Spill response in the marine and coastal environment offers a series of challenges. Response objectives, priorities, and strategies are defined and communicated to responders through an incident command organization. Highlighted issues often include offshore response options, coastal priorities and protection, and cleanup. Special considerations, strategies and tactics are discussed for a variety of settings, using examples from actual spills. Courses are typically tailored to the environments and conditions that the client may experience (tropical mangroves/coral, temperate, protected vs. open seas, arctic, etc.).
Topics typically include:
Fate and Behavior of Spills
- Oil Properties
- Spreading, Transport and Weathering
- Trajectories and modeling
Health and Safety
- First Responder Safety
- Site Control and Decontamination
Monitoring
- Monitoring and tracking options
- Assessment of Oil on Water
- Sampling
On-Water Operations
- Containment and Recovery Strategies and Tactics
- Coastal Protection Strategies
- Dispersant Use
- Controlled Burning
Shoreline Assessment and Treatment
- Oiling Assessment
- Cleanup Goals and Endpoints
- Tactics and Techniques
Waste Handling and Disposal
- Handling and Segregation
- Temporary Waste Sites
- Final Disposal Options
Tabletop and Field Exercises
Duration:
Typically 2- to 3-day (can be included as part of a broader training program)