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.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF OIL SPILL RESPONSE OPTIONS: A NOAA-U.S. NAVY JOINT PROJECT

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (2) ◽  
pp. 883-890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher H. Barker ◽  
William P. Healy
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Current Version ◽  
Continue Development ◽  
Joint Project ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Different Response ◽  
Impact Events

ABSTRACT The U.S. Navy is in the process of re-evaluating its oil spill response preparedness. As part of that effort, the Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have teamed up to continue development of a tool designed to help planners assess their response effectiveness: the Trajectory Analysis Planner (TAP). TAP is an interface to a database of thousands of modeled oil spill trajectories, an ensemble of trajectories that represent the population of all possible spills. The TAP interface helps response planners understand characteristics of the possible oil spills in a given region. With this understanding, they can not only plan for one or a few possible high-impact events, but can determine the best overall plan for many events, across a large spectrum of probabilities and levels of impact. This paper is the result of the joint NOAA-Navy project to extend the capabilities of TAP. The capabilities and interface of the current version of the program (TAP II) are presented, along with some of its limitations. The need and direction of the development of a new version (TAP III) that will address some of these limitations is discussed. This future approach will allow planners to assess how different response options are likely to influence the ultimate impact of an oil spill in a region.

Osros: Will they be There for Inland Environments?

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 483-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dee Bradley ◽  
Mike Crickard ◽  
Carl Oskins ◽  
John Bradley
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
The United States ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Near Shore ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Ancillary Equipment

ABSTRACT Oil Spill Removal Organizations (OSROs) provide a necessary service to companies who produce, refine and transport (pipeline and road) oil and refined products and need to be prepared for the Worst Case Oil Spill Response Scenario. Those companies in coastal and near shore areas have virtually all of the classified OSROs to pick from, but such is not the case for oil companies located in the western areas of the United States. This paper looks at this dilemma through the experiences of one potential OSRO opting to target this inland operating area. Issues such as boom size; skimmer applications and ancillary equipment differences; different approaches to river, lake and stream spill response strategies; and the location of Captain of the Ports (COTPs) and Alternate City Classifications (ACCs) present unique challenges to providing inland OSRO support to companies who need it.

scholarly journals Oil Spill Response Planning in Cold and Warm Water Environments

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susse Wegeberg ◽  
Janne Fritt-Rasmussen ◽  
Kim Gustavson ◽  
Richard J Wenning ◽  
Michael Bock
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Decision Support Tool ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
The Baltic

ABSTRACT The priorities for oil spill response (OSR) are to protect people, prevent or mitigate environmental damages, and minimize the long-term impacts. Several analytic approaches have emerged in the field of spill impact mitigation assessment (SIMA), a science-based framework evolved from net environmental benefits analysis (NEBA), to broaden the focus from consideration of mitigation of ecological impact to also include socioeconomic and cultural impact considerations. In the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), a comparative risk assessment (CRA) decision-support tool was developed for identifying and comparing the ecological consequences of different oil spill response technologies in temperate/sub-tropical deep water, including the use of subsea dispersants. Another analytic assessment tool, Environment & Oil Spill Response (EOS), was developed based on offshore western Greenland and the Baltic Sea to assist in selection of oil spill response options that best mitigate the consequences of spilled oil in polar / sub-polar aquatic ecosystems in the Nordic region. In this work, we briefly review the CRA and EOS tools and highlight the shared and unique attributes of both assessment frameworks and how ecological, environmental and oil chemistry characteristics are handled in contrasting climatic and ecosystem conditions.

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.

scholarly journals Next-Generation Smart Response Web (NG-SRW): An Operational Spatial Decision Support System for Maritime Oil Spill Emergency Response in the Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6585
Author(s):  
Mihhail Fetissov ◽  
Robert Aps ◽  
Floris Goerlandt ◽  
Holger Jänes ◽  
Jonne Kotta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Situational Awareness ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Spatial Decision Support System ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
The Baltic

The Baltic Sea is a unique and sensitive brackish-water ecosystem vulnerable to damage from shipping activities. Despite high levels of maritime safety in the area, there is a continued risk of oil spills and associated harmful environmental impacts. Achieving common situational awareness between oil spill response decision makers and other actors, such as merchant vessel and Vessel Traffic Service center operators, is an important step to minimizing detrimental effects. This paper presents the Next-Generation Smart Response Web (NG-SRW), a web-based application to aid decision making concerning oil spill response. This tool aims to provide, dynamically and interactively, relevant information on oil spills. By integrating the analysis and visualization of dynamic spill features with the sensitivity of environmental elements and value of human uses, the benefits of potential response actions can be compared, helping to develop an appropriate response strategy. The oil spill process simulation enables the response authorities to judge better the complexity and dynamic behavior of the systems and processes behind the potential environmental impact assessment and thereby better control the oil combat action.

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.

Why Sample? - Understanding Common Sampling Objectives for Oil Spill Response

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 2561-2580
Author(s):  
Angeline Morrow ◽  
Christopher Pfeifer ◽  
Victoria Broje ◽  
Rachel Grunberg
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Alternative Response ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Worker Health And Safety ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Physical And Chemical

ABSTRACT #2017-204: There is a growing recognition of the role science plays in supporting oil spill response coupled with increasing reliance on data-driven management and decision-making approaches. Collecting samples for analysis of hydrocarbons and other chemicals potentially used during oil spill response (e.g., dispersants) has become common place on many spills. While the rationale and approaches for oil spill sampling may be well known to experienced chemists and environmental scientists, the response community is still gaining experience in integrating sampling programs into dynamic oil spill response and decision-making. This paper reviews common sampling objectives for three key aspects of spill response: operational decision-support, environmental impact assessment (including natural resource damage assessment), and source identification. These broad categories span a range of interrelated sub-topics including, among others, public/worker health and safety; understanding how physical and chemical properties of oil influence selection of response options; monitoring cleanup effectiveness, especially for alternative response technologies such as dispersants; identifying and differentiating between spill and non-spill pollution sources; and evaluating potential impacts to resources at risk. Methods for achieving sampling objectives, including development of Sampling and Analysis Plans, are discussed with the goal of increasing awareness among response managers and improving response capability among staff who may be tasked with sampling support during training exercises or actual incidents. Relevant considerations for study design, collection methods, and analytical parameters are also reviewed.

Brazil Case Study - Tactical Response Plans and Voo's Program - A New Approach to Shoreline Protection Preparedness

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-25
Author(s):  
Lucas Fantinato ◽  
Adriano Ranierin ◽  
Pedro Martins ◽  
Gustavo Lutz
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Shoreline Protection ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive Areas ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive ◽  
Definition Of

ABSTRACT In the past, Brazilian Oil Spill Response Plans focused on the definition of response strategies in offshore environments, but were insufficient when it came to shoreline protection. After the occurrence of major oil spill accidents around the world and events of great repercussion in Brazil and with the intensification of oil and gas E&P activities in locations close to the coast and near environmentally sensitive areas in the country (such as Camamu-Almada and the Jequitinhonha basin), the need for additional nearshore response studies became of the utmost importance. Recently developed documents address the environmental characterization of the coast and indicate the appropriate response strategies, but a more action-oriented approach is needed. For that purpose, based on the best practices in shoreline protection worldwide, a methodology is being implemented so as to provide consistent preparedness support for the protection of nearshore resources. The methodology uses the Brazilian licensing mandatory documents in order to identify the appropriate level of protection preparedness for each of the vulnerable segments of shoreline within the domain of the E&P activity. Once the proper level of preparedness has been identified, the method indicates how to attain such result by presenting a set of tools, such as: TRP (Tactical Response Plan), VoOs (Vessel of Oportunity) Program, Advances Bases and Full Deployment Exercises. This paper provides an overview of the methodology, followed by a case study in Brazil which helps illustrate how the level of preparedness is determined and how the proposed tools help achieve such result. Therefore, it allows assessing the effectiveness of this new approach in the country. Considering Brazil's growing E&P potential, the long extent of its coastline and the abundance of sensitive resources alongshore, the methodology should be applied to other E&P projects developed in the country.

Dispersant-Related Oil Spill Response Communication Tools: Toward an Enhanced Approach to Conveying Complex Topics in an Approachable Manner

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 1163-1171
Author(s):  
Thomas Coolbaugh ◽  
Erik DeMicco ◽  
Emily Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Extensive Study ◽  
Optimal Decision ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Response Options ◽  
The Public ◽  
Scientific Principles ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Informed Opinion

ABSTRACT During the response to the Macondo Well release in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, it became evident fairly quickly that there was a potential disconnect between existing scientifically-based information relating to the use of oil spill dispersants and the information that was readily available to the general public, the media, and government officials. At best, both sets of information were aligned and provided a valuable perspective to those who sought an increased understanding of the workings of oil spill response tools. At worst, there was a large misalignment and the information that was available to the public did not accurately reflect the known science of what dispersants have been designed to achieve. In this latter case, conclusions about dispersant use may have been formed incorrectly, providing a backdrop upon which individuals were not able to develop an informed opinion regarding the use of dispersants. In the case where incomplete and potentially unbalanced information is used to inform the public, it is possible that negative effects will result, i.e., opinions may be formed based on fear of the unknown, causing a delayed or less than optimal decision making process. While it is recognized that decisions made during a spill response may be challenging and may involve an environmental trade-off, an informed public can be a valuable asset during the stages of an emergency response when the pros and cons of the specific response options are being debated. To assist with an informed dialog, it is important to have materials available that accurately reflect the scientific principles upon which they are based, but without requiring extensive study of their details for a general understanding of their primary assumptions and conclusions. This paper summarizes recent efforts to develop readily available materials that can provide a better understanding of the use of dispersants during an offshore oil spill response. These efforts have been focused on developing simple yet effective tools which describe dispersants within the framework of an oil spill response tool box and the scenarios in which these tools may be used for the most positive environmental effect.

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