Oil spill response: Countdown to readiness
In the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, a task force representing America's oil industry set about studying the existing resources across the nation for responding to catastrophic oil spills. In June 1989 the task force reported that the capability did not exist in either government or industry to respond to a spill the magnitude of the one in Alaska. As a result of task force recommendations, 20 companies began the process that led to the creation of both the Marine Preservation Association (MPA) and the Marine Spill Response Corp. (MS-RC). The latter is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 5 regional response centers around the US. Under the direction of the US Coast Guard, each of MSRC's five regions will provide a best-effort response to cleaning up spill of persistent (crude) oils that are beyond the capabilities of local spill response organizations. MSRC will work closely with both cooperatives and independent, commercial responders to maximize spill response effectiveness. The MPA and its member companies have committed more than $400 million for the acquisition of capital equipment for MSRC, an unprecedented record in American business history. MSRC is also involved in research programs concerning remote sensing, in-situ burning, dispersants, handling of recovered material, and shoreline countermeasures.
- OSTI ID:
- 6825013
- Journal Information:
- Sea Technology; (United States), Vol. 34:4; ISSN 0093-3651
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
OIL POLLUTION CONTAINMENT
REGIONAL COOPERATION
OIL SPILLS
PETROLEUM INDUSTRY
JOINT VENTURES
US COAST GUARD
COASTAL WATERS
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
CONTROL
COOPERATION
EQUIPMENT
INDUSTRY
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
POLLUTION CONTROL
SURFACE WATERS
US DOT
US ORGANIZATIONS
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
540320 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)