A REVIEW OF NORTH AMERICA’S OIL SPILL RESPONSE SYSTEM

2016 Oil Spill Response Systems–A New Perspective

The currently expressed goal for oil spill response plans and their action is to “prevent the release of oil into navigable waters and adjoining shorelines, and to contain discharges of oil.

But consider this: What if the goals were different, what if the objective/standard was: “rapid toxicity elimination, emulsification and solubilization [contained on the surface, keeping oil off shorelines, beaches and out of the water column or sediments] followed by rapid and complete removal/biodegradation of oil pollutants from the environment.”

Given that this objective is now achievable, will there be decision-making changes re spill response and planning?  The good news is, first-response approaches and options have expanded.

Optimizing Oil Spill ReponseThat said, recent investigative and scientific reports illustrate that despite billions spent over decades to maintain our oil and hazardous chemical spill response system with high-level scientific support programs, the system is deficient.

What are the gaps and why?

As covered in a widely circulated paper entitled A Call for a Twenty-First Century Solution in Oil Spill Response, better technologies and systems are available for ocean and shoreline spills.

To explore new data on best-available technology for biodegradation of oil spills, download the complete analysis and information at: DOWNLOAD HERE: 2015 REVIEW OF OIL SPILL RESPONSE SYSTEMS PROMPTS NEED FOR CHANGE IN 2016

The Lawrence Anthony Earth Organization’s Science and Technology Committee is forming a US/CAN research consortium to develop standards, document and publish further peer reviewed literature to advance knowledge in this field. LAEO is looking to collaborate with industry, academia and oil spill response professionals on these research projects and asks that you contact their Science and Tech Project Coordinator at: diane@theearthorganization.org

A Canada Deepwater Drilling spill would link to US Waters

A Canada Deepwater Drilling spill would link to
US Waters

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