Oil Spill-Related Activities at the National Academy of Sciences

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Oil Spill-Related Activities at the
National Academy of Sciences
Deborah Glickson
UNH Oil Spill Forum
October 29, 2014
Who is the NAS?
• Non-governmental, non-profit organization
• Chartered by Congress under the Lincoln
Administration (1863) to provide independent advice
to the Nation on science, engineering, and medicine
• Intellectual leadership comes from volunteer experts,
chosen for expertise, balance, and objectivity.
• Committee reports are most well known (200+ reports
each year) but also research grants, fellowships,
workshops, & other uses of independent experts.
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Boards and Activities
• Transportation Research Board
• Division of Earth and Life Studies
• Gulf Program
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Diluted Bitumen – Transport, Fate, Effect
First NAS Study (PHMSA)
• Analyze whether transportation of diluted bitumen by
transmission pipeline has an increased likelihood of
release compared to other commonly transported crude oils.
• Key Finding: The committee did not find any causes of
pipeline failure unique to the transportation of diluted
bitumen.
Second NAS Study (DOT)
• What are the consequences should a release happen?
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• Do property differences between dilbit and other crudes
warrant modifications to regulations governing spill response
plans, spill preparedness, or clean up?
• Study underway, expected to be complete Dec 2015
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Arctic Context
• Rapid climate change
• Increasing marine
access
•
•
•
•
Oil and gas
Shipping
Fishing
Tourism?
After DWH, traction for an NAS study on
oil spill response in the U.S. Arctic
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Image sources: NOAA, BOEM
Responding to Marine Oil Spills in U.S. Arctic
• Evaluate the current state of science and
engineering regarding oil spill response
and environmental assessment in Arctic
waters
• Scenarios
• Preparedness
• Response and Clean Up
• Environmental Baselines
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Factors Affecting Scenarios
Probability
• Type and condition of a vessel, pipeline, rig, or storage facility
• Accuracy and availability of maps and charts
• Season, weather conditions, and presence or absence of ice
• Behaviors, decisions, and experience level of key personnel
Impacts
• Amount and type of oil released
• Met, ocean, ice, and geologic conditions
• Degree of interaction between oil and ecosystem
• Availability of response infrastructure and trained personnel
• Domestic vs. international
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Scenarios & Risk Matrix
• Shipping
• 1 - Passenger
vessel
• 2 - Oil tanker
• 3 - Bulk carrier
• 4 – Tug/barge
• 5 – Pipeline break
• 6 – Wellhead blowout
• 7 - Land-based oil tank
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Image sources: NOAA, BOEM
Benchmark Data
• Few reliable baselines or benchmarks
– Distribution and abundance: fish, birds, marine mammals
– Rates of change for key species
– Sensitivity of key Arctic species to hydrocarbons
• What’s needed?
• A system that integrates Arctic data in support of oil spill
preparedness, response, and restoration and
rehabilitation
• Long-term, community-based, multiuse Arctic observing
system
• Real-time ocean-ice-meteorological forecasting system
• Continued nautical charting and shoreline mapping 9
Image source: NOAA
Oil Spill Response Research
• Comprehensive, collaborative, long-term Arctic oil
spill research and development program that
integrates
– Oil behavior
– Oil spill response and countermeasures
– Improved data & forecasting models
• A systematic program of carefully planned and
controlled field experiments that release oil in the U.S.
Arctic is needed to advance understanding of oil
behavior and response options.
10
Coast Guard Needs
• Enhanced Arctic presence
–
–
–
–
Area-specific training,
icebreaking capability,
improved vessel availability, and
aircraft and helicopter support facilities
• Longer Arctic assignments for trained and
experienced personnel and tribal liaisons
• Sustained funding needed to increase presence
and to strengthen ongoing Arctic oil spill research
programs
• Expedite evaluation of Bering Strait traffic – is VTS
warranted?
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Image source: USCG
Arctic Infrastructure
• Lack of infrastructure is a significant liability
• Effective oil spill response requires improved:
– Communications, transportation, traffic monitoring
systems
– Stronger supply chains, pre-deployed response
equipment
– Improved port and air access
– Personnel, berthing, housing, waste & medical
facilities
– Community infrastructure—tribal liaisons, training
– Integrated scientific and traditional knowledge
Image source: NOAA
The Oil Spill Toolbox
• No single technique will apply in
all situations.
• Effective oil spill response
requires flexibility to evaluate
and apply multiple response
options
• NEBA can identify response
options with least adverse
environmental impacts and
greatest net benefit
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Image source: USCG
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