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The American Petroleum Institute (API) is a trade association representing more than 400 member companies involved in all aspects of the oil and natural gas industry in North America. API has, for many years, provided funding for research into critical aspects of the industry, including spill mitigation and effects. Unfortunately, the budget has declined in recent years, so that funds available specifically for spill research and development activities in the calendar year are only $15K. API Members provide people to represent them on committees, the Spills Task Force and the Oil Spill Science and Technology Work Group, which assess research needs each year and develop projects to answer those needs, generally before September. Research funds expended during the last several years, which will provide a sense of the type and focus of the effort, have been in support of:
Funding in recent years has moved toward projects
that are beneficial to spill mitigation efforts and to API's role as an
advocate for the industry.
Gregg Hall The Coastal Response Research Center is a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), and the University of New Hampshire (UNH). The goal of the Center is to reduce the consequences of spills and other hazards that threaten coastal environments and communities by conducting research, developing new response and restoration methods and transferring technology to practitioners. The Center addresses national issues, provides overall coordination, and serves as the hub for joint institutes in other regions of the country. The Center focuses on the education, research, and technology involved with all aspects of spills, with an overall objective of promoting effective protection and restoration of coastal areas. To the extent feasible, advances in science and technology relating to spills are applied to other types of threats to coastal environments and communities. The Center has an external grants program that funds researchers in academia and the private sector to conduct study on oil spill response, restoration and recovery. The Center publishes two Requests for Proposals (RFPS) annually. One solicits proposals on a broad spectrum of oil spill response, recovery and restoration issues. The topics for the RFP are the result of input from NOAA and workshops on research and development needs that the Center hosts of representatives of the oil spill community. This RFP typically results in funding for ~5 projects averaging $100,000/yr in support. The total funding available for the Center's annual RFP is typically $1.0 to 1.2 M. Projects are a maximum of two years in duration. The second annual RFP is on Cold Climate Oil spill issues and is funded by a partnership that the Center has with CICEET, OSRI and MMS. Topics for the Cold Climate RFP are selected by the partners. The funding available annually for this RFP is approximately $1M. The RFP process for both solicitations involves three layers of peer review. A panel review of preproposals, four individual peer reviews of the selected full proposals and a final panel review. The annual RFP process starts in May with funding distributed the following January. The Cold Climate RFP starts in June and concludes the following February. The Center is funded by an annual Congressional appropriation.
In the FY 06 budget, the appropriations language includes a request for
the Center's normal support of $2M along with an additional request for
$1M to support dispersants research. The fate of this request will not
be known until late Fall 2005. Even without this appropriation, the Center
funds dispersants research. Since the inception of funding, the Center
has funded five projects the effects of exposure to dispersants and dispersant
use. In its 2005 Annual RFP, the Center stated that it would consider
proposals on any dispersants issues highlighted in the recently released
NRC report on the efficacy and effects of dispersants that fall within
its mission.
The EPA's oil spill research program is divided into five major areas at the present time. These areas encompass protocol development, fate and effects of vegetable oils and animal fats, bioremediation, dispersion effectiveness at various sea states, and fate and transport modeling of dispersants, oil, and dispersed oil in nearshore environments. Protocol Development: Work has been completed on developing a reproducible and repeatable dispersant effectiveness protocol to screen commercial products for listing on the NCP Product Schedule. This new protocol, called the Baffled Flask Test (BFT) uses a baffled flask to generate energy dissipation rates comparable to those measured in the sea. The bioremediation agent protocol was also recently edited. It was streamlined, made easier and less expensive to conduct, and extended to both freshwater and saltwater environments. Both protocols have a specific decision rule that vendors must meet in order to qualify for listing. A surface washing agent effectiveness test is currently being developed and should be completed some time in FY 2006. All these protocols feature round-robin testing by independent analysts to produce highly credible and scientifically sound testing. Fate/Effects of Vegetable Oils and Animal Fats: Work has been on-going for several years on the aerobic and anaerobic biodegradability of vegetable oils. Although vegetable oils are biodegradable, they do become slightly more toxic during the biodegradation process. Much of the research being done is to understand the cause of this toxicity. An innovative treatment scheme has been developed for treating vegetable oil spills on water. It involves sinking the oil into the sediment using clay and iron and allowing the oil to biodegrade anaerobically in the sediment. This is not permitted for petroleum oils since those oils will not degrade effectively under anaerobic conditions. Since vegetable oils already have oxygen in the molecule, anaerobic metabolism is rapid and easy. A full-scale field test will be conducted at the Canadian Experimental Lakes Area some time in the next two years after all laboratory work has been completed. All of this vegetable oil research supports the Headquarters office that writes regulations for treatment of vegetable oil spills in the U.S. navigable waters. Bioremediation: Extensive bioremediation research was conducted throughout the 1990s and early 2000s in the area of bioremediation. Field studies were completed in Delaware proving that bioremediation causes a statistically significant removal of hydrocarbons on sandy beaches. Two other intentional field studies were conducted in 2000 and 2002 demonstrating the effectiveness of bioremediation on freshwater wetlands and salt marshes. Studies planned for the immediate future include the attempt to wick oil out of the subsurface sediment into the aerobic zone where bioremediation can take place more rapidly. Other studies planned for out years include larger scale implementation of this wicking concept at the Canadian Experimental Lakes area. Bioremediation of oil-contaminated mangroves is also planned in the more distant future. Dispersion Effectiveness at various sea states: In
FY 2004, we funded the fabrication of a wave tank at the Bedford Institute
of Oceanography Fate and transport modeling of dispersed oil
plumes near shore: This work includes multimedia enhancement of the ERO3S
Oil Spill Model, development of linkages between the oil spill model and
other environmental transport models, air model(s), and aquatic food chain
models with linkages to uncertainty analysis, processing, and GIS databases
to link to existing models. To accomplish this, a modeling framework will
be used to allow linkage of various models (the oil spill model, surface
water flow and transport models, air models, etc.). The framework's sensitivity
and uncertainty analysis capabilities will be used to assess the most
significant sensitivities and uncertainties of the model. The model will
be adapted for vegetable oil spills. When dispersant effectiveness research
is completed, all results will be incorporated within the model. Adaptation
of ERO3S model will be made to include biodegradation of dispersed oil.
ExxonMobil supports an active research and development program in Oil Spill Prevention and Response Technology. We are an acknowledged leader in technological innovations in oil spill response, with programs that have been in place for over 30 years. Our R&D efforts have been carried out around the globe in conjunction with other industry partners through a variety of trade association activities. We've also provided direct funding to and conducted joint programs with academic, government and private research organizations. R&D efforts have supported, and continue to support, projects in a wide variety of spill response topics, including:
Dispersants: Our most productive
R&D activity has been the development of new formulations of dispersants
that are environmentally safe, highly effective on a broad range of oil
types, and can be used under a wide variety of environmental conditions.
We continue to evaluate the effectiveness of dispersants on heavy, weathered,
and emulsified oil using a variety of test approaches incorporating laboratory,
small- and large-scale wave basins, and field demonstrations. We also
support development of dispersant application and monitoring systems that
allow for high encounter rates and effective response. Our goal in dispersant
research is to help define the range of oil types, dispersant types and
environmental conditions under which dispersants can be effectively applied
to provide net environmental benefit in oil spill response.
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) works to protect the marine and coastal environments. The Oil Spill Response Research (OSRR) appropriation funds oil spill research, oil spill prevention and response planning activities, and regulation of oil spill financial responsibility. The research program complies with Title VII of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA-90) and is conducted in cooperation with the Interagency Coordinating Committee for Oil Pollution Research, as called for in OPA-90. Information derived from the OSRR program is directly integrated into MMS's offshore operations and is used in making regulatory decisions pertaining to permit and plan approvals, safety and pollution inspections, enforcement actions, and training requirements. The Oil Spill Response Research (OSRR) program supports research to improve the capabilities for detecting and responding to an oil spill in the marine environment. OSRR projects cover a wide spectrum of oil spill response issues that includes: remote sensing and detection, mechanical containment and recovery, physical and chemical properties of crude oil, chemical treating and dispersants, in situ burning, and deepwater operations. This program has expanded capabilities to respond to an open ocean oil spill as well as in cold water and ice covered regions. MMS also manages Ohmsett - the National Oil Spill Response Test Facility where various conditions at sea can be replicated and full-scale equipment tested without going out into the ocean. Valuable performance data on equipment are provided to manufacturers and suppliers to develop new, or to improve existing equipment. Ohmsett enables federal and industry personnel to be trained in the use of oil spill equipment in a safe, controlled environment (as compared to the open sea). The Oil Spill Response Research program is cooperative in nature; it brings funding from research partners in government agencies, the oil industry, and from the international community. The program brings together expertise through cooperative research arrangements and routinely participates in concurrent research and development projects. Many of these projects are Joint Industry Projects, where MMS partners with other stakeholders to maximize research dollars. Funding for the Oil Spill Response Research (OSRR) program and operation of Ohmsett - The National Oil Spill Response Test Facility is appropriated from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF). MMS receives approximately $3.2 million per year from the OSLTF for OSRR and the operation and maintenance of Ohmsett.
R&D in Oil Spill Dispersants NOAA is an ocean management agency with mandated responsibilities for the protection and restoration of living marine resources. These mandated responsibilities are focused in the National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Ocean Service. The National Marine Fisheries Service uses and needs information on the effectiveness, fate and effects of dispersants to make protective decisions regarding the use of these compounds in problems as diverse as the effective management of commercial fin and shell fisheries, the conservation of essential fish habitat and the protection of endangered species. The National Ocean Service is home to both the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) and National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS), both of which use and need information similar to that required by NMFS to make protective decisions regarding the best response options. The development of the needed data and information is funded by both in-house and outside monies. In- house monies from OR&R, NMS and NMFS for FY05 was approximately $580K for both in-house and outside projects. For example, NOAA funded 100K of the NAS Study, "Understanding Oil Spill Dispersants: Efficacy and Effects." OR&R spends about 10% of its budget ($250K) in efforts to advance the use of dispersants through supporting the USCG Ecological Risk Assessments, enhancing modeling tools, and participating in drills and exercises, including Safe Sanctuaries. NMS focused large resources to plan and support and the Safe Sanctuaries drill where the decision was made to use dispersants to save old-growth mangrove habitat and other shoreline impacts (~100K). Safe Sanctuaries 2006 is in the planning stages. For FY2006, OR&R's existing efforts could be refocused to address six priority areas:
Outside monies funded in-house work for NOAA Fisheries Laboratories. The Alaska Fisheries Science Center Auke Bay Laboratory conducted a large series of studies on the impacts of residual oil on a variety of organisms following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and continues to carry out research relating to that spill and others such as the Selandang Ayu. The Environmental Conservation Division of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center conducts mechanistic and ecotoxicological research on the effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from oil spills and other sources such as urban stormwater runoff. In FY2005, this totaled approximately $300K with an equivalent amount budgeted for 2006. Note that all funding sources are uneven and subject to change.
Dispersant Research Program The OSPR research program was initiated in 1993 and continued through 1998 when the program was canceled due to budgetary constraints. During the six year period, the dispersant research program spent approximately $350,000 to $500,00 a year with OSPR providing $300,000 of the annual total. Program studies focused on dispersant and dispersed oil toxicity, the relative efficacy of selected dispersants, and the fate of dispersed oil. In addition to these studies, OSPR participated with several organizations in the development of the Chemical Response to Oil Spills: Ecological Effects Research Forum (CROSERF) whose goals included the development of standardized testing methods for examining dispersant and dispersed oil toxicity. OSPR's general research program was again funded beginning in 2003. Total funding for the general program is approximately $250,000 annually with grants ranging from less that $10,000 to a high of $85,000. Presently, OSPR's dispersant research program is conducting studies focusing on acute and short and long term chronic effects of crude and dispersed oil on Chinook Salmon smolt. The program is three years in length with a total funding of $451,110. OSPR is providing $195,000 of this total. Other funding sources include CICEET and University of California, Davis Oiled Wildlife Care Network. The study is designed to address questions raised by the National Marine Fisheries Service during a preliminary Section 7 consultation on the use of dispersants in coastal waters.
Room 258 A Military Science Building The Louisiana Applied and Educational Oil Spill Research and Development Program (OSRADP) has an annual research budget of $530,000 and underwrites 10 to 15 projects annually. The process begins with the acceptance of preproposals in October. These submissions must be "blind" - no names of academic institutions and/or scientist. Once the Proposal Review Board has reviewed and ranked the preproposals, the principal investigators associated with projects that have been elevated to full proposal status are notified to write a full proposal according to the guidelines posted on our web site. Full proposals are due in January. These are reviewed and ranked and the scientists with projects considered for funding are invited to present a short summary of their work to the full Board in late March or early April. Awards are made in May, with deliverables due 30 June the following year. Although in some areas interest in oil spill research may be waning, this is not the case in Louisiana. In fact, the program is getting stronger. Since oil and/or gas are produced in all 64 Louisiana parishes (counties) the program has underwritten upland, as well as marine-oriented research endeavors. Consequently, beginning in the fall of 1993, the OSRADP has granted 140 subcontracts/letter agreements in support of 97 projects - 43 were funded for two years; $42,466 is the average award. A generic summary of these projects includes: in-situ burning; phytoremediation; remediation and restoration in wetlands and uplands; pipeline analysis and mapping; oil spill risk on the Mississippi River; oceanic and atmospheric conditions off the Mississippi delta; various GIS and aerial video surveys and/or databases; wave-current online information system; estuarine trajectory analysis; and education-related material. The program has supported four projects related directly or indirectly to dispersants:
P.O. Box 705 The Prince William Sound (PWS) Oil Spill Recovery Institute (OSRI) was authorized in 1990 by the United States Congress to "identify and develop the best available techniques for preventing and responding to oil spills in the Arctic and sub-Arctic" (Title V, Section 5001, Oil Pollution Act of 1990); and, also to "assess and understand the long range effects of Arctic or sub-Arctic oil spill impacts on the natural resources of Prince William Sound. . . and the environment, the economy and the lifestyle and well-being of the people who are dependent on them." OSRI is administered by the Prince William Sound Science Center and located in Cordova, Alaska (www.pws-osri.org) Since 1997, when funding was actually instituted, OSRI has awarded approximately $1 million annually for cold water oil pollution related research and education projects. In 2000, OSRI helped support a workshop held in Anchorage on dispersant application issues (copies of that workshop proceedings are still available in hard copy). More recently, OSRI initiated a project to analyze the risks associated with dispersant use in Prince William Sound and hosted a workshop held in January 2003 in Anchorage; the workshop report is posted at the OSRI website. Further project work was postponed until recommendations were released by the Scientific work group of the Alaska Regional Response Team. Currently, OSRI partners with the CRRC, CICEET, and MMS in the solicitation of proposals addressing technological methods for cold climate oil spill response including dispersants and associated issues. OSRI has available up to $300,000 for FY06 awards in this area; in future years, OSRI plans to fund at least $150,000 annually for this partnership RFP which includes a solicitation for projects focused on dispersant application and efficacy.
1700 N. Congress Ave. On March 28, 1991, The Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act (OSPRA) was adopted and signed into law by the Governor of Texas. OSPRA designated the Texas General Land Office (GLO) to serve as the lead state agency in preventing, and responding to, coastal and marine oil spills. This new legislation placed numerous and varied responsibilities on the Texas GLO, and created the Texas Coastal Protection Fund as the funding mechanism. The fund which is capped at 25 million dollars, is financed by a two cent per barrel tax on all crude oil products that are loaded or offloaded at Texas ports. One of the many innovative and new responsibilities mandated by OSPRA is the formation of a research and development component in the GLO Oil Spill Prevention and Response Division. Section 40.302 of OSPRA establishes the availability of $1.25 million per fiscal year to be dedicated towards research and development activities. The section dictates how and where the research dollars may be spent. The Texas General Land Office has
coordinated with other state agencies and private industry to establish
viable research projects for oil spill prevention and response. Two major
research projects are the Shoreline Environment Research Facility (SERF),
formerly known as, Coastal Oilspill Simulation System (COSS) and the Texas
A&M University Ph.D. Pipeline Program.
The USCG Research and Development Center is the Coast Guard's sole facility responsible for applied scientific research and development of technologies that assist the Coast Guard in preparing for tomorrow while being ready for today. The R&D Center is dedicated to maximizing its contribution by maintaining a balanced portfolio of projects that support the Coast Guard's short, medium, and long range requirements across all major missions. We pursue technologies that provide incremental improvements as well as those with the greatest potential to strategically transform the way the Coast Guard does business. The Coast Guard R&D Program has historically
funded several $M of oil spill prevention and response research each year.
This includes prevention issues such as crew fatigue, waterways management
and surveillance. Response projects have included development of skimmers
and booms, response manuals, storage systems, decision-making software,
and spill trajectory models.
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