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Announcements
The next meeting of the Dispersants Working Group will be held at IOSC. Monday, May 5th at 7:30 pm in the Westin's Riverscape Room.
Efficacy and Effects of Dispersants in Oil Spill Response: Progress since the 2005 NRC Report (2008 International Oil Spill Conference Short Course) to be held Sunday, May 4, 2008, 8:30 to 4:30 pm. More information here>>
Coastal Response Research Center Hosts
Dispersants Working Group and Workshop
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The National Research Council report entitled
"Understanding Oil Spill Dispersants: Efficacy and Effects"
notes that there are "significant gaps in the knowledge needed
to make sound decisions regarding the use of dispersant in
areas that [are] nearshore, shallow, or with restricted flushing
rates." It also recommends that "National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), Minerals Management Service (MMS), U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), relevant state agencies,
industry, and appropriate international partners should work
together to establish an integrated research plan which focuses
on collecting and disseminating peer-reviewed information
about key aspects of dispersant use in a scientifically robust,
but environmentally meaningful context." The Coastal Response
Research Center (CRRC), a partnership between NOAA's Office
of Response and Restoration and the University of New Hampshire
(UNH), convened a meeting of many of these entities in July
2005 to discuss the possibility of forming an integrated approach
to dispersants research. The participants decided to form
a Dispersants Working Group (DWG) and agreed to participate
in a coordinated research plan in which:
- Each participating entity will maintain
its autonomy;
- Requests for proposals (RFPs), Broad Agency
Announcements (BAAs), other funding announcements and all
research results will be shared among the DWG and made public,
where possible.
As the inaugural
DWG event, the CRRC hosted a workshop entitled Research &
Development Needs for Making Decisions Regarding Dispersing
Oil at UNH on September 20-21, 2005. The goal of the workshop
was to develop a list of priority topics that can serve as
a basis for a coordinated research plan. The workshop brought
together more than 30 representatives from federal and state
agencies, industry, academia, and the private sector for small
group and plenary discussions of the effectiveness and effects
of dispersant use. The dedication and hard work of the participants
resulted in an impressive list of research topics for future
funding announcements. A workshop report will be posted on
the Center's website in the coming months.
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