Preliminary Assessment & ActionsContinued…

LCDR K. PoundsNSF Response Officer

Federal On-Scene Coordinator Representative Training

2

Origins of NOAA HAZMAT Program…

1976 Spilled Oil Research (SOR)

Team established

Argo Merchant oil spill, Nantucket, Massachusetts The tanker broke into two pieces Dec. 21,

1976, after running aground six days earlier on its way to Salem with a load of 7.5 million gal. of heavy fuel oil.

Nov 16, 1977 Scientific Support Team established for emergency spill response assistance to the U.S. Coast Guard and EPA

3

Other than just another NOAA Scientist…

…what is a Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC)?

…see IMH, p15-22

…total of 9 SSCs and two Regional Response Officers

4

Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC):

• SSCs provide the Federal On Scene Coordinator (FOSC) with scientific advice with regard to the best course of action during a spill response.– FOSC is most often the USCG COTP or an EPA OSC– SSC’s do not restrict support to only the USCG and EPA

• The SSCs are essentially scientific-technical consultants to the FOSC for oil and hazardous material incidents. SSCs may be requested to respond to any emergency (all hazards).

• One of the identified Special Forces (just like the USCG Strike teams…)

5

NOAA Scientific Support Includes:

• Weather Forecast• Tides and Currents• Hazard Characterization• Tactical Trajectory• Resources at Risk (RAR)• Overflight Observations• SCAT• Environmental issues and trade-

offs • Consultation

6

Science Team Composition(the guys and gals who make the SSC look good)

• SSC’s often manage a team of scientists:– Oceanographers– Modelers– Biologists– Chemists– Weather Forecasters– Info. Management Specialists

• Each spill is unique and the team composition highly variable to meet the needs and demands of the FOSC.

(30 years of corporate knowledge)

7

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Stewards of the Nation’s Coastal Environment

8

When things go bump in the night…

9

Thought process… asking the right questions.

• What got spilled? - hazard characterization

• Where is it and where’s it going? - transport/fate (models)

• Who’s going to get hit? - resources at risk (ESI)

• How will it hurt? - impacts/injury

• What can be done? -

10

Preliminary Assessment & Actions2.1 Plot an oil spill trajectory based on a recent pollution response.

• What Information Drives a Good Oil Spill Trajectory?– Spill Source and Pollution (Surface Slick) Observations

Point Source Location (Lat./Long.) Slick Position, Orientation, and Heading Slick Distribution and Weathering Observations On-Scene Weather Observations (Wind Direction, Sea State) Multiple Observations (Time Sequence)

– Pollution Type (Oil Type and Characterization) Density (API Gravity) Persistence (API Gravity, Sim. Distillation Curve-chemistry)

– Understanding of Pollution Transport Marine Currents Tidal Currents Wind (for Surface Oil) Bathometry (Conversion Zones, Coastal Currents, etc.)

Federal On-Scene Coordinator Representative Training

11

(More Than Just a Guess)Pollutant Transport and Oil Weathering Modeling

• Interpretive Oil Trajectories (Mental Model-Verbal Trajectory)– Verbal Forecast – Written Forecast

12

Verbal Trajectory Example

• SUBJECT: M/V Sea Lion grounding

For additional information, please contact Chris Barker, NOAA Emergency Response Division, Seattle, WA. Phone: (206) 526-4911. _______________________________________________________ Per your request, we have looked at trajectory implications of a possible release of fuel from the grounded vessel M/V Sea Lion.

Sector New Orleans received a report that a dive support vessel allided with the SWP jetties (28°54.8'N. 089°25.0'W). The  Vessel has a hole or crack in its bow thruster compartment. So far there have been no signs of pollution. The vessel has 29,062 gallons of diesel onboard, but they are reporting that the fuel tanks are intact.

If a leak does occur, we can provide a more specific trajectory, and if the vessel is still aground in a couple days, please ask for an updated trajectory.

If any of this initial information is incorrect, please let us know ASAP, as it would affect any trajectory implications. _______________________________________________________

1) WINDS:

Today: Winds from the S at 10-15 knots. Tonight: Winds from the SE at 5-10 knots. Thursday: Winds from the NE at 5-10 knots. Thursday night: Winds  from the E at 5-10 knots. Friday: Winds from the SW at 10-15 knots. Weekend: Strong North winds.

2) TRAJECTORY:

Any fuel released will spread and thin to a sheen fairly quickly. Its movement will be dominated by the winds. With the south and southeast winds forecast this afternoon and tonight, the sheen would tend to move to the north and northwest, toward the jetty, impacting the jerry within hours. However, the sheen will be broken up fairly quickly in the surf on the jetty.

A slight staining, or greasy film-like bathtub ring is likely on the jetty, within a couple miles of the release location.

If the jetty is porous in the region of the vessel, some sheen may leak through to the channel side of the jetty, where is will dissipate fairly quickly.

On Friday, the winds are expected to be from the northwest. If a release were to occur then, a visible sheen of up to 5 miles or so would develop top the southeast, away from the jetty. This sheen would not last very long as the winds pick up Friday night.

3) OIL FATE: In the 10-15 knot winds forecast for this afternoon, we expect the visible sheen to persist for up to 12 hours. In the lighter winds forecast to Thursday, any sheen may last longer, up to couple days, though it will probably break up faster in the surf around the Jetty. If a release occurs Friday or over the weekend, when the winds are expected to be much stronger, visible sheen will last only a few hours.

13

NOAA Modeling Products

ADIOS2GNOME

OSSM

Spilled Crude Oil on Water

SPREADING

EVAPORATION

DISSOLUTION

NATURAL DISPERSION

EMULSIFICATION

Spilled Crude Oil on Water

SPREADING

EVAPORATION

DISSOLUTION

NATURAL DISPERSION

EMULSIFICATION

16

ADIOS2: Evaporation(API 28.1 Furrial Crude Oil, Venezuela)

0102030405060708090

100

% E

vap

0 12 24 36 48 60 72 84

Spill + (hrs)

17

ADIOS2: Water-in-Oil Emulsification(API 28.1 Furrial Crude Oil, Venezuela)

0

25

50

75

100

%W

ater

0 12 24 36 48 60 72 84

Spill + (hrs)

18

Typical Oil Weathering: Emulsification(API 28.1 Furrial Crude Oil, Venezuela)

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Tota

l Vol

. (bb

l)

0 2 4 6 8 12 16 24 48 72Spill + (hrs)

WaterOil

19

Things to note during an observation…

Record time and lat./long.

Things to note during an observation…

Record time and lat./long. Use common terminology for describing oil

sightings. Use a glossary if necessary.

Things to note during an observation…

Record time and lat./long. Use common terminology for describing oil

sightings. Use a glossary if necessary. Record direction of slick (heading).

Things to note during an observation…

Record time and lat./long. Use common terminology for describing oil

sightings. Use a glossary if necessary. Record direction of slick (heading). Record Beginning (Leading Edge) and End of Slick

Things to note during an observation…

Record time and lat./long. Use common terminology for describing oil

sightings. Use a glossary if necessary. Record direction of slick (heading). Record Beginning (Leading Edge) and End of Slick Avoid making volume estimates based on slick color.

Things to note during an observation…

Record time and lat./long. Use common terminology for describing oil

sightings. Use a glossary if necessary. Record direction of slick (heading). Record Beginning (Leading Edge) and End of Slick Avoid making volume estimates based on slick color. Always have the sun at your back when taking

photographs. And try to take photos outside of the vessel (airplane, helicopter, boat, etc.) to avoid glare.

27

Comparison Photos

Things to note during an observation…

Record time and lat./long. Use common terminology for describing oil

sightings. Use a glossary if necessary. Record direction of slick (heading). Record Beginning (Leading Edge) and End of Slick Avoid making volume estimates based on slick color. Always have the sun at your back when taking

photographs. And try to take photos outside of the vessel (airplane, helicopter, boat, etc.) to avoid glare.

Beware of false positives!

29

Beware of False Positives!

Jellyfish

Kelp Beds

Red Tide

30

Real-life Example

• After the passing of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, several oil slicks were reported in the Pass A Loutre, LA area. Without going into the “who spilled what” and pointing fingers, a pipeline leak remained unsecured on the 26th of September, 2004. The amount of oil was not identified as many pipelines were leaking in the same area.

• Careful observations helped produce accurate trajectories which directed skimming and dispersant operations.

32

Charlie Henry

37

Preliminary Assessment & Actions2.1 Plot an oil spill trajectory based on a recent pollution response.

“Good field intel and observations set up the trajectory analysis, but what

moves the oil onshore?”

Federal On-Scene Coordinator Representative Training

38

2D On-Water, Surface Transport Drivers: • Winds (Weather Information from NOAA Marine Forecaster)• Ocean Currents (TABS, Earth Observing Systems, Observations)• Tidal Currents (NOAA Tide Predictions, Real-Time Monitoring)

Oil generally moves at 2.5 to 3.5% (3%) of the wind speed and at 100% of the current speed.

To put oil onshore, you generally need an on-shore wind and slack or flood tides.

Remember: “Winds are the direction from… currents are the direction of movement.”

Charlie Henry

http://tabs-os.gerg.tamu.edu/Tglo/

40

Preliminary Assessment & Actions2.3 Create an air plume model for a Hazardous Substance in your AOR.

• What Information Drives a Good Plume Trajectory?– Release Source Information and Field Observations

Point Source Location (Lat./Long.) Source Strength (Release Rate, Pool Area, Etc) Plume Observations and Heading(actual) “Is this an actual release or are we planning for possible release?” On-Scene Weather Observations (Wind Direction, Cloud Ceiling) Released on land, water, into the air…

– Pollution Type (Chemical Type and Characterization) Density (Heavy Gas or Vapor) Vapor Pressure Reactivity

– Understanding of Pollution Transport Wind (Dispersion) Humidity (Reactivity) Stability Factors Topography (ALOHA Doesn’t Include Topography)

Federal On-Scene Coordinator Representative Training

HAZMAT Chemical Products

CAMEO Chemicals

ALOHA

MARPLOT

42

NOAA’s ALOHA MODEL

43

Fundamentals…

• Plume Dispersion

Plume Dispersion Models are driven by the physical properties of the chemical, the release scenario, and the current or predicted weather. Of these, weather can be the most unpredictable. Uncertainty in forecasts grows the farther out you attempt to forecast. NOAA’s Plume Model is limited to only a few hours duration and a 6-mile distance from the source.

Weather forecast for tonight: dark. Continued dark overnight, with widely scattered light by morning.George Carlin (1937-2008 )

45

Hydrogen Sulfide Release(Barge FT-22)

46

USCG Strike Team Deployment

47

NOAA ALOHA Generated Output

48

HYSPLIT

http://ready.arl.noaa.gov/

HYSPLIT.php

49

Preliminary Assessment & Actions2.4 Identify the agency or agencies that may assist in determining the fate

of an oil spill/hazardous substance release in your AOR.

NOAAFederal On-Scene Coordinator Representative Training