Translating Lessons Learned into More Resilient Response · Translating Lessons Learned into More...
Transcript of Translating Lessons Learned into More Resilient Response · Translating Lessons Learned into More...
Coastal Response Research Center
Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill:
Translating Lessons Learned into More Resilient Response
Nancy E. KinnerCivil/Environmental Engineering
University of New Hampshire
May 10, 2013
CCOM JHC Seminar Series
Coastal Response Research Center2
Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC)
• NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (ORR)/UNH Spill Partnership in 2004
• THERE WILL BE ANOTHER MAJOR SPILL IN U.S.• Many Research Needs Exist Regarding Spill
Response, Recovery and Restoration• Expertise to Call Upon During a Spill
• Independent voice• Honest broker• No oil politics in NH
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CRRC Mission
• Conduct and Oversee Basic and Applied Research and Outreach on Spill Response and Restoration
• Transform Research Results into Practice• Serve as Hub for Oil Spill R&D• Educate/Train Students Who will Pursue
Careers in Spill Response and Restoration
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Center for Spills in the Environment (CSE)
• Parallel Center to CRRC• Accepts Funding from Non-NOAA Sources• Same Mission and Goals
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Today’s Topics
• U.S. Oil Spill Response System• Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Accident• DWH Spill Response• Key Issues of DWH Response• Resilient Response Going Forward
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Phases of Oil Spill
• Emergency Response• Immediate to few years after
• Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)• Determine damage to and compensation of
natural and human resources by responsible parties (RPs)
• Not civil suits
• Restoration/Recovery• Months to years funded by RPs
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Oil Pollution Act 1990 (OPA‘90)
• Within 1 Year of Exxon Valdez Tanker Accident in Alaska
• Mandates Spill Organization and R&D
• R&D Never Fully Funded
• Planning, Preparedness, Response, Damage Assessment and Restoration Systems Mandated
• Major Federal Agencies:
• Minerals Management Service (Leases and Safety/Environmental Regulation)
• Coast Guard, EPA, NOAA
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Oil Spill Classification Table
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An FOSC’s Guide to Environmental Response (USCG, Gulf Strike Team, 7/1/2008)
DWH = 200 Million Gallons
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National Incident Management System: Standardized On-Scene Incident Management
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National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency
Plan (NCP)
• Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC) • National Response Team (NRT)• Regional Response Teams (RRTs)• Local Area Committees
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NCP (cont’d)• Special Force Components• USCG Public Information Assist Team• US EPA Environmental Response Team• NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator
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Incident Management• Discovery & Notification• Preliminary Assessment• Initiation of Action
• Responsible party • Federal assets (e.g., Strike Force)
• Containment, Countermeasures, Cleanup, Disposal
• Documentation & Cost Recovery
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Spills of National Significance (SONS)
• Decided by Commandant of USCG• Size, severity, location, impact on public health &
welfare and environment, complexity
• SONS Drills Required• March 2010: Tanker accident Portland, Maine
• DWH was SONS!!!
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DWH Rig Facts• 33,000 Ton Drilling Rig on Pontoons (Built
2001 / $350M)• Derrick = 20 Stories Above Top Deck• Held in Position Using GPS Dynamic
Positioning Controlled Thrusters• Crew = 126• Owner: TransOcean• Oil Reservoir:
• 5,000 ft water• 13,000 ft strata
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DWH Blowout• April 20, 2010 – Explosion and Fire Onboard
Rig Killing 11 People• All rest onboard rescued
• April 22: Rig Sank Along with Drill Pipe• Turbidity in Water High Due to
Accident/Sinking• Oil Leak Not Confirmed for Few Days
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DWH Blowout Causes
• Lots of Individual Mistakes• Several Excellent Sources of Information:
• Presidential Commission Report (www.oilspillcommission.gov) • Final Report to BOEMRE: Forensic Examination of DWH BOP• Report of Investigation into the Circumstances Surrounding the
Explosion, Fire, Sinking and Loss of Eleven Crew Members Aboard the DWH
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Priority #1 = Stop Fire, Search/Rescue, Human Health and
Safety Paramount
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Priority #2 - Stop Source of Leak
•Start Relief Well•Install “Cap” to Stop Flow
•High ambient water pressure, cold and dark•2200 psi
•High exit pressure of oil, hot (212oF)•6500 psi
•Initially, leaks from several points along drill pipe•Then, just well head
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• Crabs, Shrimp, Oysters, Blue Fin Tuna, Charismatic Marine Mammals
• Recreational Beaches
• Commercial Fishing• Subsistence Fishing
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Priority #3 – Identify Natural Resources at Risk
Shorelines on ESI maps are color-coded by sensitivity to oil. Symbols mark localized areas for biological and human-use resources.
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• Purpose of Response Technology
• Key Is Select Most Appropriate Response Techniques
• Unique to Each Spill and Each Day of Spill• Weather
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Priority #4 – Minimize Damage to Natural Resources
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• 200 million gallons of oil released over 87 Days
• Oil was in patches, not one continuous slick• Oil plumes were on surface and at depth• Most oil spills are finite source
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DWH Response:
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Response: Booms and Skimmers
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Capture and Concentrate Oil, Deflect Oil from Critical Areas
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Use of Dispersants & Other Alternate Response Technologies
• Pre-authorization Plans• Regional or local contingency plans
• No Pre-authorization Plans• FOSC gains concurrence from EPA rep on RRT
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• Rarely used in U.S.• Common in the rest of the
world• Surfactant that lowers surface
tension allowing formation of small droplets
• Waves Mix Dispersant with Oil• Dispersant Breaks Up into
microscopic oil droplets• Droplets Stay Suspended in
Water• Oil Biodegradation
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Surface Oil Dispersal
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Response: Biodegradation
• Every Year, ~ 20 Million Gallons of Oil Enter GOM from Natural Seeps
• Naturally Occurring Bacteria Live in GOM Degrade Oil Constituents to Inorganic Carbon
• Data Suggest Fairly Rapid Biodegradation, Even at Low Temperatures
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Why Use Chemical Dispersants?
• Wind and Waves Often Too High to Allow Mechanical Removal (Booms & Skimmers) or Burning
• Kept Oil Out of Nearshore Waters and Marshes• Organisms breeding, larvae/juveniles present• Marshes/shallows hard to clean if repeatedly
fouled with oil
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Chemical Dispersant Controversy
• Exposure/Toxicity of Dispersants to Marine Life, Humans, Seafood
• Exposure of Marine Organisms Below Surface to Dispersed Oil
• Proprietary Mixture• Where Did Oil Go?
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Failure = Engineering Breakthroughs
Concept Recognized in Engineering
(e.g., H. Petroski, 1982 )
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Initial Mistakes = Lack of Trust
• Oil Leak Not Confirmed for Few Days• Turbidity and debris in water
• Estimates of Leak Poor• Multiple leaks along pipe and at well head
• No Blowout Spill Contingency Plan for High Flow• Never required as part of drilling
permit
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Facing the Reality:
--200 MILLION GALLON SPILL WILL CAUSE DAMAGE--
(Exxon Valdez Spill = 11 Million gallons)
--RESPONSE MINIMIZES DAMAGE, BUT THERE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE!!!—
Public Perception DWH: Poor responseResponders’ Perception DWH: Successful
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The ImbroglioPublic’s Limited
Scientific and
Engineering Literacy
24/7 Information
Can we believe it?
Explosion of Science and Engineering Complexity
PoliticsLocal, State,
Federal
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Scientific Research
+Response
Efforts+
NRDA Data
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imbroglio \im-BROHL-yoh\, noun:
1. A complicated and embarrassing state of things.2. A confused or complicated disagreement or misunderstanding.3. An intricate, complicated plot, as of a drama or work of fiction.4. A confused mass; a tangle.
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• Oil spill scientists/engineers • Very small & underfunded community• Different publication approach
• Oceanographers & ocean engineers• Little knowledge of oil spill response
issues • Safety and response protocols at spill
site• Misunderstandings resulted between
two groups
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Scientific / Engineering Complexity
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• Complex response & science concepts to convey
• Sometimes answers unknown• Literacy issue for public,
government officials and reporters• Responders and scientists are not
always best “teachers”• “River of oil in subsurface”
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Science/Engineering Literacy
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• Experts everywhere in the spotlight• Some data reported before QA/QC• What gets reported?
• Seconds of interview used (from minutes of taping)
• Is what reported true?• Credentials of bloggers• Misunderstanding by reporters
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24/7 Information(Is it True?)
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A Model Misunderstood
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE-1G_476nA
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• Survey of GOM coastal residents• Public does not trust government or industry• Public trusts scientists (especially those who
report data that supports THEIR world view)• Hurricanes Katrina/Rita aftermath
• Skepticism and discontent towards gov’t• Politicians exploit the DWH situation
• Louisiana berms• Congressional intervention: “U.S. can never have
another major oil spill! ”• Legislation can’t prevent human error
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Politics
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• Continuing Deepwater Drilling in GOM, Brazil, Africa
• Other U.S. Coastal Waters• Ultradeep GOM
• Cuba?• Oil Sands Products• Arctic: Russia, Norway,
Canada, Alaska?
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Will DWH Really Change Anything?
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• Harsh environment (cold and very dark)• Oil in & under ice• Minimal response equipment or personnel• Fragile/Unknown natural resources/ecosystem• Indigenous subsistence and cultural practices• Desire to drill vs. environmental preservation• R&D underway, but contentious
• Industry, NGOs, Academia
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Will DWH Really Change Anything?Arctic Drilling
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• Federal legislation = BOEM/BSEE created from MMS
• Improved command structure• More drills and exercises• Industry liability increased• Better on site capping and blowout
prevention equipment developed• $1+ Billion Industry Effort
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Will DWH Really Change Anything?
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• R&D “Flash in the Pan” effect for Exxon Valdez
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Will DWH Really Change Anything?
$ t $oekt
R&D Funding vs. Time
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• Post DWH R&D funding • Much higher • More prolonged
• BP = $500M over 10 years to GOMRI
• NAS = $500M over 30 years
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Will DWH Really Change Anything?
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Where does the US Get our Oil From?
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Data Source: DOE Oil Production Report, 2010
• US Produces > 40%Domestically
• < 25% From OPEC Countries
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Recommendations: Response • Broader Involvement of Scientists/Engineers
in Spill Contingency Planning • Especially in areas with high spill potential (e.g.,
Arctic, GOM)
• Develop Strategies for Co-Operation of Response and Science Activities at Spill Sites
• Update Response/Recovery Based on DWH Experience• Revise guidance documents/protocols• Response affects recovery
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Recommendations: Risk Communication• Strengthen risk communication skills of:
• Journalists/Correspondents (AAAS Awards)• Scientists/Engineers• Gov’t Officials
• Explain tradeoffs of response• Can’t do it all; minimize risks to most
vulnerable; human health and safety
• Directly admit when answer is unknown• Avoid pre-releasing data• “Common Operating Picture” Tools
• DWH = ERMA® /Geoplatform
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Recommendations: Education
• Educate public, especially in spill-vulnerable regions, about response• Response management, scale and tradeoffs
during disasters
• Convey concept that “We don’t know yet”
≠ disaster
• Educate next generation of scientists & engineers in spill response and restoration
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Recommendations: Politics• Minimize potential for political interference
during spill response• Can this be done?
• Overcome misconceptions/unrealistic perceptions• “When the next big spill occurs…..”: It already
has• “We must be ready for the next spill…..”:
Unlikely to be DWH repeat• “They should have done that…..”: Victim,
perpetrator, rescuer paradigm not helpful during spill
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Recommendations: R&D• Numerous R&D activities in wake of DWH• Human dimensions focus should not be
overlooked (e.g., social & health impacts)• Little coordination among granting entities
and consortia • Industry, gov’t, NGOs, academia,
national/international
• Model for multi- stakeholder design teams• Including controlled field release
• Translate R&D into practice
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