scholarly journals Extrapolating Injury from Larger to Smaller Oil Spills: Lessons in Louisiana

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (1) ◽  
pp. 213-217
Author(s):  
John C. Kern
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Specific Model ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Injury Assessment ◽  
The Cost

ABSTRACT One challenge for trustees in a natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) is to adequately quantify natural resource injuries in a cost-effective manner. This is particularly true for smaller spills, where the cost of more expansive and more expensive injury assessment studies could dwarf the cost of the restoration actions to compensate for those injuries. The need for cost-effective assessments must he balanced against the need for the assessment methods to be technically defensible and useful in identifying and scaling appropriate restoration actions. In this paper, it is shown how the injury assessment results from the Lake Barre oil spill of May 1997 (which released 6,561 barrels of crude oil) were used to help inform trustees about the likely magnitude of injury for two smaller crude oil spills in Louisiana. For the Lake Barre spill, the trustees developed an incident-specific model—adapted from the Type A model—to quantify injury to birds and aquatic fauna. The results of this model were used to evaluate a restoration offer as compensation for these injuries from the responsible party (RP). Subsequently, the results of the Lake Barre assessment were used to help quantify injury to birds and aquatic organisms for the September 1998 release of up to 1,500 barrels of crude oil from a well blowout into Lake Grande Ecaille. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) again used the Lake Barre results to quantify injury to water column organisms for a November 1999 release of 850 barrels of crude oil from a pipeline in Four-Bayou Pass. Estimating injury by extrapolation from one spill to similar spills represents one cost-effective approach toward quantifying injury for small incidents, and should be considered as a potential injury assessment method for those spills where it is impractical or otherwise difficult to justify conducting large incident-specific injury studies. This technique can be done quickly, potentially speeding the settlement and restoration implementation process, thereby compensating the public in an expeditious manner.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AVAILABILITY OF APPROPRIATE RESTORATION PROJECTS AND INJURY ASSESSMENT

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 (1) ◽  
pp. 1171-1174
Author(s):  
John Kern ◽  
Lisa Dipinto ◽  
John Rapp
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Restoration Planning ◽  
Natural Resource Damage Assessment ◽  
Injury Assessment ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACT The natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) process under the Oil Pollution Act regulations is restoration-focused. In order to proceed with a NRDA after Preassessment Phase activities are completed, the natural resource trustees must determine that feasible restoration actions are available to address the potential injuries resulting from the discharge of oil. If this determination is made, the trustees can move forward and conduct injury assessment and injury quantification as part of the Restoration Planning Phase. The availability of appropriate restoration alternatives for natural resources can have a profound effect on the nature of both injury assessment and injury quantification that is necessary for a particular oil spill. This paper examines that relationship, using some examples from settled oil spill NRDA cases to illustrate how the availability of appropriate and cost-effective restoration alternatives can reduce the overall cost of a NRDA and the length of time necessary to reach an appropriate settlement. The type of restoration and the degree to which it is scaleable can also influence both cost and time to reach settlement. It also discusses some of the factors that are important in determining to what degree restoration opportunities influence the injury assessment and quantification process for oil spills, including geographic location, previous experience with similar spills, and the degree of cooperation that exists between the trustees and the responsible party.

scholarly journals Malaysia Private Entity Reporting Standard (MPERS) adoption for SMEs: Insights from Accounting Practitioners in Malaysia

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Nurul Nazlia Jamil ◽  
Nathasa Mazna Ramli ◽  
Ainulashikin Marzuki ◽  
Nurul Nadiah Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Reporting Standard ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Accounting Practitioners ◽  
Inherent Problem ◽  
Private Entity ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
The Cost

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have very significant contribution to economic growth of the countries as more than 95% of companies worldwide and employment are represented by the SMEs industries. Therefore, in increasing the harmonization of reporting standard of SMEs, Malaysia is moving aggressively towards the efforts by introducing the Malaysian Private Entity Reporting Standard (MPERS) for SMEs starting from 1st January 2016 onwards. MPERS is seen to bring opportunities to the business as it is adoption of international standard that has been designed to fits the local needs and the customization to the Malaysian business environment could ensure comparability of the locals with the international business. Hence, this research attempt to 1) examine the perceptions of accounting practitioners on MPERS implementation and 2) identify the problems encountered in applying MPERS in SMEs. This study provides pioneering evidence on the problems of the practitioners encountered when applying the MPERS through the 176 questionnaires survey that have been distributed to the accounting practitioners that involve with MPERS implementation for SMEs in Malaysia. The insights and perceptions obtained highlighting new dimensions to the inherent problem such as issues of consistency and guidance in applying the MPERS with the cost-effective manner. Thus, the issues of differences in judgements among the practitioners become a phenomenon in relation to the application of MPERS for SMEs. The findings of this study are of interest to standard setters and SMEs stakeholders in Malaysia and other countries.

scholarly journals Replacement and Maintenance Decision Analysis for Hydraulic Machinery Facilities at Reservoirs under Imperfect Maintenance

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2507
Author(s):  
Sou-Sen Leu ◽  
Tao-Ming Ying
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Maintenance Cost ◽  
Imperfect Maintenance ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Engineering Economics ◽  
Hydraulic Machinery ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Replacement Time

After the long-term operation of reservoir facilities, they will become nonoperational due to the material deterioration and the performance degradation. One of crucial decisions is to determine the maintenance or replacement of the facilities in a cost-effective manner. Conventional replacement models seldom consider the maintenance effect. The facilities after maintenance are generally not as good as new, but are relatively restored. The target of this study is to establish a replacement decision model of the reservoir facilities under imperfect maintenance. By combining the theories of reliability analysis, imperfect maintenance, and engineering economics, the best timing of replacement that achieves cost-effectiveness is analyzed and proposed. Lastly, based on the design of experiments (DOE) and simulation, the regression curve chart for the economical replacement decision is established. Once the failure rate, the age of recovery after maintenance, and the ratio of maintenance cost to replacement cost are estimated based on historical data, the cost-effective replacement time of hydraulic machinery facilities will be efficiently determined.

Inspection Manpower Planning for X & S Control Charts

2012 ◽  
Vol 488-489 ◽  
pp. 1624-1630
Author(s):  
Wen An Yang ◽  
Wen He Liao ◽  
Yu Guo
Keyword(s):  
Control Charts ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Manpower Planning ◽  
Sampling Interval ◽  
Optimal Number ◽  
Optimization Strategy ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Time Required ◽  
The Cost ◽  
And Control

A method of determining the optimal number of inspectors and/or working time required on a specific SPC activity is presented in the study. The issue of inspection manpower planning is handled as a constrained optimization problem. The optimization strategy is not only to minimize the avoidable surplus quality loss due to failure of detecting the out-of-control states but to determine the cost of inspection manpower from the perspective of deploying an appropriate amount of inspection manpower in a cost-effective manner, and meanwhile the values of sample size, sampling interval and control limits of control charts are also determined. The result obtained indicates that the total cost (or loss) can be substantially reduced if implementing control charts was equipped with adequate inspection manpower.

Value and Cost Effectiveness of Conducting a Root Cause Analysis

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
André-Michel Ferrari ◽  
Brad Jones
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Root Cause Analysis ◽  
Cause Analysis ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Knowledge Enhancement ◽  
Primary Driver ◽  
The Cost

The formal Root Cause Analysis (RCA) process consists of a structured approach to identifying the underlying factors that result in the unwanted outcomes of one or more typically negative past events (chronic or sporadic). The process helps to identify what systems or behaviors need to be modified to prevent recurrence of similar outcomes. The fundamental driver of the RCA is to eliminate the causes that lead to the unwanted event rather than addressing the symptoms of the event. This generally leads to multiple corrective actions rather than a single solution. Based on various root causes analyses conducted by a department in Enbridge Pipelines since 2006, various benefits provided by RCA exercises are highlighted in this paper. The findings were mainly derived from completed RCAs as well as RCA team member surveys. Firstly, the cost effectiveness of the RCA process was identified as a primary driver for this exercise. For example, one RCA involving a multidisciplinary team of 8 members, costing approximately $35,000, led to $1M in recommended solutions generating $16M in potential savings. In other words, each of the 350 hours spent on the RCA produced $8,571 in savings underlining the value creation to the company. Secondly, the RCA process combined with the power of the team reflection led to the identification of new issues which were causing other revenue losses to the company. Because these issues were not part of the defined scope of the original RCA, their root causes were not be immediately assessed but nevertheless their impact could easily be quantified and forwarded to Management for review. The third benefit highlighted by RCAs is more of an educational benefit to team members and subsequently the organization. Through cross functional examination of the issues and events, the team members became aware and educated on issues that would not have otherwise been apparent. Additionally, by working through the RCA methodology, the team members enhanced their problem solving abilities which benefit their everyday work. In conclusion, other than identifying techniques to preclude unwanted outcomes and providing cost saving opportunities in a very cost effective manner, RCAs can be considered as an effective knowledge enhancement tool for an organization.

A Rapid Assessment Program for Improving Natural Resource Damage Assessments

1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 (1) ◽  
pp. 881-883
Author(s):  
Timothy J. Reilly ◽  
Douglas Helton
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resource ◽  
Damage Assessment ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Assessment Center ◽  
Economic Data ◽  
Dynamic Nature ◽  
Assessment Program ◽  
Injury Assessment ◽  
Assessment Activities

ABSTRACT Assessing the impacts of oil spills requires the collection of a variety of biological, chemical and socio-economic data. However, the dynamic nature of oil spills necessitates the collection of data very soon after an incident. In 1992, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Damage Assessment Center (NOAA DAC) established a Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) to insure the collection of data necessary to characterize the nature and extent of ecological and public use injuries. The RAP maintains a team of trained and equipped government and contract personnel to initiate injury assessment activities on a 24-hour-per-day, 7-day-per-week basis. Further, the RAP sponsors research, develops assessment methodologies, and provides annual training to RAP personnel in order to continually enhance rapid assessment capabilities.

scholarly journals Methodology for Evaluation and Development of Refurbishment Scenarios for Multi-Story Apartment Buildings, Applied to Two Buildings in Denmark and Switzerland

Buildings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
Yovko Ivanov Antonov ◽  
Per Heiselberg ◽  
Flourentzos Flourentzou ◽  
Michal Zbigniew Pomianowski
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Cost Calculations ◽  
The Cost

Renovation of existing buildings is an indispensable part of achieving European efficiency and environmental targets. This paper applies different assessment methodologies to find optimal renovation, given different evaluation criteria. The performed literature study identifies the cost-optimal methodology employing Life Cycle Cost (LCC) calculation as one of the most common assessment methods. This paper proposes a new renovation assessment method targeted to the early design phases of specific building projects. The method has a simple structure, and can be used as a roadmap of necessary activities for obtaining solid building knowledge and required energy and cost calculations. The methodology is based on linking economic and energy efficiency parameters into defined cost-effective value, calculated for all investigated renovation actions. The cost-effectiveness value is used for ranking and selecting the most appropriate single renovation actions to form renovation packages, which can be further examined in detail (for example, with LCC). To demonstrate the method, evaluate the strengths, and identify the weaknesses, it is applied to case study buildings in Denmark and Switzerland. The results show that, in the initial stage, the proposed cost-effectiveness representation can be used successfully to compare and evaluate different envelope elements and systems. Cost-effectiveness also provides rational results on a package level. Further work is still required in the area of evaluation of energy supply and renewable energy production systems.

Billing and Reimbursement for Advanced Practice in Solid Organ Transplantation

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 274-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Ann Hoch ◽  
Erin Maynard ◽  
James Whiting
Keyword(s):  
Solid Organ Transplantation ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Cost Utility ◽  
Solid Organ ◽  
Advanced Practice ◽  
Transplant Patients ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
End Stage ◽  
The Cost

Transplantation is considered the treatment of choice for end-stage organ failure in most organ systems. Kidney transplantation is cost-saving as compared with dialysis, and the cost utility of liver transplantation is favorable compared with other accepted medical interventions; nonetheless, transplantation is an expensive endeavor. As a result, both hospitals and payers have made considerable efforts to try to limit the costs associated with transplantation; these efforts have resulted in complicated reimbursement schemes and a variety of models to deliver care. It is in this context that many institutions have looked to incorporate advanced practice professionals in the care of transplant patients. The ability to use advanced practice professionals in a cost-effective manner can be enhanced by an understanding of how reimbursement in transplantation works and the legal and financial implications of their employment.

Efficacy and Cost-Effectiveness of a Limited Phenotype Matching Transfusion Protocol for Children with Sickle Cell Disease

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 3043-3043
Author(s):  
Jerry E Squires ◽  
Vinu Jyothi ◽  
Sherron M. Jackson ◽  
Miguel Abboud ◽  
Ram Kalpatthi
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Sickle Cell ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Red Cells ◽  
Red Cell ◽  
Phenotype Matching ◽  
Screening Programs ◽  
Red Cell Antigens ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Alloimmunization to red cell antigens can seriously compromise the treatment of chronically transfused sickle cell patients by increasing the risk of delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions and decreasing the availability of suitable red cell units. In an effort to reduce the rate of alloimmunization, many institutions routinely provide transfusions that are phenotypically matched for selected red cell antigens. Controversy exists in this approach with some advocating the use of extensive matching protocols in which 9 or more red cell antigens are screened while others follow a more limited approach in which only 3–5 antigens are screened. Neither the relative clinical efficacy nor the cost-effectiveness of these approaches has been compared. In our institution a limited phenotype matching program was instituted in June 1999 in which red cells provided to all pediatric sickle cell patients are negative for C, E, and Kell antigens only. All patients are screened for the presence of red cell allo-antibodies prior to each transfusion and additional phenotype matching was performed for patients who develop specific antibodies other than C, E and/or Kell. We present here our experience with this limited phenotype matching approach in 169 pediatric sickle cell patients. The patients in our study have received a mean of 100.7 red cell transfusions (range 1–555). Overall, 36 (21.3%) patients developed at least one red cell alloantibody. However, 15 of these patients had developed antibodies to C, E, or Kell (or a combination) as a result of transfusion prior to referral to our hospital or as a result of transfusion here, prior to the routine implementation of our limited matching program. Therefore, only 21 patients (12.4%) developed red cell alloantibodies that could not be prevented by the consistent use of our protocol. These antibodies include; Jka (4), M (4), Fya (3), S (3), Cw (3), Lua (3), V (2), Jsa (2), and Lea, Leb, Kpa, Kna, Jkb, c (1 each). The rate of antibody production was 0.17/100 units transfused. Our results favorably compare with other reports of more extensive phenotypic matching programs (e.g, 6.7% of patients with red cell alloantibodies; 0.06 antibodies/100 units transfused). In addition, only 6 of our patients (3.6%) developed multiple (non-C, E, Kell) allo-antibodies. In 3 of these patients the antibodies developed were of questionable clinical significance (Lea, Leb, Kna) or would generally not be screened even in the most thorough phenotype matching program (Cw, Lua). Among our patients with multiple alloantibodies, compatible red cell units were easily available with 4–13% of ABO/Rh compatible units collected from a non-ethnically selected population being suitable. The extended screening carried out for this limited number of patients (3.6%) is a far more cost-effective and sustainable approach for a large sickle cell treatment program than would be possible with an extended phenotyping program including essentially all patients. It should be noted that none of our patients have demonstrated clinical evidence of either acute or delayed hemolysis. Finally, it is important to consider the relative cost-effectiveness of various phenotype matching protocols. At an approximate cost of $200 for each red cell unit and a fee of $85 for each additional antigen screened by our local blood supplier, each unit of red cells for our patients costs $455. In screening programs requiring more extensive matching (8–9 antigens screened) the cost per unit would be almost double this amount ($880–$965). Our study suggests that this limited antigen matching is effective in reducing alloimmunization in chronically transfused pediatric sickle cell patients and additionally does so in a more cost-effective manner than more extensive screening programs. Finally, even in those patients who ultimately developed red cell antibodies, the availability of suitable red cell products was never seriously compromised.

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