Presentation
Non-Floating Oil Risk Mapping in Washington State Geographic Response Plans
SessionMeet the Poster Authors
DescriptionIn 2018, the Washington State Legislature required the Department of Ecology to address the increased risks from non-floating oil (NFO) in the state’s Geographic Response Plans (GRPs), in response to increased diluted bitumen shipments in waters shared with Canada.
Ecology’s Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Program created a statewide map layer to identify areas with the highest likelihood of NFO accumulation, as ranked on a 10-point risk scale. The ranking system uses information from existing data layers, the uSCAT Technical Reference Manual, and the 2016 API Technical Report on Sunken Oil Detection and Recovery.
Planners use the layer to identify sites at highest risk of accumulation, then evaluate the factors at those sites that may limit survey and cleanup methods, such as water depth, shipwrecks, and contaminated soils. This analysis is then added to Geographic Response Plans in areas where NFOs are moved in bulk. An interactive map overlays the NFO layer with known hazards, visualizing the response potential in both inland and marine zones.
This poster will show how the risk layer was created, how it pre-identifies sites to begin initial submerged oil surveys, and its utility for public outreach and education. Other state, federal, or tribal governments may find this approach useful for improving NFO spill readiness in their preparedness programs.
Ecology’s Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Program created a statewide map layer to identify areas with the highest likelihood of NFO accumulation, as ranked on a 10-point risk scale. The ranking system uses information from existing data layers, the uSCAT Technical Reference Manual, and the 2016 API Technical Report on Sunken Oil Detection and Recovery.
Planners use the layer to identify sites at highest risk of accumulation, then evaluate the factors at those sites that may limit survey and cleanup methods, such as water depth, shipwrecks, and contaminated soils. This analysis is then added to Geographic Response Plans in areas where NFOs are moved in bulk. An interactive map overlays the NFO layer with known hazards, visualizing the response potential in both inland and marine zones.
This poster will show how the risk layer was created, how it pre-identifies sites to begin initial submerged oil surveys, and its utility for public outreach and education. Other state, federal, or tribal governments may find this approach useful for improving NFO spill readiness in their preparedness programs.
Author
Event Type
Poster
TimeMonday, May 13th5:00pm - 6:00pm CDT
LocationExhibit Hall G
Preparedness
Prevention
Remediation
Response
Restoration