MODELING FATES AND IMPACTS OF HYPOTHETICAL OIL SPILLS IN DELAWARE, FLORIDA, TEXAS, CALIFORNIA, AND ALASKA WATERS, VARYING RESPONSE OPTIONS INCLUDING USE OF DISPERSANTS

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 735-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah French McCay ◽  
Nicole Whittier ◽  
Colleen Dalton ◽  
Jill Rowe ◽  
Subbayya Sankaranarayanan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Mechanical Response ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Stochastic Approach ◽  
Biological Species ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Oil Spill Modeling

ABSTRACT Oil spill response may include use of chemical dispersants and in situ burning equipment, in addition to traditional mechanical response equipment. To evaluate the potential impacts of various response strategies, oil spill and atmospheric plume modeling were performed to evaluate areas of the atmosphere at sea level, water areas, shoreline lengths, sediment areas, and water volumes impacted above thresholds of concern to biological species and habitats, human health and socioeconomic resources. For the oil spill modeling, a stochastic approach was used to allow the range and frequency of possible environmental conditions to be examined for each spill site, spill volume and response option evaluated. Long term (decade or more) wind and current records were sampled at random and model runs were performed for each of the spill dates-times selected. This provides a statistical description of the environmental fate and impacts that would result if a spill occurred. Stochastic modeling was performed in five representative locations in the US: (1) offshore of Delaware Bay, (2) offshore of Galveston Bay, (3) offshore of San Francisco Bay, (4) Prince William Sound, and (5) offshore of the Florida Keys. These data were used to evaluate potential impacts of changes in response strategies, i.e., combining use of dispersants and in situ burning with traditional mechanical recovery. The results of the oil spill modeling for the Florida Straits location are summarized herein.

Oil spill modeling: computational tools, analytical frameworks, and emerging technologies

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jake R. Nelson ◽  
Tony H. Grubesic
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Computational Tools ◽  
Gis And Remote Sensing ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Oil Spill Modeling ◽  
In Situ Sensing ◽  
Analytical Frameworks

Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010, a substantial body of research has focused on the development of computational tools and analytical frameworks for modeling oil spill events. Much of this work is dedicated to deepening our understanding of the interactions between oil, fragile ecosystems, and the environment, as well as the impacts of oil on human settlements which are vulnerable to spill events. These advances in oil spill modeling and associated analytics have not only increased the efficiency of spill interdiction and mitigation efforts, they have also helped to nurture proactive, versus reactive, response strategies and plans for local and regional stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to provide a progress report on the wide range of computational tools, analytical frameworks, and emerging technologies which are necessary inputs for a complete oil spill modeling package. Specifically, we explore the use of relatively mature tools, such as dedicated spill modeling packages, geographic information systems (GIS), and remote sensing, as well emerging technologies such as aerial and aquatic drones and other in-situ sensing technologies. The integration of these technologies and the advantages associated with using a geographic lens for oil spill modeling are discussed.

Ecological Risk Assessment Principles Applied to Oil Spill Response Planning

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Kraly ◽  
Robert G. Pond ◽  
Ann Hayward Walker ◽  
John Caplis ◽  
Don V. Aurand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Ecological Risk Assessment ◽  
Puget Sound ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Trade Offs

ABSTRACT This paper summarizes the process of a cooperative ecological risk assessment (ERA) that was used to examine the potential environmental consequences of oil spill scenarios in San Francisco Bay, California; Galveston Bay, Texas; and Puget Sound, Washington. The purpose of the ERA process is to evaluate the ecological trade-offs associated with the use of each of five potential oil spill removal options—natural recovery, on-water mechanical recovery, shoreline cleanup, dispersant use, and on-water in situ burning. The desired outcome of the evaluation is identification of the optimum mix of response options in reducing injury to each specific environment. Evaluations at each location were accomplished through a series of facilitated workshops involving technical experts and resource managers from as many stakeholder organizations as possible. At these workshops, the participants developed relative ecological risk evaluations for response options. At the conclusion of each ERA, the workshop participants felt that the cooperative ERA process had the potential to become an integral part of the area contingency planning process by facilitating the assessment of the effectiveness of response strategies contained in an Area Contingency Plan (ACP). Repeated application of the process for various scenarios should enable an area committee to optimize response strategies over time by maximizing net environmental benefit. This paper describes the process used by the participants and presents a simplified version of the ERA process amenable to shorter timeframes and consequently more scenarios.

Recent Results from Oil Spill Response Research

1991 ◽  
Vol 1991 (1) ◽  
pp. 673-676
Author(s):  
Edward Tennyson
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Management Service ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Yield Information ◽  
Environmental Test ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Spilled Oil

ABSTRACT Recent large oil spills from tankers have reaffirmed the need for continuing technology assessment and research to improve oil-spill response capabilities. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) remains a lead agency in conducting these studies. This paper discusses MMS concerns, as reinforced by the acceleration of its research program in 1990. It briefly assesses the current state-of-the-art technology for major aspects of spill response, including remote sensing, open-ocean containment, recovery, in-situ burning, chemical treating agents, beach-line cleanup, and oil behavior. The paper reports on specific research projects that have begun to yield information that will improve detection and at-sea equipment performance. The first detection project, for which MMS has patent pending, involves the use of shipboard navigational radar to track slicks at relatively long range. The second project involves the use of conventional containment and cleanup in a downwind mode, which is contrary to the traditional procedures. The paper also discusses current research projects, including the development of an airborne, laser-assisted fluorosensor that can determine whether apparent slicks contain oil. Additional projects involve the development of improved strategies for responding to oil in broken-ice conditions, for gaining an improved understanding of the fate and behavior of spilled oil as it affects response strategies, and for reopening and operating the oil and hazardous materials simulated environmental test tank (OHMSETT) facility in Leonardo, New Jersey. Recent progress on the development of safe and environmentally acceptable strategies to burn spilled oil in-situ is also discussed. The OHMSETT facility is necessary for testing prospective improvements in chemical treating agents and to develop standard procedures for testing and evaluating response equipment.

Public Perceptions on the Use of Oil Spill Response Methods in Alaskan Waters and the Level of Trust in Organizations to Prevent Oil Spills

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 349-352
Author(s):  
Leslie A. Pearson
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Mechanical Response ◽  
State Legislature ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Seasonal Abundance ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Cook Inlet

ABSTRACT All of the cleanup methods available for responding to a marine oil spill in Alaska have operational limitations. In Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet, non-mechanical response methods such as the use of chemical dispersants or in situ burning can be requested as secondary cleanup options. This study identifies citizens’ concern and determines the preference of response methods and perceived effectiveness of each method. Environmental risks, values, and the level of trust residents in communities of Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet are also examined., A correlational research design was used to answer research questions with survey data collected by randomly sampling 1657 residents in fifteen communities of Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet. Of the 1657 surveys mailed a response rate of 41% was obtained. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used to analyze the survey information. General descriptive statistical analysis was used to examine responses to each statement in the survey. Inferential statistical analysis was used to quantify the direction and strength of a relationship between variables., In general, 92% of the respondents support the use of mechanical recovery methods, 61% support the use of in situ burning and 45% chemical dispersants. The population recognizes burning as a means of removing large quantities of oil from the sea surface and the environmental risk of displacing pollutants into the atmosphere. Environmental concerns associated with the use of chemical dispersants are tied to seasonal abundance of and impact to marine organisms, amount of area and subsistence use and dependency on marine resources., The survey population's ecological priorities are commercial fishing, sea mammals and sea birds. The U.S. Coast Guard and Commercial Fishing Associations are held to the highest level of trust while the Alaska State Legislature and U.S. Congress received the lowest level of trust for ensuring Alaska waters remain oil free.

RESULTS FROM OIL SPILL RESPONSE RESEARCH—AN UPDATE

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 (1) ◽  
pp. 541-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward J. Tennyson
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Management Service ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Yield Information ◽  
Broken Ice ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Ice Conditions ◽  
Spilled Oil

ABSTRACT Recent large oil spills from tankers have reaffirmed the need for continuing technology assessment and research to improve oil spill response capabilities. This paper discusses Minerals Management Service concerns, as reinforced by the acceleration of its research program in 1990. It briefly assesses current state-of-the-art technology for major aspects of spill response, including remote sensing, open-ocean containment and recovery, in-situ burning, use of chemical treating agents, beachline cleanup, and oil behavior. Specific research projects have begun to yield information that will improve detection and at-sea equipment performance; current projects, include the development of an airborne laser-fluorosensor to determine whether apparent slicks contain oil. Additional projects involve the development of improved strategies for responding to oil in broken-ice conditions, for gaining an improved understanding of the fate and behavior of spilled oil as it affects response strategies, and for defining the capabilities of available dispersants and development of improved formulations. Recently progress has been made on the development of safe and environmentally acceptable strategies to burn spilled oil in situ. The Ohmsett facility has been reopened and will be used to test prospective improvements in chemical treating agents and to develop standard procedures for testing and evaluating response equipment. Results of research published since the last Oil Spill Conference are discussed.

ENSURING PROTECTION OF CALIFORNIA'S COASTAL RESOURCES: SENSITIVE SITE STRATEGY EVALUATION PROGRAM

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 407-409
Author(s):  
David W. Price ◽  
Christopher Klumpp
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
California Department ◽  
Evaluation Program ◽  
Contingency Plan ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Strategy Evaluation ◽  
Sensitive Site ◽  
Protection Strategies ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive

ABSTRACT There are over 400 designated environmentally sensitive sites and associated protection strategies in California(s coastal waters. To meet the challenge of protecting sensitive sites, California Department of Fish and Game's Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) has developed the Sensitive Site Strategy Evaluation Program (SSSEP). The SSSEP provides a program to test and evaluate the effectiveness of “protective response strategies”. These strategies have been designed to exclude or divert oil spills away from these sites. Tides and currents, wind, water depth, and obstructions can have dramatic influence on how a strategy is designed and performs. The need to test and evaluate these strategies is critical to ensure that the strategies do work in an actual oil spill emergency to protect sensitive resources. In California, marine oil facilities, vessels carrying petroleum cargo, and non-tank vessels over 300 tons are required to have an oil spill contingency plan. These contingency plan-holders are required to protect environmentally sensitive sites which may be impacted by an oil spill. Most contingency plan-holders form their plans based upon the response strategies contained in the regional Area Contingency Plans (ACP) and rely upon Oil Spill Response Organizations (OSROs) to supply the needed response resources. In a cooperative venture, OSPR, the San Francisco Area Committee and OSROs have teamed together to conduct the SSSEP. The OSROs participating are MSRC and NRC Environmental Services. These OSROs provide the vast majority of San Francisco Plan Holders with their spill response services and have volunteered their time and efforts to test the response strategies. The SSSEP is providing important information on just how effective our strategies are and what we can to do to improve them. OSPR's future goal is to expand the SSSEP into California's other ACP areas, validating and building assurances in sensitive site protection strategies.

scholarly journals Results from Cooperative Ecological Risk Assessments for Oil Spill Response Planning in Galveston Bay, Texas and the San Francisco Bay Area, California

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don V. Aurand ◽  
Gina M. Coelho ◽  
Robert G. Pond ◽  
Buzz Martin ◽  
John Caplis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
San Francisco Bay ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Galveston Bay ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Ecological Risk Assessments

ABSTRACT This paper summarizes the results of two cooperative ecological risk assessments (ERAs) that examined the potential environmental consequences of oil spill scenarios, two in the vicinity of San Francisco Bay, California and one in Galveston Bay, Texas. The goal of the evaluation was to identify the optimum mix of response options for reducing injury to the environment. For these specific scenarios, the participants concluded that only dispersant use, assuming high effectiveness, had the potential to significantly reduce environmental impact when compared to natural recovery. While water-column effects increased with dispersant use, they were not long term and judged to be of less ecological significance than shoreline or water-surface impacts. Aside from dispersant use, only shoreline cleanup was effective in clearly mitigating impacts, and obviously would not prevent the immediate consequences of the spills. The optimum response was viewed as involving some combination of the various response options. There were some issues with data adequacy in both locations, but both groups felt the information was adequate for the analysis. In both ERAs, participants emphasized that the conclusions were scenario specific, and that additional analyses would be necessary before any significant generalizations could be made.

NET ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT ANALYSIS BY APPLICATION OF GIS-A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH IN A REGION OF HIGH BIODIVERSITY AND INCREASING COMPLEXITY IN OIL PRODUCTION

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 1095-1098
Author(s):  
Geir Morten Skeie ◽  
Frode Engen ◽  
Odd Willy Brude ◽  
Marit E. Randall
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Alternative Response ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT The Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) extends from latitude 56° to 71°. Along the 82,000 km coastline and offshore, biodiversity is high, with large populations of fish, seabirds and marine mammals. In terms of oil and gas production, there is an increasing diversity in technical structures, water depth, and oil types, as recovery proceeds to smaller reservoirs. This calls for a high degree of flexibility in oil spill response strategies. According to Norwegian regulations, alternative response strategies must be analysed in a standardized way, including Net Environmental Benefit Analyses (NEBA). For this purpose, a GIS based method has been developed for net environmental benefit analysis of different oil spill response options for the NCS. Through a GIS interface, the user can interactively select a release location, an oil type, and a month for the oil spill. A standard map is generated, showing areas where different oil response strategies pose a net environmental benefit, net environmental loss, or a conflict.

Regional Planning for Shoreline Cold Weather Oil Spill Response in Finland

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 300140
Author(s):  
J. Halonen
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Cold Weather ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Joint Project ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Holistic Management ◽  
Near Shore ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
The Baltic

Finland's northern location presents operational and logistical challenges to effective oil spill response operation in the wintertime as the northern parts of the Baltic Sea are covered by ice almost every winter. In Finland the Regional Rescue Services (RRS) are responsible for near shore spill response and shoreline cleanup operations. To improve their cold weather response capability four coastal RRS initiated a joint project to develop a shoreline cold weather response plan. This project called WinterSOKO (A32372) focuses on the response options applicable in cold conditions and the spill response logistics on snow- and ice-covered shorelines and near shore waters. This paper presents the logistical approach used in the project. Optimal combination of marine and land based logistical support is a key success factor as the cold weather response requires a holistic management of multiple response strategies with variable conditions in the spill site.

Stakeholder Engagement and Survey Tools for Oil Spill Response Options

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 1149-1162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Hayward Walker ◽  
Ann Bostrom
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Stakeholder Engagement ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Mechanical Response ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Local Stakeholder ◽  
The Pacific

ABSTRACT Oil spill stakeholders, including decision makers and other groups, have expressed concerns about and questioned the use of dispersants and other non-mechanical response options for years. Concerns in past decades were primarily ecological, but during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill some individuals and communities in the Gulf of Mexico states also articulated perceptions of public health risks associated with the use of dispersants. Effective risk communication is essential to manage the potential risks associated with oil spills. Stakeholders concerned about risks want or need information in the form of communications products, such as guides or briefs. Because people process new information within the context of their existing beliefs, such communication products are likely to be more effective and useful for their intended audiences if they are designed to: (1) take into account the communication recipients' existing beliefs; and (2) directly address the decisions/judgments faced by recipients by providing them with the information they want and need to make those decisions. Stakeholder engagement is essential to learn about risk perceptions, to learn about what information stakeholders want and need to make decisions effectively, and to develop communication products to that end. This paper builds upon a mental models approach to dispersant risk communications research from the 1990s. It describes and presents results from an industry-government collaborative project to develop risk-based tools designed to communicate the subject of dispersants to local level stakeholders among others. This project includes an expanded science-informed dispersant decision model, two stakeholder open houses, and two surveys (interactive and online) to gather data-driven insights about local stakeholder knowledge and understanding of dispersants, as well as their perceptions of the risks and benefits associated with dispersant use during a spill in relation to other response options. The surveys were distributed at two open houses for local stakeholders on the Eastern Shore of Virginia (Wallops Is.) and the Pacific Northwest (Port Townsend, WA). Both open houses were co-sponsored with USCG-led Area Committees. The Virginia workshop was also co-sponsored by The Nature Conservancy and the Virginia Shore Keeper. It is expected that the surveys may be incorporated into future meetings and open houses involving stakeholders at any level, e.g., local, state, regional or national. The data from the surveys can guide the improvement of future communication efforts about dispersants, as well as provide support for enhanced stakeholder engagement during preparedness and response.

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