OSRR-1004-Responding to Oil Spills in Arctic Environments Study

BSEE supported a two-year joint industry/agency study by the National Research Council (NRC - working arm of the NAS) to assess the current state of the science regarding oil spill response and environmental assessment in the Arctic region with emphasis on potential impacts in U.S. waters. As part of its report, the NRC-appointed committee developed existing decision tools and approaches that utilized a variety of spill response technologies under the types of conditions and spill scenarios encountered at high latitudes. The report reviewed new and ongoing research activities (in both the public and private sectors), identified opportunities and constraints for advancing oil spill research, described promising new concepts and technologies for improving the response, including containment approaches to reduce spill volume and/or spatial extent, and recommended strategies to advance research and address information gaps. The committee assessed the types of baselines needed in the near-term for monitoring the impacts of an oil spill and for developing plans for recovery and restoration following an oil spill in U.S or international waters where a spill could potentially impact US natural resources.