LEONARDO, N.J. – The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) recently completed a three-month renovation of its test tank at Ohmsett, the bureau’s oil spill response research test facility located in Leonardo, New Jersey. Ohmsett technicians performed maintenance work on the 2.6 million gallon outdoor concrete tank that included sandblasting, painting and other repair and replacement work.
Every five years, the 667-foot long tank is drained so the interior can be inspected and identified repairs completed. When inspections and repairs are completed, the tank is then refilled with salt water and filtered for two weeks to restore water clarity.
The first test for the refilled tank will be a Wave Energy test scheduled for September 14. The Wave Energy Test is a performance test of marine renewable energy systems (wave energy conversion devices). To meet the need for the testing of safe and renewable offshore energy technology, Ohmsett's mission has expanded to offer a research and testing venue for wave energy conversion devices.
BSEE is the principal federal agency funding offshore oil spill response research, and Ohmsett is a key part of the bureau’s Oil Spill Response Research Program. Many of today’s commercially available oil spill cleanup products have been tested at Ohmsett and a considerable body of performance data and information on mechanical response equipment has been obtained there. This information is used by response planners in reviewing and approving facility response and contingency plans.
Ohmsett is also the premier training site for oil spill response personnel. Government agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Navy, as well as private industry and oil spill response organizations from around the world, train their emergency response personnel with real oil and full-scale response equipment. Recent testing activities included independent performance testing of BSEE and U.S. Coast Guard skimming systems to gain a better understanding of the relationship between manufacturers’ published recovery rates and rates obtained through testing with a prescribed standard. More than twenty-four countries have conducted tests or training at the Ohmsett facility.
For a complete list of research conducted at Ohmsett or to review testing and training schedules, please visit here.
