Environmental Law Year in Review Conference  

Oil SpillPreparedness

And Response in the Pacific Northwest

Jeff ChristensenOregon Department of Environmental Quality

8 October, 2010

•Petroleum Chemistry and Characteristics•Framework for Preventing and Responding to Spills

State and Federal requirementsWho’s in charge?Oregon spill historyOil spill risk in Oregon

•Impacts to Pacific Northwest and lessons learned from Deepwater Horizon

What is oil?• It’s not “a” chemical compound.

• Petroleum (or oil) is a mixture of 10s of 1000s of different chemical compounds.

• Each oil is a unique mixture (unique blend).

• Oil chemical composition varies due to source, maturation, refinement...

• There is a wide range in oil characteristics.

What happens when oil is spilled?

When Oil Hits the Water How Do We Clean It Up?

Sorbent Boom 

Clockwise from upper left:•Shallow water barge with skimmer and collection boom•Oil spill response vessel with 2,000 feet of boom on deck•Shoreline booming w/skimmers

Alternative Strategies

   In situ BurningIn situ Burning Dispersants Dispersants 

Tar Balls From 

New Carissa Bunker Fuel

When all else fails, shoreline cleanup….

Framework for Preventing and Responding to Spills in Oregon

DEQ Response Authorities

– ORS 468B.300-500, ORS 465, ORS 466 – Oregon spill prevention, spill preparedness, spill reporting

and cleanup requirements

– CERCLA

– Release or Threat of Release» Hazardous Substances» Pollutants and Contaminants

– Oil Pollution Act-Clean Water Act– Oil impacts or threatens to impact waters of the United

States– Oregon Emergency Management Plan

– Northwest Area Contingency Plan

DEQ  Emergency Response Resources

DEQ’s Key Partners: USEPA/USCG

• Alone, or with our response contractor, DEQ is not resourced to respond to large or complex events.

• Under the National Contingency Plan, The National Response Framework and CERCLA - EPA and the US Coast Guard have the authority to rapidly respond to significant events in Oregon

• Working with DEQ’s on scene team, EPA or USCG provides or coordinates:– Expertise and responsibility as Incident Commander– Contractor support for complex responses– Money– Other Federal resources

Northwest Area Contingency PlanNational Contingency Plan

• The Northwest Area Contingency Plan is the primary Federal policy and guidance document for responding to releases of oil and hazardous substances to water or land for three states:

• Idaho• Washington• Oregon

– AND three regional Federal operational areas:• USEPA Region 10• U.S. Coast Guard Puget Sound• U.S. Coast Guard Sector Portland

• Identifies a command structure for event management

Geographic Response Plans

Geographic Response Plans

• Contacts• Maps/Physical Description• Initial Protection/Collection Strategies• Sensitive Resource Description• Logistical Information

Who’s in Charge?

Unified and Incident Command

Unified CommandFOSCSOSCRPLocal, Tribes

PlanningOperationsFinance  Logistics

Liaison Officer

Safety Officer

Joint InformationCenter

PublicAffairs

Oil Spill Risks in Oregon:No Crude Oil

No Oil Rigs

1500 Cargo Vessels Per Year

50 to 100 Tank Vessel per year 

And1200 to 1500 

Tank Barge Trips per year

20 Large Facilities that transfer oil products over water on the Columbia and Willamette River

Bunker Barges

•1978 Toyota Maru (Columbia River) 30,000 Gallons

•1983 Blue Magpie (Yaquina Bay) 80,000 Gallons

•1984 Mobil Oil (Columbia River) 200,000 Gallons

•1991 Tenyo Maru (North Coast) 15 Miles of tar balls

•1991 Tai Chung (Willamette River) 11,000 Gallons

•1993 Southern Pacific (Yoncalla Creek) 5,000 Gallons

•1993 MV Central (Columbia River) 3,000 Gallons

•1994 An Ping 6 (Columbia River) 3,000 Gallons

•1999 MV New Carissa (South Coast) 70,000 Gallons

Fishing Vessels

Recreational Vessels

In addition to marine oil spills, DEQ manages inland spills and releases of all hazardous materials

Caches of Equipment Stored in Warehouses and Trailers along the Columbia and Willamette Rivers

Wildlife Resources 

West Coast Impacts of the DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL 

Clean Rivers Coop sent 20,000 feet of boom from the Columbia River zone, while retaining over 40,000 feet and skimming capacity over 70,000 bbls/day

Other Oregon and Washington response contractors sent personnel and/or equipment not committed in any contingency plans

Dispersant and fire boom sent from Puget Sound which could have provided coverage in Oregon

USCG active and reserve personnel deployed The USCG Cutter Fir deployed to the Gulf

West Coast Impacts of the DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL 

States worked with response industry & contractors to ensure adequate personnel and equipment

Input from plan holders and equipment owners USCG/EPA Temporary Rule for minimum spill

response capabilityVesselsFacilities

West Coast “handicap” Regional perspective: WA and OR Governor’s

response letters

DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL – Issues of Concern

Should we revisit worst-case planning standards for contingency and Area Plans?

How should local governments be involved in area planning and drills and exercises before an incident?

Do we need a better process than EMAC for states to access other states’ resources (equipment & personnel)?

DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL – Issues of Concern

Should minimum equipment levels be established in each Area Plan in advance, so that we have a national picture of what’s available for mutual aid?

Oil spill research, e.g., use of dispersants and other innovative technologies.

How do we address public understanding and expectations? E.g., normal recovery rates, or the RP’s role in Unified Command and relationship to FOSC and SOSC.

For more information…

• http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/cu/index.htm

• Jeff Christensen, ManagerEmergency Response/Environmental CleanupLand Quality DivisionOregon DEQ(503) 229-6391christensen.jeff@deq.state.or.us