Posts tagged with

response

Incident Responses for January 2018

Posted Mon, 02/05/2018 - 19:26

Every month our Emergency Response Division provides scientific expertise and services to the U.S. Coast Guard on everything from running oil spill trajectories to model where the spill may spread, to possible effects on wildlife and fisheries, and estimates on how long the oil may stay in the environment.

With more than 20 incident responses last month, OR&R started the new year off on a busy note.

Our Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for 2018

Posted Wed, 01/03/2018 - 14:59

Another year has come and gone, and we’re starting the new year off right with a list of resolutions to make this one as great (if not better) than the last.

With a record number of incident responses and ongoing pollution response to an above-average hurricane season, 2017 was a busy year. We accomplished quite a bit last year, and while we always hope the new year will bring fewer oil spills and disasters than the year before, it’s our job to be prepared for whatever 2018 throws our way.

Fiscal Year 2017: A Record Year for OR&R’s Emergency Response Division

Posted Wed, 12/06/2017 - 19:54
By Doug Helton

Each year during this time, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) takes a step back to examine the previous fiscal year in its 2017 Accomplishments Report. Fiscal Year 2017 was a busy year for OR&R, but even more so for the Emergency Response Division, which responded to a total of 205 incidents — a new record.

Preventing and Preparing for Oil Spills in the Arctic

Posted Thu, 05/11/2017 - 17:51

Talking with NOAA Scientist Amy Merten about her time chairing the Arctic Council’s Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response working group.

As rising temperatures and thinning ice in the Arctic create openings for increased human activities, it also increases the potential for oil spills and chemical releases into the remote environment of the region.

Zoos and Aquariums Training for Oil Spill Emergency Response

Posted Wed, 02/08/2017 - 16:11

When an oil spill occurs and photos of injured birds and other wildlife start circulating, there is often an immediate desire to want to help impacted animals.

One group that feels that desire strongly are the people who work at the nation’s accredited zoos and aquariums. For instance, during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) was one of the largest organizations to mobilize volunteers in the Gulf of Mexico. Lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon experience, both good and bad, led the association to launch a large-scale training program to certify members in hazardous response training.

Emergency Response and Assessment 40 Years after Argo Merchant

Posted Mon, 12/12/2016 - 14:02
By Robin Garcia

On Dec. 15, 1976, the tanker Argo Merchant ran aground off the coast of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. Despite attempts to refloat the tanker, the Argo Merchant split in half in strong winds and high waves, spilling more than 7.5 million gallons of oil. It was the largest oil spill in United States history at the time.

Transportation of Crude Oil Along the West Coast

Posted Thu, 11/03/2016 - 14:31
By Sarah Brace

The Pacific States/B.C. Oil Spill Task Force has updated its West Coast crude oil transport map. The map depicts the routes of crude traveling by rail, tanker vessel, pipeline and barge across the western states and British Columbia. It also captures the locations of current and proposed facilities, refineries and terminals. The rapid growth in crude by rail transport has highlighted response and preparedness gaps along the rail line.

Abandoned Vessels of Florida’s Forgotten Coast

Posted Tue, 08/09/2016 - 17:41
By Adam Davis, OR&R Scientific Support Coordinator

There is a stretch of the Florida Panhandle east of the more heavily developed beach destinations of Destin and Panama City that some refer to as the “Forgotten Coast.” This area has vast tracts of pine forest including large stands of longleaf pine and savanna, towering dunes and nearly undeveloped barrier islands, seemingly endless coastal marsh, and miles and miles of winding shoreline along its expansive bays and coastal rivers.