Effective Planning for Dispersant Operations – Making Decisions, Analyzing Options and Establishing Capability

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 2791-2810
Author(s):  
Thomas Coolbaugh ◽  
Andy Nicoll ◽  
Aaron Montgomery ◽  
Geeva Varghese ◽  
Lucy Heathcote
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Adverse Weather ◽  
Dispersant Effectiveness ◽  
Oil Type

ABSTRACT Within the oil spill response community, dispersant use is considered to be a key tool for the treatment and mitigation of oil spills. As a response technique, the benefits of dispersant application have been long proven, particularly in the case of large offshore spills such as those associated with the Sea Empress (UK, 1996), Montara (Australia, 2009) and Macondo (USA, 2010) incidents. Compared to other spill response techniques, dispersant application has less operational constraints associated with adverse weather conditions and can be rapidly applied from an aerial platform for larger spills far offshore. These reasons render dispersant application a critical tool in the toolbox for many offshore operators. Developing a successful dispersant application strategy requires comprehensive planning. For an offshore operator with a subsea well blowout risk, a number of elements should be carefully considered to ensure the successful execution of the dispersant application strategy. The decision making process should include a detailed evaluation of the oil type, release scenario and location, and the consideration of these parameters against the larger environmental and socio-economic needs of the stakeholder community. Once dispersant application is established to be a viable response option using a process such as Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA), the operator also needs to ensure that it is adequately resourced in terms of application platforms (vessel vs aircraft), monitoring techniques and supporting logistics. Well planned and detailed operational strategies are critical for successful subsea and surface dispersant operations, especially in the unlikely event of a large offshore spill. This paper summarizes the various operational considerations an offshore operator needs to assess during the preparedness stage for developing a viable dispersant application strategy. Drawing on the authors’ experiences in developing and implementing various preparedness projects globally, the different aspects of the dispersant planning process, including oil spill modelling to support decision making, ascertaining dispersant effectiveness for the oil type, selecting appropriate application techniques, establishing necessary logistical support and the setting up of an incident management team to support dispersant operations, will be discussed in detail. The goal of the paper is to build upon prior dispersant strategy discussions and provide an operationally focused blueprint for planning and implementing an effective dispersant application strategy in support of offshore operations.

Oil Spill Monitoring Handbook

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Type I ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Adverse Weather ◽  
Response Phase ◽  
Oil Exposure

Oil spills can be difficult to manage, with reporting frequently delayed. Too often, by the time responders arrive at the scene, the slick has moved, dissolved, dispersed or sunk. This Oil Spill Monitoring Handbook provides practical advice on what information is likely required following the accidental release of oil or other petroleum-based products into the marine environment. The book focuses on response phase monitoring for maritime spills, otherwise known as Type I or operational monitoring. Response phase monitoring tries to address the questions – what? where? when? how? how much? – that assist responders to find, track, predict and clean up spills, and to assess their efforts. Oil spills often occur in remote, sensitive and logistically difficult locations, often in adverse weather, and the oil can change character and location over time. An effective response requires robust information provided by monitoring, observation, sampling and science. The Oil Spill Monitoring Handbook completely updates the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s 2003 edition of the same name, taking into account the latest scientific advances in physical, chemical and biological monitoring, many of which have evolved as a consequence of major oil spill disasters in the last decade. It includes sections on the chemical properties of oil, the toxicological impacts of oil exposure, and the impacts of oil exposure on different marine habitats with relevance to Australia and elsewhere. An overview is provided on how monitoring integrates with the oil spill response process, the response organisation, the use of decision-support tools such as net environmental benefit analysis, and some of the most commonly used response technologies. Throughout the text, examples are given of lessons learned from previous oil spill incidents and responses, both local and international. General guidance of spill monitoring approaches and technologies is augmented with in-depth discussion on both response phase and post-response phase monitoring design and delivery. Finally, a set of appendices delivers detailed standard operating procedures for practical observation, sample and data collection. The Oil Spill Monitoring Handbook is essential reading for scientists within the oil industry and environmental and government agencies; individuals with responder roles in industry and government; environmental and ecological monitoring agencies and consultants; and members of the maritime sector in Australia and abroad, including officers in ports, shipping and terminals.

scholarly journals South Baltic Oil Spill Response Project (SBOIL)—Development and Implementation of Models of Drift and Fall Trajectories of Biogenic Oil Binders

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9889
Author(s):  
Fokke Saathoff ◽  
Marcus Siewert ◽  
Marcin Przywarty ◽  
Mateusz Bilewski ◽  
Bartosz Muczyński ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Current Response ◽  
Adverse Weather ◽  
Recovery System ◽  
Oil Spill Response

This paper presents the methodology, assumptions, and functionalities of an application developed during the realization of the project “South Baltic Oil Spill Response through Clean-up with Biogenic Oil Binders” (SBOIL). The SBOIL project is a continuation of the BioBind project, the primary goal of which was to develop and deploy an oil recovery system designed for use in coastal waters and adverse weather conditions. The goal of the SBOIL project was to use this new technology to improve the current response capabilities for cross-border oil spills. The developed application allows for the determination of the position of an aircraft at the time of dropping the oil binders, the determination of the oil binders’ position after falling in terms of a specific aircraft’s position, the determination of the position of oil binders after a certain time in order to plan the action of recovering it from the water surface, and the determination of the time when the binders will be in their assumed position.

TERRORISM AND OIL SPILLS: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW AND HOW WE SHOULD RESPOND1

1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 (1) ◽  
pp. 743-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael de Bettencourt
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Environmental Response ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Incident Command

ABSTRACT An act of terrorism resulting in an oil spill triggers a unique set of response considerations that bring diverse agencies together under crisis conditions. To manage such incidents effectively, a systematic approach is needed to standardize incident response, command, and control methods and to better define the planning process for these demanding scenarios. The National Interagency Incident Management System-Incident Command System (NIIMS-ICS) is the common denominator that has been adopted by the United States Coast Guard for oil spill response. This paper highlights recommendations to adopt the NIIMS-ICS nationally for combined law enforcement and environmental response incidents to ensure efficient and effective response methods.

Use of Dispersants in the United States: Perception or Reality?

1991 ◽  
Vol 1991 (1) ◽  
pp. 389-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Cunningham ◽  
Karen A. Sahatjian ◽  
Chris Meyers ◽  
Gary Yoshioka ◽  
Julie M. Jordan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
The United States ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Unfavorable Weather

ABSTRACT Dispersants have been a controversial oil spill response technique since their introduction during the Torrey Canyon oil spill off the coast of the United Kingdom in 1967. Despite reductions in the toxicity of dispersants and improvements in their application since then, dispersants have not been used extensively in the United States because of logistical difficulties, unfavorable weather conditions, and a lack of demonstrated effectiveness during actual spill conditions. In addition, there is a widely held perception in the United States that dispersant use has been limited by complex authorization procedures. This paper reviews the dispersant policies of several European nations and Canada and compares them with those of the United States. Recent developments in U. S. dispersant policy are outlined, particularly those designed to expedite decision making. The paper concludes by examining some recent U. S. oil spills in which dispersant use was considered.

scholarly journals New Norwegian Policy on Use of Dispersants

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 273-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Mari Vik
Keyword(s):  
Pollution Control ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Contingency Plan ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Control Authority ◽  
Or Organization ◽  
Oil Company ◽  
Oil Type

ABSTRACT On the 1st of January 2002 the Norwegian Ministry of Environment introduced new regulations regarding the use of dispersants in oil spill response at sea. The Norwegian policy is to allow the use of dispersants when this means of response gives the best environmental results. Compared with former regulations this extends the possibilities of using a broader range of combat methods well suited for different spill scenarios. A thorough analysis has to be done in advance and the criteria for use must be documented in a contingency plan. Specific tests are required to make sure the dispersants are low toxic and effective (oil type specific). The regulations state that use of dispersants is prohibited unless well planned and documented. Whenever an oil company or other enterprises handling considerable amounts of oil, plans to use dispersants as a means of combat, the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority will consider the criteria for use described in their contingency plan. In oil spills where use of dispersants is not pre-planned the polluter or organization in charge of the operation at sea has to apply to the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority to get permission to disperse. This application has to include weather conditions, water depth, oil type, toxicity and effectiveness of the dispersant, and a Net Environmental Benefit Analyze. The large amount of documentation required compared with the short windows of opportunity means that in practice the use of dispersants has to be pre planned to be successful.

scholarly journals Decision making in adverse weather conditions

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Rodrigues de Oliveira Silva ◽  
Humberto César Machado
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Adverse Weather Conditions ◽  
Adverse Weather

A REVIEW OF EXPERIMENTAL SHORELINE OIL SPILLS

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 (1) ◽  
pp. 583-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Baker ◽  
D. I. Little ◽  
E. H. Owens
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
Ecological Effects ◽  
Rocky Intertidal ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Shoreline Protection ◽  
Oil Type

ABSTRACT Oil spill research and development has involved a large number of experiments to evaluate the effectiveness and the effects of marine shoreline protection and cleanup techniques. Considerable knowledge has accumulated from laboratory and wave tank studies, and there have also been a number of field experiments, in which oil was intentionally spilled on shorelines under controlled conditions. This review summarizes those field experiments, which are grouped in five major habitat types: rocky intertidal, cobble/pebble/gravel, sand/mud, saltmarshes, and mangroves/seagrasses. Tables included in the paper itemize the oil type and volume, location and substrate character, number and size of plots, response techniques tested, and referenced publications. This information is then used to combine understanding of the effectiveness of cleanup with understanding of the ecological effects of cleanup methods, compared with those of untreated oil. It is very difficult to achieve this type of information and understanding from toxicity testing or from spills of opportunity.

METACOGNITIVE DECISION MAKING IN OIL SPILL RESPONSE-BEHAVIORAL BIAS IN RELATION TO PERCEIVED RISK

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 1453-1470
Author(s):  
LT Christopher M. Kimrey
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Sense Making ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Behavioral Bias ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT 2017-205 Catastrophic events like Deepwater Horizon, Exxon Valdez, major hurricanes, and other such anomalies have a tendency to overwhelm the initial crisis management leadership due to the chaotic nature of the event. The inability to quickly and accurately make critical assessments about the magnitude and complexity of the emerging catastrophe can spell disaster for crisis managers long before the response ever truly takes shape. This paper argues for the application of metacognitive models for sense and decision-making. Rather than providing tools and checklists as a recipe for success, this paper endeavors to provide awareness of the cognitive processes and heuristics that tend to emerge in crises including major oil spills, making emergency managers aware of their existence and potential impacts. Awareness, we argue, leads to recognition and self-awareness of key behavioral patterns and biases. The skill of metacognition—thinking about thinking—is what we endeavor to build through this work. Using a literature review and cogent application to oil spill response, this paper reviews contemporary theories on metacognition and sense-making, as well as concepts of behavioral bias and risk perception in catastrophic environments. When catastrophe occurs—and history has proven they will—the incident itself and the external pressures of its perceived management arguably emerge simultaneously, but not necessarily in tandem with one another. Previous spills have demonstrated how a mismanaged incident can result in an unwieldy and caustic confluence of external forces. This paper provides an awareness of biases that lead to mismanagement and apply for the first time a summary of concepts of sense-making and metacognition to major oil spill response. The views and ideas expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Coast Guard or Department of Homeland Security.

BEHAVIOR-BASED SAFETY PROCESSES IN ARCTIC OIL SPILL RESPONSE

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 (1) ◽  
pp. 703-705
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Hall ◽  
Walter J. Henry
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Workplace Safety ◽  
North Slope ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Safety Plan ◽  
The Face ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Behavior Based ◽  
Field Workers

ABSTRACT The Alaska North Slope region is a challenging operating environment. During spill response operations, worksite hazards are magnified and ensuring safety of response personnel becomes more difficult. In the Incident Management Team, the Safety Officer develops a Site Safety Plan to identify hazards and establish guidelines for safe operations. This information is typically communicated to the field workers when they check-in at the Staging Area or other assigned location. The Site Safety Plan alone, however, fails to address specific behaviors of the personnel that lead to unsafe activities. Behavior-Based Safety Processes fill in this missing piece. The PIRATE Process is an example of behavior-based safety at work. PIRATE - Personal Involvement Reduces Accidents to Everyone - is a fundamental part of the safety culture in the Greater Prudhoe Bay operating area. The March 2006 Gathering Center 2 (GC-2) Transit Line oil spill response presented significant challenges to all involved: extreme weather conditions, congested work areas, spilled oil on frozen lake and tundra environments, and complex field operations competing for personnel and resources. Daily involvement with PIRATE (and similar North Slope Behavior-Based Safety Processes) has made the workforce acutely aware of each individuar'S role in workplace safety, enhancing the overall safety performance of the organization. This poster shows some of the difficulties of a complex arctic oil spill response, and the application of Behavior-Based Safety Processes to enable safe and efficient operations in the face of these challenges.

Problems and Opportunities Integrating Scat and ICS1

1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 (1) ◽  
pp. 863-866
Author(s):  
Michael de Bettencourt ◽  
John Tarpley ◽  
Kathleen Ward
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Management Team ◽  
Fully Integrated ◽  
Incident Command System ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
The Past ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Tremendous Amount

ABSTRACT The Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Team (SCAT) process has done a tremendous amount to standardize the language of shoreline impact and cleanup needs over the past 8 years. The SCAT process has been standardized regionally, and this process now generates a tremendous amount of information in a very short period of time. However, the SCAT-generated information can be extremely complicated and dense. In the urgency of the oil spill crisis, the information is often filtered and distilled down to a point where it is so generalized that it is nearly useless. This inability to manage critical information often wastes valuable resources and time. To better manage the information and decision making associated with shoreline cleanup, the SCAT process must be fully integrated into the Incident Command System (ICS). The information generated by the SCAT must not only be thorough, the spill management team and the supervisors in the field must easily understand it. This paper discusses the problems and opportunities associated with integrating the SCAT process and the ICS planning process.

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