Services
Scientific Support of Oil Spill Response
POLARIS scientists have provided leadership for shoreline response operations encompassing shoreline assessment (SCAT), cleanup, inspections, and damage assessment on numerous spills.
Natural resources damage assessment
At the time of a spill, our unique combination of technical expertise, from pre-planning through restoration, gives our clients the elements needed to make critical operational decisions in the context of NRDA and restoration concerns.
Coral Grounding Assessment and Restoration
POLARIS has been involved in over 60 incidents worldwide involving scientific support for coral reef damages from ship casualties, anchor damage, oil and chemical spills and wreck removal alternatives among others.
PREVENTION & PLANNING
POLARIS provides spill response, prevention and contingency planning ranging from national planning initiatives, typically through International Maritime Organization and/or UN programs, to plans to meet regulatory compliance, including integrated response plans, fleet plans, spill and operations manuals, and practical guidelines for response personnel.
Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT)
Polaris scientists helped develop the SCAT process in the 1980s and have performed SCAT leadership and management functions for many significant spill events.
Technical Training
POLARIS offers a wide range of training courses that cover a variety of oil spill planning and response topics.
Aerial Video Surveys and Mapping
POLARIS scientists continue to pioneer the use of aerial video surveys for shore-zone mapping, coastal inventories, and oil spill countermeasures planning.
Restoration
POLARIS personnel have acted as the technical representative for responsible parties on restoration projects ad include: trustee liaison, development and assessment of alternative restoration/ compensation options, innovative conceptual project designs, project design coordination, permitting, contractor selection, and monitoring of construction and performance criteria.
About Polaris
POLARIS APPLIED SCIENCES, Inc. (POLARIS) was created in 1998 from the merger of three highly successful companies with a broad range of capabilities in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial oil and chemical spill response.
POLARIS’ scientific support staff for oil spill response includes internationally recognized leaders in shoreline treatment operations, shoreline geomorphology, pre-spill planning, technical training of spill responders, and environmental assessment.
Our scientists offer a combined total of over 100 years of response experience from more than 200 spills and groundings. POLARIS has provided clients worldwide with spill planning, spill and grounding response, scientific support, shoreline cleanup assessment technique (SCAT) training and implementation, natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) and environmental restoration services.
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Rapid response, worldwide coverage
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Decades of experience with NRDA projects
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World class plans for marine, coastal and inland operations
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Highly skilled and experienced instructors, proven materials
OUR TEAM
Click here for full bios
Greg E. Challenger, M.S.
Dr. Elliott Taylor
Andrew W. Graham, M.S.
Teresa L. Allard
Jose M. Rios, M.S.
Travis M. Scott, M.S.
Dr. Stephan Gmur
Colin McWilliams, M.S.
Alison Craig, M.S., M.P.A.,
Gary S. Mauseth, M.S.
Contact Us for More Information
Latest news
Polaris at the IOSC 2017
IOSC – 2017 Polaris scientists and emergency management experts will be at the International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC-2017). Polaris will be presenting multiple scientific and technical papers as well as exchanging ideas and lessons learned from our projects around the world. Come and visit us on booth# 1208.
New coral restoration project in the Cayman Islands
POLARIS recently restored a coral reef damaged by a ship grounding in the Cayman Islands.
SCAT Training for First Nations, Tofino BC, 7 – 9 Dec. 2016
POLARIS delivered a 3-day course on Shorelines and Oil Spill response to personnel from First Nations groups along the west coast of Vancouver Island. The course, sponsored by WCMRC, included two field sessions and use of the POLARIS field collection application and PRISM database.
National oil spill preparedness study for Mozambique, Nov. 20 – Dec. 2, 2016
Elliott Taylor and Ed Owens completed a two-week review and assessment of the national oil spill response program in Mozambique. The in-country assessment entailed meetings with INAMAR as the lead agency for spill response as well as supporting government ministries and departments. Site visits were made to four key ports: Maputo/Matola, Beira, Nacala, and Pemba. Read more about National oil spill preparedness study for Mozambique, Nov. 20 – Dec. 2, 2016[…]
Tier 2-3 Spill Exercise in Sakhalin, Russia
Dr. Taylor provided technical support and exercise facilitation to Exxon Neftegas Ltd. (ENL) as part of the annual training and exercise program. Training and exercises in 2016 were conducted for scenarios onshore and offshore the DeKastri Export Terminal (Oct. 2016) and the Chayvo-Berkut area (Nov. 2016).