  
Vol 1995 (1) ◽  
pp. 663-666
Author(s):  
Peter A. Tebeau
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
Response Effort ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Management Decisions ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Oil Spill Cleanup ◽  
Level Of Effort

ABSTRACT Successful oil spill response requires effectively managing the level of effort devoted to response operations. This includes choosing appropriate technologies and implementing them to achieve optimal environmental benefit, while controlling costs. At the end of the response, effective management requires resolving the “how clean is clean” issue to ensure a smooth termination of the response effort. Various approaches to making these management decisions are reviewed, based on experience in the Exxon Valdez, American Trader, and Morris J. Berman spills. The advantages and constraints of these approaches are summarized, along with suggestions about how the process might be facilitated.

Guanabara Bay Oil Spill 2000, Brazil – Cetacean Response

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 1035-1037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kirwan John Short
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Action Plans ◽  
Guanabara Bay ◽  
Operational Strategies ◽  
Response System ◽  
System A ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT On the 18th January 2000 a broken pipeline owned and operated by the oil company Petrobras spilt some 1300 tonne of bunker fuel into Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro. The wildlife response was divided amongst 2 operational strategies and included – avian fauna and cetaceans. This paper deals with the cetacean response only. Cetaceans are generally not considered as an important feature of an oil spill response. Contingency planning for cetaceans in oil spills is now becoming an important element for preparedness for some countries. The cetacean response in Guanabara Bay specifically targeted a pod of about 70 members of the species Sotalia fluviatilis, a small dolphin that inhabits the bay. The response included the development of a plan that included a response system, a monitoring program and action plans. The response system detailed the mechanism for the plan to work and adopted the incident control management system. The monitoring program related to the study of any short term or long term deleterious effects resulting from the spill and consisted of basic spatial, temporal and behavioural studies. Action plans were developed specific to the character of Guanabara Bay and included the rescue and rehabilitation strategies necessary to respond to oil affected cetaceans. A training program was then developed and implemented to personnel who were to enact the cetacean response.

Practical Initiative by Pemsea / Earl to Promote OPRC in East Asia

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 909-911
Author(s):  
Declan O'Driscoll
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
East Asia ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Sustained Development ◽  
North Asia ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT The issue of sustainable development is critical for the future prosperity of East Asia. The Region has seen rapid economic progress in recent years but at a cost to the environment. There is significant oil tanker traffic through the seas of East Asia as oil is transported from the Middle East to North Asia. In recent years, there have been a number of significant spills in the region. The oil industry has been active in establishing resources in the region, including East Asia Response Limited, to help with the response to oil spills. A GEF/UNDP/MO initiative PEMSEA (Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia) has been developing and promoting strategies and action plans to ensure better environmental management in East Asia. This can be best achieved by building partnerships amongst all the concerned stakeholders, public and private, at local, national and regional levels. Strengthening the technical and management expertise in environmental issues, including oil spills, of local government officials within the region is a key element in ensuring long term sustainable development. The private sector can play a very useful role in helping to build this expertise. East Asia Response and PEMSEA have been collaborating closely to improve the oil spill response knowledge and expertise of local officials in the region. Delegates to jointly held training courses have come from Brunei, Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The courses have allowed us a valuable opportunity to present to the delegates the oil industry's approach to oil spill response. Topics, such as the tiered response concept, contingency planning and net environmental benefit analysis have been well received. Delegates will now be better able to promote oil spill response preparedness and response capability in their home country, thereby, contributing to the sustained development of their economy.

CONSIDERATION OF TOTAL VOLATILE HYDROCARBON EXPOSURE DURING OIL SPILL RESPONSE1

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 979-982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Grimes ◽  
Nicholas Olden
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Total Volatile ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Oil Spill Response

Public perception and environmental awareness place increasing demands on the petroleum industry to facilitate fast and efficient oil spill containment and recovery to mitigate environmental damage. HSE legislation also places increasing demands on Oil Spill Response Organisations to ensure a safe working environment for responders. This paper looks at the trade-offs facing oil spill response planning from the perspective of occupational exposure to Total Volatile Hydrocarbons (TVH). TVH is a term used to represent a large group consisting of hundreds of chemical compounds that derive from crude oil. Under certain circumstances, in-situ response measures represent a significant risk to local air quality and human health. Mechanical and manual oil spill recovery in close proximity with TVHs place spill responders and potentially the general public at an increased risk from fire/ explosions as well as acute and chronic health implications. Over the course of a spill, physical and chemical processes are continuously changing TVH composition. This requires rapid on-scene monitoring and/ or predictive modelling to optimise spill counter measures and responder safety. The use of personal and area TVH monitoring equipment is discussed in a practical spill recovery context, and an overview is provided of portable gaseous testing equipment with respect to key criteria such as; conformity, configuration, user-friendliness and robustness. Current developments in TVH monitoring models are reviewed and their contribution to future oil spill contingency planning assessed. Consideration is given to hazardous vapour exposure and the resulting health and safety issues that were faced by OSRL during the Tasmin Spirit and an inland well-blow out in Georgia.

CALIFORNIA OIL SPILL DISPERSANT PLAN-ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH COOPERATION

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 433-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Najah Addassi ◽  
Ellen Faurot-Daniels
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Decision Tool ◽  
Operational Window ◽  
Response Team ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Unified Command ◽  
National Significance ◽  
The U.S

ABSTRACT The use of dispersants in marine waters off California requires detailed foresight and planning. In an effort to expedite a decision to use dispersants and reduce first strike response time, the Region IX Regional Response Team tasked Californias Marine Area Committees to recommend dispersant approval zones. Each Area Committee conducted Net Environmental Benefit Analyses for their areas of responsibility, and from those analyses recommended dispersant zone designations to the U.S. Coast Guard and the Regional Response Team (RRT). All zone recommendations were approved by the RRT in July 2002, and development of the remaining elements of the dispersant plan began. Using primarily a model developed in New Zealand, the authors drafted a comprehensive dispersant use plan for the waters off California. The U.S. Coast Guard Captains of the Port in California reviewed the draft plan, and tested it during the April, 2004 Spill of National Significance (SONS) drill in southern California. The streamlined decision flowcharts, imbedded “Decision Boxes” and operational appendices with further instructions, forms and resource contact information, proved the California Dispersant Plan was a very intuitive and workable response decision tool. During the SONS drill, this greatly improved the ability of the Unified Command to make a decision regarding dispersant use, get the resources in place, and begin dispersant sorties within the operational “window” for dispersant use. It is expected that the same expedited and informed response process will serve California well during an actual oil spill response.

Long-term changes in rocky intertidal macrobenthos during the five years after the Hebei Spirit oil spill, Taean, Korea

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun-Hwan Jung ◽  
Henug-Sik Park ◽  
Kon-Tak Yoon ◽  
Hyung-June Kim ◽  
Won-Joon Shim
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Rocky Intertidal ◽  
Long Term Changes

scholarly journals Injury alters motivational trade-offs in calves during the healing period

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J. J. Adcock ◽  
Cassandra B. Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Startle Response ◽  
Risk Avoidance ◽  
Motivational State ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Milk Bottle ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Long Term Changes ◽  
Motivational Changes ◽  
Time Since Injury

AbstractInjury can produce long-lasting motivational changes that may alter decisions made under risk. Our objective was to determine whether a routine painful husbandry procedure, hot-iron disbudding, affects how calves trade off risk avoidance against a competing motivation (i.e., feeding), and whether this response depends on time since injury. We used a startle test to evaluate this trade-off in calves disbudded 0 or 21 days previously and non-injured control calves. For 3 days, calves were individually habituated to the testing arena in which they received a 0.5 L milk meal via a rubber teat. On the 4thday, upon approaching the milk reward, the calf was startled by a sudden noise. We assessed the duration and magnitude of the calf’s startle response, their latency to return to the milk bottle, and duration spent suckling after startling. No treatment differences were observed in the duration and magnitude of the startle response or in the probability of returning to the bottle after startling. However, among those who did return, disbudded calves spent longer suckling, indicating they accepted more risk in order to feed compared to controls. In addition, calves with 21-day-old injuries tended to return to the bottle faster compared to newly disbudded calves and controls. We suggest that hot-iron disbudding increases calves’ motivation to suckle, as they were more likely to prioritize this behaviour over risk avoidance compared to control calves. This effect was most evident 21 days after disbudding, indicating that injury can produce long-term changes in motivational state.

scholarly journals Tropical Oil Pollution Investigations in Coastal Systems [TROPICS]: A 32-year Review of Response and Recovery

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Abigail Renegar ◽  
Paul Schuler ◽  
Nicholas Turner ◽  
Richard Dodge ◽  
Anthony Knap ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Coastal Systems ◽  
Dispersed Oil ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Nearshore Environments ◽  
Comparative Risk

ABSTRACT In 1984, the Tropical Oil Pollution Investigations in Coastal Systems (TROPICS) experiment began in Bahia Almirante on the Caribbean coast of Panama. This study sought to compare the impacts of a severe, but realistic spill of untreated crude oil versus chemically treated (dispersed) crude oil on tropical marine reef, sea-grass, and mangrove ecosystems. The aim of the study was to identify and evaluate the environmental trade-offs of dispersant use in tropical marine and subtidal systems. As a result of continuing research at the site, the study became one of the most comprehensive field experiments examining the long-term impacts of oil and dispersed oil exposures in nearshore tropical communities. Consequently, TROPICS has been the foundational and seminal field study which served as the historical antecedent for Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA), as well as the basis for follow-on Spill Impact Mitigation Analysis (SIMA) and Comparative Risk Analysis (CRA) for oil spill planning, preparation, and response. From the initial experiment in 1984, through three decades of study and data collection visits, the coral reef, seagrass, and mangrove communities have exhibited significantly different damage and recovery regimes, depending on whether the sites were exposed to non-treated crude oil or dispersed crude oil. While this study does not definitively determine whether or not dispersants should be applied in tropical nearshore environments, it is illustrative of the environmental and ecosystem trade-offs between surface oil impacts to the shoreline, compared to water column exposure from chemically dispersed oil. This paper provides an overview of the results and observations reported in numerous previous TROPICS publications, as a progression of damage and recovery over time. With this perspective, planners and responders can use this study to predict what damages/recoveries may be expected from an oil spill incident in this environment. The results of the TROPICS experiment are examined within the context of this recent parallel research from the perspective of ongoing implications for oil spill preparedness and response.

scholarly journals Spill Impact Mitigation Assessment Case Study: Dispersants Use in Shallow Waters of Northern Caspian Sea

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Broje ◽  
Nazgul Utegen
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Caspian Sea ◽  
Economic Impacts ◽  
Careful Analysis ◽  
Shallow Waters ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Impact Mitigation ◽  
Trade Offs

ABSTRACT Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) and Spill Impact Mitigation Assessment (SIMA), a broader version of NEBA, are structured approaches used by response decision-makers and stakeholders during oil spill preparedness and response to compare available oil spill response options and identify those that have best potential to reduce environmental and socio-economic impacts and facilitate fastest recovery. The process comprises four stages: evaluate data, predict outcomes, balance trade-offs and select the best response options. This paper describes a case study of Spill Impact Mitigation Assessment conducted for shallow waters of North Caspian Sea. As a part of this analysis several steps were undertaken: - Environmental conditions in the area were characterized and critical environmental and socio-economic resources were identified;- Trajectory modeling was conducted for different seasons to evaluate oil fate and behavior with and without response techniques;- Impacts of a base scenario (no response) was compared to impacts of scenarios where different response techniques were used;- SIMA methodology was used to rank response techniques based on their ability to minimize environmental and socio-economic impacts;- Optimal combination of response options for each scenario was selected. This case study demonstrated how SIMA methodology could be applied even in challenging locations requiring careful analysis of environmental and socio-economic tradeoffs to ensure that selection of response strategies is supported by best available science.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document