Panel 1 - Role of Science

Charlie HenryDirector, NOAA’s GOM Disaster Response Center

Disclaimer:

The information presented reflects only the views of the presenter, and does not necessarily reflect the official positions or policies of NOAA or the Department of Commerce.

Who are we?Origins of NOAA “HAZMAT” Program…

• 1976 Argo Merchant oil spill, Nantucket, MA(Spilled Oil Research Team)

• 1975 Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program (OCSEAP)

NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R)“We have been part of the science of oil and chemical spills for a very

long time.”

“Leverage science to help solve problems during all

hazard emergency events… including oil spills.”

Five Emergency Response Questions?

• What was spilled? (Oil Chemistry)

• Where is it going? (Oil Forecasts)

• What’s at risk? (RAR/ESI)

• How will it hurt? (Potential Impacts)

• What can be done to mitigate the hurt? (Alternative Response Technologies)

How did it hurt? (Natural Resource Damage Assessment or NRDA Process)

NOAA OR&R “War Room”- “Science Room”

In-Situ Burning and Dispersants Use at the Two Spills

– In-Situ Burn

• Exxon Valdez - Test Burn Only• Deepwater Horizon – >400 Individual In-Situ

Burns– Dispersants

• Exxon Valdez – Test Application Only• Deepwater Horizon – Roughly 400 Individual

Aerial Sorties• Deepwater Horizon – Subsurface Application

of Dispersants (something new)

Sub-Surface (Sea Floor) Dispersant Application

– Operational Issues and Authorization– Would it even work?

(mixing and resonance times)– Dispersed Plume Transport (Where would it go?)– Receptors - Resources at Risk

(What’s at risk and how will it hurt?)– Overall Spill Trade-offs (What would hurt less?)– Monitoring for Effectiveness (Efficacy) and Effects

– Adaptive Management Strategy

Hypothesis -Adaptive ManagementMinimum Regret ProspectiveHypothesis -Adaptive ManagementMinimum Regret Prospective

Deep water monitoring Adaptive Mission Guidance

Final Comment

“…one objective of science in oil spill response is to learn from past spills and apply

this knowledge to the next spill.”

Shigenaka, G. 2014. Twenty-Five Years After the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: NOAA’s Scientific Support, Monitoring, and Research. Seattle: NOAA Office of Response and Restoration. 78 pp.http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oil-and-chemical-spills/significant-incidents/exxon-valdez-oil-spill