Spill Response Strategies
OPRC Level 3
Limitations and Issues
Overview
OPRC Level 3
• Main oil spill response strategies
• Their limitations
• Issues that may arise
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Strategies
OPRC Level 3
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Monitor and evaluate
Dispersants
Containment and recovery
Shoreline protection
Shoreline clean-up
Waste management
Alternative technologies
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OPRC Level 3
1 Monitor and Evaluate
OPRC Level 3
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Safety issues
The towing option
Natural weathering of oil
Environmental reasons to leave alone
Monitor movement of oil:
– Aerial surveillance
– Computer models
• Be prepared to take appropriate action
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Monitor & Evaluate - The Issues
OPRC Level 3
• Competence
– Lack of organisation
– Unable to respond
• Cost cutting – cheap way out!
• Lack of concern
– Environment
– Community
• Lack of action – gambling on outcome
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2 Dispersants
OPRC Level 3
• Permission – policy pre-approval
• Effectiveness
• Encounter rate:
– Ship spraying
– Airborne spraying
• Logistics
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Factors Affecting Decision to Use Dispersants
OPRC Level 3
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Oil type – viscosity & pour point
Regulations / government policy
Resources at risk
Weather and water temperature
Sea state, energy and hydrography
Window of opportunity
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Dispersants – The Issues
OPRC Level 3
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Toxicity:
– Effect on environment
– Public health
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What happens to the oil?
Adding a further pollutant
Convenient “out of sight” option
Affects other strategies
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3 Contain and Recover
OPRC Level 3
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High capital investment
Logistics
Operational limitations
Encounter rate
Training
Temporary storage and final disposal
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Containment & Recovery –The Issues
OPRC Level 3
• If it fails or has poor success:
– Competence
– Lack of preparedness
• Logistical support
• Disposal – pre-approval of sites
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4 Shoreline Protection
OPRC Level 3
• Prioritisation of
sensitive areas
• Effective use of
available resources
• Logistics and
practicality
• Cost effectiveness
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5 Shoreline Clean-up
OPRC Level 3
• Shoreline type
– sensitivity
– amenity
– access
• Project management
– labour intensive
– low technology
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Project Management
OPRC Level 3
• Labour intensive
• Low technology
• Logistics
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Shoreline Clean-up – Strategy
OPRC Level 3
• Evaluation:
– Survey
– Shoreline type
– Degree of oiling
• Priorities
• Conflicts of interest:
– Amenity vs. environment trade off
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Shoreline type
OPRC Level 3
• Sensitivity
• Amenity
• Access
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Shoreline Clean-up - Stages
OPRC Level 3
PRIMARY
Heavy contamination
and floating oil
SECONDARY
Moderate contamination:
stranded oil & oiled
beach materials
FINAL POLISHING
Light contamination & oil
stains
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OPRC Level 3
Shoreline Clean-up – The Issues
OPRC Level 3
• Pollution plainly visible
• Direct and indirect impacts on:
– ecology, amenity & industry
• Clean-up activities
– who is responsible?
– how clean is “clean”?
– termination decisions
• External pressures
– media, political and ecological groups
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6 Waste Management
OPRC Level 3
• Significant
quantities: waste
multiplies
• Disposal
management:
– Temporary storage
– Transportation
– Final disposal
options
• Liquid wastes:
– Reprocessing /
recycling
– Combustion
• Solid wastes:
– Combustion
– Landfill
– Biological techniques
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Case Histories
OPRC Level 3
Spilled
Liquid waste
Solid waste
Amoco Cadiz
225 000
85 000
165 000
Exxon Valdez
35 000
13 000
33 000
Erika
19 800
1 100
250 000
Braer
85 000
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2 000
Sea Empress
72 000
22 000
12 000
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Waste Management – The Issues
OPRC Level 3
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Often the major problem
Expensive and time consuming
Importance of waste segregation
Importance of waste minimisation
Regulatory controls over disposal
options
• Limiting factor - determines success of
whole clean-up operation
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7 Alternative Technologies
OPRC Level 3
In situ Burning
Combustion requires:
• Igniters
• Low water content in
oil
• Minimum oil thickness
(2mm)
Bioremediation
Accelerated
biodegradation requires:
• Addition of nutrients
• Addition of microorganisms
• Specialised booms
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Alternative Technologies –The Issues
OPRC Level 3
Burning
• Expensive equipment
• Conditions for effective
operation are hard to fulfil
• Environmental concerns:
unburned residues; sunken
oil
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Alternative Technologies –The Issues
OPRC Level 3
Bioremediation
• Not a “quick fix”
but long-term
treatment
• Limited success
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Key Messages
OPRC Level 3
• Combat strategy needs to be determined
at contingency planning stage
• Awareness of strengths and limitations of
different options
• Importance of waste management and
final disposal solutions
• Response strategy decisions affect
waste management issues
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