field guide for oil spill response in arctic waters

362 Pages·2007·4.65 MB·English

FIELD GUIDE FOR OIL SPILL
RESPONSE IN ARCTIC WATERS
EPPR
Emergency Prevention,
Preparedness and Response
A Program of the Arctic Council
Canada Denmark Greenland Finland Iceland Norway Russia Sweden USA
Legend
Bullets
safety concerns with respect to human life and health
operational considerations that might limit or enhance a strategy or technique
strategies or techniques recommended for a given scenario, usually appropriate
strategies or techniques not recommended for a given scenario, rarely appropriate
Seasons Environments
open water
seas
(water is free of any ice forms)
freeze-up
lakes
(new ice is forming)
breakup
rivers
(mature ice is melting)
frozen
shorelines
(ice is solid, usually continuous)
Oil Locations
oil on the surface in open water
oil beneath ice
oil submerged under open water
oil on ice
oil on water surface mixed in ice
oil submerged under solid ice
oil submerged under broken ice
Oil Viscosity Ranges
light medium heavy
(like (like (like
water) molassas) tar)
FIELD GUIDE
for
OIL SPILL RESPONSE
in
ARCTIC WATERS
prepared by
Edward H. Owens

Owens Coastal Consultants
and
Laurence B. Solsberg
Mark R. West
Maureen McGrath
Counterspil Research Inc.
prepared for
Emergency Prevention, Preparedness
and Response Working Group
September 1998

Disclaimer
Nothing in the Guide shall be understood as prejudicing the legal
position that any Arctic country may have regarding the
determination of its maritime boundaries or the legal status of any
waters.
Front cover painting titled “Arctic” by Christopher Walker. Acrylic
polymer emulsion on masonite panel (36” x 48”). An internationally
recognized painter, Walker has developed a distinctive reputation as
a perceptual realist in Canadian art. He entered the Canadian
Archives as ship’s artist on an historic research expedition to the
north pole, called the “U.S./Canada 1994 Arctic Ocean Section”. It
was on this voyage that the concept for “Arctic” was conceived.
Walker continues his artistic development in Qualicum Beach, British
Columbia.
For information about the artist, his limited edition prints or originals,
contact Northland Images at:
e-mail: nlimages@ nanaimo.ark.com
website: http://nanaimo.ark.com/~nlimages
toll free: 1-800-799-5241
tel/fax: [phone]
Arctic Waters Field Guide i Disclaimer
About EPPR
The Emergency Prevention Preparedness and Response (EPPR)
Working Group was established to provide a framework for future
cooperation in responding to the threat of environmental
emergencies in the Arctic. EPPR works within the Arctic
Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS), which was adopted by
Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian
Federation, Sweden and the United States through the Ministerial
Declaration at Rovaniemi, Finland in 1991. The other working
groups within AEPS are the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment
Program (AMAP), Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment
(PAME), Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), and
Sustainable Development and Utilization (SDU).
The EPPR Working Group provides a forum in which member
governments and indigenous peoples work to better prevent, prepare
for and respond to environmental threats from accidental discharges
of pollution from activities which take place in the Arctic.
EPPR operates through a system of National Contacts and meets at
least annually to assess progress and to develop EPPR Work Plans.
It has a chairperson, but neither vice-chair nor secretariat. EPPR
does not receive funding or maintain accounts to support its
operation or the development of projects, but works in accordance
with the “lead country principle”. Representation by indigenous
peoples in all of EPPR’s activities is an important aspect of its
program. The Working Group has met in Lulea, Sweden (1992),
Anchorage, Alaska (1994), Norilsk, Russia (1995), Yellowknife,
Canada (1996), Ilulissat, Greenland (1997) and Rovaniemi, Finland
(1998).
The majority of EPPR’s work is directed at assessing threats to the
Arctic environment which could result in the need for emergency
response measures, and at facilitating the improved ability to prevent
or mitigate these threats. Some examples of EPPR’s efforts include:
risk analyses; holding response exercises for emergencies such as
radiological accidents and major oil spills; assessing environmental
agreements; evaluating warning systems and communication
networks; and sharing experience and technical information,
including research and development data.
Arctic Waters Field Guide ii About EPPR
Acknowledgements
The Field Guide for Oil Spills in Arctic Waters was produced in
accordance with a funding formula agreed to by the eight
participating circumpolar countries. Additional financial support
required to complete the project was generously provided by the
following agencies:
• Indian & Northern Affairs Canada, Contaminated Sites Office,
Yellowknife, NT
• Office of Emergency Management, US Department of Energy,
Washington, DC
• Oil Spill Recovery Institute, Prince William Sound Science Center,
Cordova, AK
The document was prepared under the direction of the Arctic Waters
Field Guide Working Group whose members are:
Dr.Yury Aleshin, EMERCOM of Russia
Danielle Amat, Canadian Coast Guard
Dr. Andrie Chen, Exxon Production Research Company, USA
Ed Collins, Environment Canada
Vladimir Davydov, EMERCOM of Russia
Peter Devenis, Peter Devenis & Associates, Canada
Larry Dietrick, Alaska Dept. of Environmental Conservation, USA
David Egilson, Environment and Food Agency, Iceland
Captain Thomas Fagö, Swedish Coast Guard
Eugene Filatov, EMERCOM of Russia
Boris Galushkin, Russian Scientific Inst. of Civil Defence & Emerg.
John Goodman, Canadian Coast Guard
Ann Heinrich, US Department of Energy
Dr. Laura Johnson, Environment Canada
Kjell Kolstad, SFT - Norwegian Pollution Control Authority
Kari Lampela, Finnish Environment Institute
Dmitriy Lobanov, EMERCOM of Russia
Bruce McKenzie, BP Exploration, Alaska
Joe Nazareth, Ministry of Environment and Energy, Denmark
Walter Parker, US Arctic Research Commission
Captain Buzz Rome, US Coast Guard
Dr. Gennady Semanov, CNIIMF, Russia
Gary Sergy, Environment Canada
Yury Shishkin, EMERCOM of Russia
Duane Smith, Inuvialuit Game Council, Canada
Dr. Norm Snow, Inuvialuit Joint Secretariat, Canada
Dr. Gary Thomas, Prince William Sound Science Center, USA
David Tilden, Project Manager, Environment Canada
Cdr. Ross Tuxhorn, US Coast Guard
Arctic Waters Field Guide iii Acknowledgements
Responsible Institution and Publisher:
Environment Canada, Prairie and Northern Region
Environmental Protection Branch, Northwest Territories Division
Suite 301, 5204 50th Avenue, Yellowknife, NT Canada X1A 1E2
Telephone: + 1-867-669-4700 Facsimile: + 1-867-873-8185
Published by the authority of the Federal Minister of the
Environment.
Authors:
The Guide was written by E.H. Owens (Owens Coastal Consultants)
and L.B. Solsberg, M.R. West and M. McGrath (Counterspil
Research Inc.).
Citation:
Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR), 1998.
Field Guide for Oil Spill Response in Arctic Waters 1998.
Environment Canada, Yellowknife, NT Canada, 348 pages.
Copyright:
Copyright © Minister of Public Works and Government Services, 1998
Canadian Government Publishing Catalogue No.:En40-562/1998E
ISBN: 0-660-17555-X
Copies available from:
Environment Canada, Suite 301, 5204 50th Avenue
Yellowknife, NT Canada X1A 1E2
Facsimile: + 1-867-873-8185
and
Through EPPR Working Group National Contacts
@Internet: http://arctic-council.usgs.gov
Printed by:
CopyTime Communications
427 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC Canada V6C 1T1
Tel: [phone]
Arctic Waters Field Guide iv Responsible Institution
Table of Contents
About EPPR i
Acknowledgements ii
1 Lexicon 1 - 1
2 Introduction 2 - 1
Part A - Operations
3 Initial Response Guide 3 - 1
4 Response Strategies 4 - 1
5 Response Methods 5 - 1
Part B - Technical Support
6 Spill Behaviour and Tracking 6 - 1
7 Notification and Spill Response Decision Process 7 - 1
8 Coastal Character of the Arctic Regions 8 - 1
9 References and Bibliography 9 - 1
Arctic Waters Field Guide v Table of Contents
Arctic Waters Field Guide vi