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
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•
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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.
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Coast Guard Needs
• Enhanced Arctic presence
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–
–
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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